Katie Britt responds to Scarlett Johansson’s ‘SNL’ impression and criticism of her handling of Biden’s policies

It wasn’t until the morning after Alabama Sen. Katie Britt delivered the official Republican response to President Joe Biden last week that she realized the backlash she had stirred up, she said in a new interview.

And then, the day after the headlines and reactions started stacking up, Scarlett Johansson played Britt on “Saturday Night Live” — riffing on what many viewers noted was Britt’s penchant for changing her voice as she spoke and her theatrical style while seated at her kitchen table.

But as Britt said in an episode of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast released on Wednesday, the criticism hasn’t fazed her.

In fact, she said, she actually enjoyed Johansson’s impression and some of the memes, including one comparing her to Kate Middleton.

“One of my favorite things was there was a meme that said, ‘Why is Alabama Kate Middleton so mad?'” Britt told Cruz. “And I thought, this is the highest compliment, can we print this out and frame it and put it on my desk?”

Of Johansson playing her, Britt said she had expected to be satirized on “SNL” but hadn’t known quite what to expect.

She was “pretty pumped” they chose the actress, she said.

“I’ll be honest with you, a bingo card of 2024 for Katie Britt, I did not have this on it and so certainly did not have Scarlett Johansson playing me,” she said, “and I was trying, we were talking to the kids about all of it and they were like, ‘Oh my gosh mom.’ … And I said, you know, ‘Look it could be worse.’ I mean Scarlett Johansson — here you have Black Widow, they bring in someone from Avengers to play me in the cold open, I’m here for it.”

“It was [a] pretty fun moment,” Britt continued, later noting that Johansson also invoking her husband, a former professional football player, in the cold open was “one of his favorite things.”

Throughout the podcast, Cruz praised Britt, echoing how some other Republicans have rallied to her in the wake of her giving the party’s response to Biden.

Both she and Cruz also repeatedly slammed Biden’s fiery State of the Union as a “really angry” stump speech from an “old, cranky” president.

But Britt’s comments generated plenty of their own fallout, both for their unusually dramatic tone — her voice ranging from emotional to stern, sometimes dropping down to a whisper — and for her misleading description of the experience of a woman who was the victim of human trafficking.

While criticizing Biden’s immigration policies, Britt cited the sexual abuse endured by Karla Jacinto Romero in such a way that it appeared as though Romero’s story was more recent and in the U.S.

But according to multiple news reports, Romero was abused more than 15 years ago, in Mexico, when George W. Bush was president.

Romero told The New York Times that she learned about Britt’s remarks via social media and found it “very strange.”

“I am involved in the fight to stop trafficking and I don’t think it should be political,” she told the paper.

Speaking with CNN, she said, “I hardly ever cooperate with politicians, because it seems to me that they only want an image. They only want a photo — and that to me is not fair.”

Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Britt said she didn’t bring up Romero to intentionally blame Biden for what happened to her but rather to point to it as an example of the trafficking that is still going on.

On Cruz’s podcast on Wednesday, Britt insisted the news media was motivated by political bias rather than covering the ongoing trafficking fueled by a “border crisis” she blamed on Biden.

“The liberal media isn’t interested in the truth,” Britt claimed.

Her State of the Union response also drew response of its own because of the setting, in the kitchen, but Britt said that criticism of that as sexist was distorting her party’s focus on everyday issues.

“You’ve got Joe Biden who actually mentions kitchen table, his dad’s kitchen table and the quote ‘trickle-down effect’ of economics, in his speech — and then I’m sitting at the kitchen table that he references and let’s not forget that Elizabeth Warren actually launched her presidential campaign from her kitchen,” Britt said.

Britt’s fellow Alabama Republican senator, Tommy Tuberville, for his part reportedly said she was chosen to give the response “as a housewife.”

Britt acknowledged a learning curve to giving the official State of the Union response.

“To deliver a speech, honestly, directly into a camera, I’ve never done that and obviously if you were to do it again, you’d do it, you would know and have kind of sort of that — the ability to learn from doing that,” she said, adding, “A lot of people thought it was taped, it’s like no, it’s live — like you literally walk into the other room when he finishes, they give you a 15-minute countdown, and then it’s live.”

But the days of scrutiny after Britt spoke seemed odd to her, she said on the podcast.

“It felt like the slowest couple of days in politics forever, I thought, can nothing else happen? … I mean, my crime was putting too much passion, too much heart and soul behind the issues that I genuinely care about, and they slaughtered me across the airwaves,” she said.

“And then finally Kate Middleton saved me again with her Photoshop, so, I mean, I owe her twice this weekend,” Britt said.

But all of that was less important than speaking up for conservative priorities, she said.

“In my remarks, I wanted to leave people with hope, Ted, because I believe that — I believe in the people of this nation and I believe in what we’re built on and wanted to encourage everyone to get in to the arena, because that’s what we need them to do, ’cause we are literally fighting for the heart and soul of our nation. We are fighting for the future for our children and we need everybody stepping up,” she said.

“So I said ‘get in the arena’ — well I found out real quick that I am in the arena, and when you’re in the arena, you get arrows,” she continued. “But it’s worth it. If you’re fighting for what families need, you’re being a voice for the voiceless, then I’ll take those arrows, Ted, all day long because that is what we’re going to have to do in order to get this country back on track.”

Katie Britt, the former president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, recently found herself in the spotlight after actress Scarlett Johansson portrayed her on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live. The sketch poked fun at Britt’s handling of President Joe Biden’s policies, particularly her stance on issues such as immigration and healthcare.

In response to the parody, Britt took to social media to address the criticism and defend her actions. She emphasized that she is committed to representing the interests of the people of Alabama and working towards solutions that benefit all Americans. Britt also highlighted her experience in the business world and her dedication to finding common ground on divisive issues.

Britt’s response to Johansson’s portrayal on SNL reflects the challenges that many public figures face in today’s media landscape. With the rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, politicians and public figures are constantly under scrutiny and subject to criticism from all sides. In this case, Britt chose to address the criticism head-on and defend her record, rather than ignore or dismiss it.

The incident also highlights the power of satire and comedy in shaping public perception. SNL has a long history of poking fun at politicians and public figures, and its sketches can have a significant impact on how these individuals are perceived by the public. While some may view the portrayal of Britt as unfair or inaccurate, others may see it as a lighthearted take on a serious issue.

Overall, Katie Britt’s response to Scarlett Johansson’s SNL impression demonstrates her willingness to engage with criticism and defend her record. As she continues to navigate the world of politics and public service, it will be interesting to see how she responds to future challenges and critiques. In the meantime, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of open dialogue and communication in today’s polarized political climate.