Here's The Deal, Folks: A POTUS Impression Is Harder Than It Looks

When it comes to pulling together a convincing, funny Joe Biden impression, there are a lot of pitfalls for comics. The president-elect sometimes hesitates when he speaks, but he's overcome a stutter and he's 77 — and those are tough things to make fun of without looking cruel.

Impressionist/actor Jay Pharoah has a zeroed in on a few distinctive traits — some comics call them "handles" — to help flesh out his version of Biden; there's the little rasp in his voice, as well as favorite Biden phrases like "c'mon man," "malarkey" and, of course, "here's the deal."

"The key to a great impression and keeping it fresh, is always trying to look for things that person does, that other people don't know yet," says Pharoah, who played President Barack Obama, Jay-Z, Denzel Washington and many more notables in six years on Saturday Night Live.