Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live for a bit of self-encouragement just days before the US presidential election. Portraying her own “mirror image” alongside Maya Rudolph, who has become known for her impersonation of the vice president, Harris featured in the show’s opening sketch.
The vice-presidential candidate was originally set to head to Detroit, Michigan, but instead her campaign announced an unexpected detour to New York City. SNL’s final episode before the election kicked off with a CNN parody, then shifted to a Trump rally where Austin Johnson mimicked the ex-president, focusing on his latest comments about Liz Cheney.
The scene moved to a dialogue with Rudolph as Harris, Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden, Jim Gaffigan playing vice presidential choice Tim Walz, and Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff. Taking a moment to herself, Rudolph’s Harris looks into the mirror and sees the real Harris, expressing a wish to speak with someone who understands her unique position.
“I just wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes,” she remarked, just before the real Harris stepped into view.”You know, a black South Asian woman running for president, preferably from the Bay Area.”
The two then exchange words of encouragement, vowing to “end the dram-ala” and “keep Kamala and carry on-a-la”. John Mulaney graced the stage as host for the sixth time that Saturday, with Chappell Roan as the musical guest.
Also making a surprise appearance was Virginia Senator and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate Tim Kaine, who featured in a skit where a contestant could not recall who Kaine was. Many US politicians have graced the long-running variety show, including Harris’ Republican opponent Donald Trump, who hosted the show in 2015.
Hillary Clinton made appearances on the show alongside impersonator Amy Poehler during her 2008 Democratic primary campaign and unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign. The first sitting president to appear on the show was Republican Gerald Ford, who made his debut in a cold open in April 1976.
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