NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the election, posing as a mirror image of her own version of Maya Rudolph during the show’s cold open.

The candidate’s first lines, spoken while seated across from Rudolph, their identical outfits, were drowned out by the cheers of the audience.

“It’s so nice to see you, Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph, grinning widely throughout the drawing. “And I’m here to remind you, you get this.”

Simultaneously, the two fans said, “Protect Kamala and move on,” declaring that they shared each other’s “faith in the promise of America” ​​and adding, “Live from New York on Saturday night!” They signed it.

Harris made a surprise trip to New York City as the election approached, briefly stepping away from battleground states where she had been furiously campaigning in favor of NBC’s iconic sketch comedy show, where she hoped to generate excitement and appeal to a nationwide audience.

Harris arrived in New York on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday. It was scheduled to fly to Detroit, but after takeoff, aides said it would make an unscheduled stop and the plane would land at LaGuardia Airport.

Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan; where “SNL” taped shortly after 8 p.m., just enough for a quick rehearsal before the show went live at 11:30 p.m. It’s the last “SNL” episode before Election Day on Tuesday.

The visit had not been previously announced, and an official familiar with Harris’ plan only officially confirmed it to reporters traveling with the vice president minutes before the live broadcast began. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the plans before they are made public.

Harris left immediately after the opening episode. “It was fun!” he told reporters. he said. While boarding the plane to leave New York.

Host John Mulaney and musical guest Chappell Roan steered the show away from politics. Neither mentioned the election.

Stand-up comedian and former “SNL” writer Mulaney hosted for the sixth time and talked about his children with wife Olivia Munn, his Catholicism and his stint in rehab.

Some expected Roan, the 26-year-old singer who has become a huge star in recent months, to make a political statement in her first appearance on the show. He has previously harshly criticized the Democratic party and refused to support Harris, but Roan has said several times that he plans to vote for her.

But he played it honestly, or wildly, as honestly as any theatrical performer can. She sang her hit song “Pink Pony Club” on a pink set completely covered in pink lights.

Sen. Tim Kaine also made a surprise appearance in a game show skit in 2016 where no one remembered him, even though he was Hillary Clinton’s running mate.

“It’s been less than eight years. What’s my name? he said, while the contestants stood silent and confused.

Rudolph first portrayed Harris on the series in 2019 and reprized her role this season; left a clear impression on the vice president; She called herself “Momala”, a reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave her.

Former cast member Andy Samberg appeared on Saturday night as Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan played vice president Tim Walz, and longtime alum Dana Carvey again played President Joe Biden.

Rudolph’s performance earned critical and comic acclaim, including from Harris herself.

“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said on ABC’s “The View” last month. “He had it all: the suit, the jewelry, everything!”

Jason Miller, a senior advisor to former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump, expressed surprise that Harris appeared on “SNL,” calling her poor portrayal on the program. Asked if Trump had been invited onstage, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”

However, politicians have a long history on “SNL,” including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015; but it is unusual for them to appear this close to Election Day.

While running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, Hillary Clinton appeared on the show alongside Amy Poehler, who portrayed her and was known for her trademark, exaggerated laugh. During his appearance, the real Clinton wondered: “Am I really laughing like that?”

Harris repeated the phrase in response to Rudolph’s animated smile during Saturday’s episode.

Clinton bounced back in 2016, running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.

The first president to appear on “SNL” was Republican Gerald Ford, and he did so less than a year after the show began. In April 1976, Ford appeared on a segment hosted by press secretary Ron Nessen and announced the program’s famous opening response, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”

Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996, just 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.

Then there was Tina Fey’s impression of 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and especially her “I can see Russia from my house” joke. It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy, and Palin appeared on the show in October, in the weeks before the election.

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Long, Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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