SNL is excoriated for its 'tone-deaf' and 'shoddy' takedown of House anti-Semitism hearings... as it's revealed ex-star PULLED OUT of controversial sketch despite rehearsing

Saturday Night Live continues to face massive backlash over its 'tone-deaf' sketch of the Congressional hearings of anti-Semitism on campus - as reports say ex cast member Cecily Strong was pulled out at the last minute.

The NBC show's cold-open tried to make light of testimony by the presidents of Harvard, UPenn regarding anti-Semitism at the nation's top universities - but the joke did not land. 

Former SNL star Strong was set to play Rep. Elise Stefanik in the sketch, but was replaced by newcomer Chloe Troast after the dress rehearsal, according to a report by The Wrap.

It's unclear why Strong was replaced, but the site notes Strong could be holding off her return until next week, when fellow former SNL star Kaye MacKinnon is set to host the show. DailyMail.com has reached out to NBC for comment. 

Fox News' The Five host Greg Gutfeld was one of many critics of the sketch, writing on X: 'how to explain SNL siding with Ivy league neoracists? wondering what colleges their writers attended.'

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman, said the skit was the 'most embarrassing' he has ever seen.

'Unfortunately, this is not surprising… SNL hasn’t had their finger on the pulse for about a decade now; they’re about as out of touch with reality as Liz Magill… This is probably the most embarrassing decision in SNL’s history,' the author wrote.

'(Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, and Adam Sandler are probably shaking their heads in disgust somewhere, embarrassed by how low SNL has sunk since their heyday.)'

Fellow rabbi and writer David Bashevkin added: SNL’s Achilles Heel is thinking the joke is always on Trump. I’m a SNL fan but this was such a fail.'

Former US ambassador to Israel added: 'Just saw last night’s SNL opener. Whether or not you care, or however you feel, about antisemitism on college campuses, this just wasn’t funny.'

North Carolina Republican rep. Greg Murphy demanded 'nothing short of full fledged apology from entire staff of SNL' following the skit.

He wrote on X: 'Attacking @repStefanik instead of the antisemitic Progressive Presidents rings of their own antisemitism. Typical damn liberal hypocrisy.'

Conservative radio host Larry Elder also weighed in, writing on X: 'It had been awhile since I watched SNL. I quickly remembered why. Cringeworthy. Why isn’t it anti-semitic to mock a critic of anti-semitism for her criticism of anti-semitism?'

Ben Domenech, editor at large of The Spectator, said: 'The rotting husk of SNL can mock this all they want. The damage is done, heads are rolling, and all because of a very straightforward question.'

Domenech's wife Meghan McCain also addressed the skit writing: 'There is a 400% increase in antisemitic hate crimes since October 7th and SNL thinks it's hilarious…. This is vile. Vile.'

Several others posted to X calling for the show to apologize.

SNL creator Lorne Michaels was born to a Jewish family from Toronto before he moved to Los Angeles in 1968. He created SNL in 1975 and has overseen it for most of its 50-year run. 

The pre-written sketch was rolled out just hours after University of Pennsylvania President Amy Magill - whose testimony before the House panel appeared to be especially smug - resigned in disgrace following a woeful performance these past eight weeks. 

In a moment that was meant to ridicule Stefanik's hearing performance - which has generally been widely praised - she said: 'I'm going to start yelling questions at these women like Billy Eichner.'

'Antisemitism - yay or nay?' she screamed at the three women playing the college presidents.

'Yes or no! Is calling for the genocide of Jews against the code of conduct for Harvard?'

The actress playing Harvard University's Claudine Gay responded: 'Well, it depends on the context.'

'What? That can't be your answer,' Troast's Stefanik retorted, echoing the shocking real-world interaction between the pair.

'UPenn lady, same question, yes or no?' she asked the actress playing Magill.

'If you don't say yes, you're going to make me look good, which is really, really hard to do,' she continued. 'So I will ask you straight up. Do you think genocide is bad?'

iHeart Radio host Mark Simone wrote on X following the sketch: 'Only a hate-filled, anti-Semitic SNL could do a sketch about the anti-Semitic college presidents testifying in front of Congress and make the questioner Congresswoman Stefanik the target of the sketch.'

While SNL thought the congressional testimonies were a laughing matter, the consequences were real for UPenn's Liz Magill, who has since forced to resign from her post. 

The chairman of the Ivy League school’s board of trustees, Scott Bok, also resigned immediately during a trustees meeting Saturday evening, just hours after Bok announced Liz Magill’s departure as president in just her second year.

Bok, a supporter of Magill’s, defended her through several months of criticism over the university’s handling of various perceived acts of antisemitism.

Universities across the U.S. have been accused of failing to protect Jewish students amid rising fears of antisemitism worldwide and fallout from Israel’s intensifying war in Gaza, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting Palestinian death toll.

The three presidents were called before the committee to answer those accusations. But their lawyerly, ambiguous answers drew renewed blowback from opponents, focused particularly on a line of questioning from Rep. Stefanik, who repeatedly asked whether 'calling for the genocide of Jews' would violate Penn’s code of conduct.

'If the speech turns into conduct it can be harassment, yes,' Magill said. Pressed further, Magill told Stefanik, 'It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman.'

Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth gave similar responses to Stefanik, and Bok pointed that out.

Magill made a 'very unfortunate misstep — consistent with that of two peer university leaders sitting alongside her — after five hours of aggressive questioning before a congressional committee,' Bok said.

Still, criticism of Magill rained down from the White House, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, members of Congress and donors. One donor, Ross Stevens, threatened to withdraw a $100 million gift because of the university’s 'stance on antisemitism on campus' unless Magill was replaced.

A day later, Magill addressed the criticism, saying in a video that she would consider a call for the genocide of Jewish people to be harassment or intimidation and that Penn’s policies need to be 'clarified and evaluated.'

It did not quell criticism.

In a statement Saturday, Stefanik said Magill’s 'forced resignation' is the 'bare minimum of what is required' and said Harvard and MIT should follow suit.

'One down. Two to go,' Stefanik said, adding that 'this is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most "prestigious" higher education institutions in America.'