The first sentences spoken by the candidate, seated opposite Maya Rudolph, their outfits being identical, were drowned out by the cheers of the audience.
“It’s nice to see you, Kamala,” Ms. Harris said to Ms. Rudolph with a wide smile that she kept throughout the sketch. “And I’m just here to remind you that you won.”
In sync, the two declared that supporters must “keep Kamala and carry Kamala,” that they shared the same “belief in the promise of America” and famously launched “Live from New York, c ‘It’s Saturday evening.’
Ms. Harris made the surprise trip to New York in the run-up to the election, briefly stepping away from states where she is campaigning hard to attend NBC’s iconic sketch comedy show, where she hoped to make a name for itself and attract a national audience.
Ms. Harris arrived in New York aboard Air Force Two after making a campaign stop early Saturday evening in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to fly to Detroit, but once in the air, aides indicated she would make an unscheduled layover and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.
Ms. Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where the SNLshortly after 8 p.m., which gave him time to do a quick rehearsal before the show aired live at 11:30 p.m. This is the last episode of SNL before Election Day, Tuesday.
The visit was not announced in advance, and an official familiar with the arrangements for Ms. Harris’ visit did not officially confirm it to reporters traveling with the vice president until moments before the live broadcast began. . The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the plans before they were made public.
Ms. Harris left immediately after the show began. She told reporters: “It was fun!” as she boarded the plane to leave New York.
Host John Mulaney and musical guest Chappell Roan steered the show away from politics. They did not address the issue of elections.
John Mulaney, the comedian and former screenwriter of SNLhosted the show for the sixth time and talked about his children with wife Olivia Munn, Catholicism and his time in rehab.
Some expected Roan, the 26-year-old singer who has become a major star in recent months, to make a political statement in her first appearance on the show. She has previously harshly criticized the Democratic Party and refused to support Ms Harris, although she has repeatedly said she intends to vote for her.
But she played fair, or at least what one would expect from this artist with a wild theatrical style. She sang her hit Pink Pony Club on an all-pink tray bathed in pink light.
Senator Tim Kaine also made a surprise appearance, in a game show sketch where the gag was that no one remembered him even though he was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016.
“It’s been less than eight years. What is my name?,” he said, while the participants remained silent and perplexed.
Ms. Rudolph first played the role of Ms. Harris on the show in 2019 and reprized her role this season, impersonating the vice president perfectly, including calling herself “Momala,” in reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave it to him.
His colleague Andy Samberg reappeared Saturday night as Ms. Harris’s husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, comedian Jim Gaffigan played running mate Tim Walz, and series veteran Dana Carvey again played the President Joe Biden.
Maya Rudolph’s performance was praised by critics and comedians, including Ms. Harris herself.
“Maya Rudolph is so good,” Ms. Harris said last month on the show The View on ABC. “She had everything she needed, the costume, the jewelry, everything!”
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump, said he was surprised that Ms. Harris appeared in SNLgiven what he called an unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Mr. Trump had been invited, he replied: “I don’t know, I don’t know. Probably not.”
Politicians nevertheless have a long history in SNLincluding Mr. Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — although he is unusual to appear so close to Election Day.
Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries when she appeared alongside Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for breaking into her trademark exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton asked herself during her appearance, “Am I really laughing like that?”
Ms. Harris repeated that phrase in response to Mr. Rudolph’s rendition of her laugh in Saturday’s episode.
Mrs. Clinton returned in 2016, when she ran against Mr. Trump in a race she ultimately lost.
The first sitting president to appear in SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show’s debut. He appeared in an April 1976 episode hosted by his publicist, Ron Nessen, and said the show’s famous opening line: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”
In 2007, Barack Obama, then an Illinois senator, appeared alongside Poehler to impersonate Clinton, and Republican Bob Dole appeared on the show in November 1996, just 11 days after losing that year’s election -there facing Bill Clinton. Bob Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.
And then there was Tina Fey’s impersonation of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2008, and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” She was so good that Fey won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show in October, in the weeks leading up to the election.
