Kamala Harris appears on “SNL” with Maya Rudolph

With just days to go before the 2024 presidential election, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris just made a surprise campaign stop: a live appearance Saturday Night Live.

The vice president appeared on the NBC sketch show Saturday alongside her resident impressionist, Maya Rudolph, in the show's opening event to urge voters to “stay calm and carry on.”

The episode began with a CNN spot showing the candidates preparing to woo last-minute voters, including James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump, who had an epic meltdown at a campaign stop. Then it switched to Rudolph as Harris, joined by Jim Gaffigan as Vice President Tim Walz, Andy Samberg as Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden. When Rudolph's Harris was all alone, she turned to a mirror to chat to herself, but on the other side was the real Harris dressed in an identical outfit. “It’s good to see you again, Kamala,” the real Harris said to her reflection. “I'm just here to remind you to get this, because you can do something your opponent can't, you can open doors.”

The duo then join in a sing-song pep talk: “The American people want to end the chaos and end the drama, with a cool new stepmom, get back into our pajama laas and watch a romantic comedy.” -com -ala, how Legally blonde-ala, and start decorating for Christmas, fa-la-la-lala. Because what do we always say? Keep calm – ala and carry on – ala.” The sketch ended with the Veep stepping out from behind the mirror to join in SNL alum, to utter the iconic one: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

Harris himself has previously endorsed this prey Imitation of the star. “Maya Rudolph, she's so good, she had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, the mannerisms,” Harris said during an appearance on The view last month.

Before Season 50 began, SNL Boss Lorne Michaels claimed fans won't see any of the real candidates this election season. “Because of electoral laws and equal opportunity regulations, you can't bring the actual candidates,” he said The Hollywood Reporter. “You can’t have the major candidates without having all the candidates, and there are a lot of minor candidates who are only on the ballot in about three states, and that gets really complicated.”

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Although Harris' Republican opponent, former President Trump, did not appear SNL In this election cycle, he hosted the show on November 7, 2015 while campaigning for the GOP nomination for the 2016 election, which he later won. The host's choice was widely criticized and the show was met with protests, particularly from Latino groups, after Trump called Mexican immigrants criminals and “rapists” in recent comments. Trump was invited to appear on the show again after his presidency but declined, according to his later impersonator Alec Baldwin.

Other recent major presidential candidates who have appeared on the show include Barack Obama on November 3, 2007; Hillary Clinton on March 1, 2008 and October 3, 2015; and May 17, 2008 and November 1, 2008, having previously hosted in 2002.

Today's episode is hosted by the comedian and ex-comedian SNL Author John Mulaney, accompanied by first musical guest Chappell Roan. The “Hot to Go” singer angered some of her politically-minded fans this summer when she declined to support a 2024 candidate, citing “issues on both sides.” Following the online backlash, the pop sensation posted a TikTok video in which she clarified that she would “vote for Kamala, but I'm not settling for the offer because that's questionable.”

Check out Harris and Rudolph in the full sketch above.

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.