Kamala Harris gives self pep talk, takes dig at Trump during ‘SNL’ appearance
Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” just days before American voters decide whether or not she will be elected the 47th president of the United States.
The Democratic presidential nominee joined comedian Maya Rudolph for a brief skit during the late-night comedy variety show’s cold open. Rudolph has famously portrayed a comedic, dramatized version of Harris on SNL throughout the election cycle.
During the scene, Rudolph, as Kamala Harris, reflects on the last stretch of the campaign in a green room as she prepares for her final stop in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
“I wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes, you know, a Black, South Asian woman running for president — preferably from the Bay Area,” says Rudolph’s version of Harris as she sits at a vanity mirror.
Suddenly, the real Kamala Harris emerges, wearing a matching Black suit and blouse adorned with her signature pearls. The live audience erupts in huge applause, causing Harris to pause her opening line.
“You and me both sista!” says Harris, as the two Kamala Harrises greet each other.
Kamala Harris talks to Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/AJuW7aO7VM
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) November 3, 2024
As Harris gives her fictional self a pep talk about winning the election, she took a quick jab at her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.
“I’m just here to remind you, you got this. Because you can do something your opponent cannot do: You can open doors,” said Harris.
Trump went viral last week after struggling to open the door of a Trump-branded garbage truck during a campaign stop in Michigan.
During the skit, Harris acknowledged her famous laugh, which is often used by Rudolph and others when impersonating Kamala Harris. “I don’t really laugh like that, do I?” said Harris. Rudolph’s Kamala Harris replied, “A little bit.”
As fictional Kamala Harris stares into her reflection of real Kamala Harris, the two declare the need to “Stop the chaos and end the drama-la” and “Keep calm-a-la and carry on-na-la” — a play on Harris’ first name.
At the end of their skit, Rudolph says, “I’m gonna vote for us,” to which Harris asks, “Any chance you are registered in Pennsylvania?”
“No, I am not,” says Rudolph. “It was worth a shot,” Harris replied.
Vice President Harris’ guest appearance on SNL was reported and later confirmed just a couple hours before the live broadcast. The appearance, no doubt, was a last-ditch effort to continue building momentum for the Harris-Walz campaign just two days before Election Day.
National polling continues to show the presidential election between Harris and Trump remains a tight one. However, several polls show Harris slightly leading polls in key swing states she will need to win.
A surprising poll result showed Harris leading Trump in Iowa, which has not voted for a Democrat since former President Barack Obama won the state in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.
“What I’ve been hearing is that she’s winning,” said civil rights activist Melanie Campbell, chair of the Power of the Ballot Action Fund.
Campbell told theGrio, “It’s going to be a very close race,” but described seeing an “enthusiasm for her candidacy, especially amongst young people who see her as the future, who see her as change, who see her as a new generation.”
If Harris can beat out Trump on Tuesday night or whenever the race is called, she will make history as the nation’s first female, first Black female and first South Asian president of the United States.
After filming the live show on SNL, reporters asked Harris how she liked the experience. “It was fun,” the vice president said as she smiled and boarded Air Force Two.