Alec Baldwin received the ultimate presidential surprise Sunday night, when former president Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance at Spike TV’s lavish tribute, One Night Only: Alec Baldwin, at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater in New York. Co-stars and family had gathered to honor the Saturday Night Live star’s three-decade career—but Clinton began praising Baldwin by first taking a dig at Donald Trump. 
 
 “I wouldn’t know an alternative fact if it hit me in the face,” said Clinton, his first of two zingers aimed at Trump. “But I do know this: I first met Alec Baldwin more than 20 years ago. Even before that, I was a huge fan of his work in the movies.” 
 
 Clinton went on to share how he admires the 30 Rock star’s genuine interest in helping others, which he learned early on as a child from his Irish-Catholic family. Clinton also found it inspiring that Baldwin started making movies in his backyard when he was 5, and that his interest in politics began in elementary school when he ran for class president. It was cemented during his days in college. 
 
 “He ended up going to George Washington University for two years, ran for student-body president, then came back home to New York where he followed a then-classic path, from politics into soap operas,” Clinton said. “And now we know it works the other way around. You need to think about running again. You’ll probably win the next time.” 
 
 Robert De Niro joined Clinton in scoffing at Trump. The iconic actor praised Baldwin’s Saturday Night Live impression of the president and encouraged him to mock Trump as long as possible. 
 
 “I mean your Trump impression, Alec, is dead-on. It’s crazy,” raved De Niro, who directed Baldwin in the 2006 drama The Good Shepherd. “It’s great comedy and it’s good for the country. I hope you continue through the summer, because we can’t afford too much of a lapse in with these idiots.” De Niro then went off-script and continued to express his extreme dissatisfaction with Trump. “I think when Trump arrives, instead of playing ‘Hail to the Chief,’ they should do the theme of The Godfather.” 
 
 Throughout the evening, an onslaught of Baldwin’s friends and co-stars such as Julianne Moore, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer paid tribute—and ribbed—the award-winning actor. His brothers Daniel and William shared childhood stories, while Baldwin’s 21-year-old daughter, Ireland, recalled the infamous 2007 voicemail message that he left her in which he called her a “rude, thoughtless little pig.” 
 
 “I’m here to roast this big old ham I call my father. Speaking of pigs, some of you may remember me as that thoughtless little pig that you read about,” said Ireland. “That was a decade a go, but my dad and I are in a much better place now. He would never say something like that because I’m 6’2” and I would kick his ass. The truth is, that whole awful period nearly killed him emotionally until I showed him my first tattoo. O.K., my second tattoo. I couldn’t show him where I got the first one. My father has always been my biggest champion . . . I really am so proud to be your daughter and I’m proud to be here tonight. I absolutely love you and adore you.” 
 
 At the end of the show, Baldwin took to the stage and retaliated by making harsh zingers to his colleagues and family rather than thanking them. 
 
 “It’s great to see all of you. It couldn’t have been easy to get here coming all the way from obscurity,” he quipped. “This is for Bob [De Niro], whatever legacy-killing rom-com you are working on right now . . . Julianne Moore, you look lovely. In Still Alice, I played your husband as you struggled with Alzheimer’s. I was surprised that you thanked me in your acceptance speech, because I thought you actually had Alzheimer’s . . . Lorne Michaels couldn’t be here, fortunately. He was trapped under a pile of money he made off of all of our acts.” 
 
 One Night Only: Alec Baldwin airs on July 9 at 9 p.m. on Spike TV. 
 
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 Make your predictions ||||| Story highlights Alec Baldwin told CNN he will return to 'SNL' as Donald Trump this fall despite his busy schedule 
 
 The actor's impression of the President has become one of his most memorable 'SNL' sketches 
 
 (CNN) Alec Baldwin is about to make your television great again. 
 
 The 59-year-old actor said that he will be bringing back his famous Donald Trump impersonation to "Saturday Night Live" this fall. 
 
 "Yea, we're going to fit that in. I think people have enjoyed it," said Baldwin, who was in New York City on Monday to promote is new movie "Blind." His busy fall schedule will keep the number of Trump impersonations to a minimum, he said, which means SNL fans will be treated to "a couple celery sticks" rather than a "whole meal" of blonde wigs and orange bronzer. 
 
 Baldwin has been non-committal in the past when asked about bringing his Trump impersonation back to Studio 8H this fall. In March , he said that he wasn't sure he would keep playing Trump on "SNL," because he felt the audience couldn't take much more of it. 
 
 Baldwin has hosted "SNL" a record 17 times and his Trump impersonation has become one of his most memorable sketches. 
 
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– President Trump probably won't be sending out celebratory tweets about this: Alec Baldwin says he will indeed be back on Saturday Night Live in the fall to reprise his presidential impersonation. "Yeah, we're going to fit that in," he tells CNN. "I think people have enjoyed it." However, Baldwin says a busy schedule means he won't be appearing as Trump as frequently as he did last season. He likened it to viewers getting "celery sticks" instead of a full meal. Some thought his last appearance was a retirement of sorts from the SNL impersonation. The news comes after Spike TV taped a tribute to Baldwin on Sunday featuring some big names. Two notable samples, via Vanity Fair: Bill Clinton: "I wouldn’t know an alternative fact if it hit me in the face. But I do know this: I first met Alec Baldwin more than 20 years ago. Even before that, I was a huge fan of his work in the movies." Ireland Baldwin, daughter: "I’m here to roast this big old ham I call my father. Speaking of pigs, some of you may remember me as that thoughtless little pig that you read about. That was a decade ago, but my dad and I are in a much better place now. He would never say something like that because I’m 6-2 and I would kick his ass."