NEW YORK – Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the election, portraying herself as a mirror image of Maya Rudolph.

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

“It’s great to see you, Kamala,” Harris said to Rudolph, “and I’m just here to remind you that you got 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 With the upcoming election, he made a surprise trip to New York, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where he had been furiously campaigning for his iconic sketch comedy show, which he hopes to generate excitement and appeal to audiences across the country.

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., which was enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show aired live at 11:30 p.m. This is 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.

Rudolph first portrayed Harris on the series in 2019 and reprized his role This season, he’s doing quite the impression of the vice president; It includes her calling herself “Momala”, a reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave her.

Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with these words: “Alright, alright. Look who fell from that coconut tree.” And he joked about staying President Joe Biden instead.

Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug EmhoffHe was reprized by former actor Andy Samberg and featured Dana Carvey as 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!”

Harris added that he was impressed by Rudolph’s “attitude.”

Jason Miller, former senior advisor to the president and Republican candidate Donald TrumpHe expressed surprise that Harris appeared on SNL, given what he described as her poor portrayal on the show. 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, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. 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 writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.