Mikey Day plays Merrick Garland as a tough guy in 'SNL' sketch about classified docs

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Saturday Night Live cast member Mikey Day played U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who issues a stern warning to those with classified documents in their homes and offices, in the cold open sketch of this weekend's episode.

The 5 1/2-minute segment introduced Garland as a tough guy in the voiceover style that TV crime dramas frequently use.

"Criminals, beware. There's a new sheriff in town and he means business," the voice touts as a whip cracks.

"First, he hunted down the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and made them pay. Now, he's searching for classified documents and he's coming for whoever has them -- Democrat, Republican or whatever Trump is now and you don't want to be in his cross-hairs. He's Attorney General Merrick Garland."

Taking the podium during a Department of Justice press briefing, Day as Garland admitted that there might be too many documents -- about 50 million a year -- given top-secret or classified status and recovering them might not even matter.

"I don't know. But it's the law and I am the law!" he warned.

FBI agents played by SNL stars Kenan Thompson, Ego Nwodim and Bowen Yang appeared alongside Garland about their search for more classified documents in the homes of former Vice President Mike Pence, current Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama.

"There you have it, America. If you have classified documents in your home, I have one questions for you: Do you think this is a game? Who do you think you're playing with?" Day said as Garland into the camera. "F around and find out!"

At the end of the sketch, Thompson's FBI character addressed Garland, saying: "Hey, boss, when we're done playing with these little papers, we're going to head down to Memphis and make sure justice is served down there, too, right?"

"I sincerely hope so," Day replied as Garland.

"Yeah, you're damn right, just making sure," Thompson said.

The comedian was referring to the death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Black police officers, who have since been fired from their jobs and charged with second degree murder.

Graphic, police body-camera footage of the incident was released Friday night, prompting protests across the country.