'Keep Kamala and carry on-ala': Harris makes surprise appearance on SNL ahead of US election

KAMALA HARRIS MADE a surprise appearance on US comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live to give herself a pep talk days before the presidential election.

The US Vice President and Democratic candidate appeared as the “mirror image” of herself alongside actress Maya Rudolph, who reprised her role impersonating Harris, during the show’s cold open.

Harris was scheduled to be heading to Detroit, Michigan before her campaign revealed she was making an unscheduled stop in New York City.

The final show before Tuesday’s election opened on a CNN parody, before cutting to a Trump rally with Austin Johnson portraying the former president and his most recent Liz Cheney remarks.

It then cut to a conversation between Rudolph as Harris, Dana Carvey portraying President Joe Biden, Jim Gaffigan as vice presidential pick Tim Walz, and Andy Samberg’s Doug Emhoff.

Rudolph stepped aside for a moment to reflect before her last campaign speech, seeing the real Harris as she looked into the mirror.

“I just wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes,” she said moments before the Democratic presidential nominee appeared. “You know, a black South Asian woman running for president, preferably from the Bay Area.”

“You and me both, sister,” Harris responded. 

She told Rudolph: “I’m just here to remind you, you got this. Because you can do something your opponent cannot do. You can open doors.” It was a reference to opponent Donald Trump’s clumsy attempt to enter a garbage truck earlier this week. 

The pair give each other a pep talk before resolving to “end the dram-ala” and “keep Kamala and carry on-ala”.

Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has reprised her role this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president. 

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Her performance has seen her win an Emmy award and won praise from Harris herself, who told ABC’s The View last month: “Maya Rudolph – I mean, she’s so good. She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewellery, everything!”.

John Mulaney returned to host the famed sketch comedy show for the sixth time on Saturday, alongside musical guest Chappell Roan.

Also making a surprise appearance was Virginia Senator and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate Tim Kaine, who appeared in a skit where a contestant could not recall who Kaine was.

Politicians have a long history on SNL, including Harris’ Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, who hosted the show in 2015.

Hillary Clinton was running for president in the 2008 Democratic primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and offered a trademark, exaggerated cackle.

The real Clinton wondered during her appearance: “Do I really laugh like that?”

Clinton returned in 2016 while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.

Barack Obama was still just a Democratic presidential candidate when he appeared in February 2008, with Republican candidate John McCain also appearing on the show that year. 

Republican Bob Dole made an appearance in 1996, a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Democrat Bill Clinton.

Dole consoled Norm Macdonald who played the Kansas senator on the show.

Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin – and in particular, her joke that “I can see Russia from my house”. The performance saw Fey win an Emmy award.

Palin herself appeared on the show that season, in the weeks before the election.

The first sitting president to appear on the show was Republican Gerald Ford, who made his debut on 17 April 1976 and declared the show’s famous opening, “Live from New York”.

With reporting from Press Association

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