'SNL' Producer Reveals Shocking Reason Donald Trump Refused to Dress as a Tree on TV

Donald Trump once put his foot down in the illustrious Studio 8H, shutting down a Saturday Night Live sketch before it ever made it to the live shows.

Creator and producer Lorne Michaels opened up about the former reality star's opposition to a sketch based on Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree.

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If you need a refresher, the children's book details the life of a young boy who visits the Giving Tree at various points throughout his life, with the plant giving him everything from fruit to branches until it's nothing but a stump.

In the scrapped SNL skit from 2015, Trump was meant to play another tree planted nearby, which, by the end of the sketch, would have called the Giving Tree a sucker for its unconditional generosity.

Before it made the final cut, though, The Apprentice alum called the whole thing off. He wasn't concerned that the script might make him appear a little too heartless, though—he was afraid that the costume delegated for the segment would make him look fat.

Michaels offered the tidbit of information while detailing the timeline of every new episode of the long-running comedy series in a new interview with The New Yorker.

On Wednesday, after two days of getting to know the guest host and brainstorming with the whole cast and crew, Michaels said he picks which sketches he sees potential in. By Thursday, carpenters start building the sets, some of which may never even see the light of day, as Saturday's rehearsals often lead to more cuts.

While it might make more sense to finalize the lineup on Wednesdays, the producer likes to think things over as long as possible. “Snap decisions get you into trouble,” he explained. “I tend to do rolling decisions.”

And then, of course, sometimes the hosts get in the way, too.

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