(AFP) – US Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped a day on the campaign trail Saturday with a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” mocking her presidential election rival Donald Trump on the sketch show. Appearing in the long-running series’s “cold open” — the sketch before the opening titles — Harris appeared as her own reflection in a dressing room mirror, joining in good-natured mockery of her laughter and playing on her own name for laughs.
Harris, who was appearing on SNL for the first time, has been portrayed by Maya Rudolph as “America’s fun aunt” — an interpretation that Harris herself has proudly shared on social media and gushed about on TV. The New York studio broke into raucous applause as Harris came onscreen and immediately began making fun of Trump’s recent photo op in a garbage truck, after he almost fell over as he was trying to get into it.
“I’m here to remind you, you got this because you can do something you cannot do — you can open doors,” Harris joked. The vice president giggled as Rudolph roasted her for her distinctive laugh, which Republicans refer to as a “cackle.” The pair got their loudest laugh though as Rudolph offered her hand to the real Harris and said, “Now Kamala, take my palmala. The American people want to stop the chaos.”
And Harris replied: “And the dramala.” “With a cool new step-momala, get back in our pajamalas and watch a rom-comala,” Rudolph went on, and Harris interjected: “Like Legally Blondala!” “Keep Kamala and carry on-ala!” the women said in unison.
SNL is seen as having a liberal bent, but mercilessly mocks both Democratic President Joe Biden and Trump. It had the Republican tycoon on as the host first in 2004 and again when he was a presidential candidate for the 2016 election, but he has since soured on the show. Last year, he called it a “bad product, not funny, Fake News” and a “campaign contribution to the Democrats” on his social media platform.
“Harris on SNL tonight is a bit like Trump on Fox & Friends this morning,” said liberal media analyst Brian Stelter. “Both are home team visits. The difference is that the VP’s appearance will reach a much bigger audience.” The Trump campaign did not respond immediately to a request for comment, but a spokesman was quoted by Fox characterizing the appearance as Harris “living out her warped fantasy cosplaying with her elitist friends.”
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