
Vice President Kamala Harris made an unexpected cameo on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend, appearing as the encouraging mirror reflection of Maya Rudolph’s portrayal of Harris. The cold open began with a fictional CNN broadcast that highlighted Harris’s preparation for a speech in Pennsylvania, quickly shifting to a depiction of James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump, engaged in a lengthy speech at a Pennsylvania rally.
In the sketch, Trump remarked, “This place reeks.” The focus then transitioned backstage at Harris’s rally, where Harris, portrayed by Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, and Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff, were seen watching Trump’s speech on television. Emhoff commented on Trump’s actions with a microphone, referring to a real incident where Trump mimicked a controversial act during a rally.
Rudolph’s Harris, left alone to prepare for her speech, expressed a desire to speak with someone who had been in her position — specifically, a Black South Asian woman from the Bay Area running for president. The sketch then introduced the real Kamala Harris, whose initial words were drowned by the crowd’s applause, prompting both versions of Harris to break character and laugh.
The real Harris reassured Rudolph’s character, emphasizing her ability to “open doors” — a trait they believe her opponent lacks. This led to a motivational talk about their shared commitment to America’s potential. The two concluded by reiterating a phrase: “Keep calm and carry on-ala,” before promising to “vote for us.”
Harris briefly joked about voter registration in Pennsylvania, to which Rudolph humorously replied she was not registered. The exchange ended with Harris noting, “Well, it was worth a shot.”
Additional clips from this week’s “Saturday Night Live” episode can be viewed on the show’s YouTube channel.