Maya Rudolph, portraying Vice President Kamala Harris, struggles to manage candidate camaraderie during a mock debate on Saturday Night Live.
In the sketch, Kamala Harris, portrayed by Rudolph, was joined by Andy Samberg representing her husband Doug Emhoff, the Second Gentleman. They settled in at home, poured some wine, and tuned in as Jim Gaffigan returned to play Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and "SNL" cast member Bowen Yang took on the role of Ohio Sen. JD Vance engaged in a debate.
At a certain point, both Harris and Walz ducked answering questions, which had Rudolph as Harris cracking up nervously and commenting, "Alright, alright. He's out there, doing his thing, whatever that might be..."
When Yang as Vance responded to a question from Heidi Gardner, playing CBS anchor Norah O'Donnell, with what seemed like a canned answer, Walz as Gaffigan was impressed, commenting, "This guy's good, he's got an answer for everything." Yang appeared to appreciate the praise.
The skit transitioned into a civil back-and-forth between the two candidates, eventually agreeing on multiple topics and finishing by saying in unison, "That's an area where we have a lot of common ground."
"Take My Breath Away" by Berlin played as both candidates raised their hands, prompting a shared laugh and moment of connection across the split screen that had Rudolph as Harris spitting out her wine in shock, asking, "Why are they friends? Why are they vibing?!"
Dana Carvey, an "SNL" alum, returned as President Joe Biden after a week's absence, splattering ice cream on Rudolph as Harris while telling her, "You're going to make a great president."
The Weekend Update segment was hosted by Nate Bargatze, who had last hosted almost a year ago for his first time. Coldplay served as the musical guest.
The show airs on NBC at 11:30 p.m. EDT/8:30 p.m. PDT.
After the skit, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff decided to unwind with some late-night entertainment, tuning into their favorite TV show.Despite the heated debate, both politicians found joy in the light-hearted banter and camaraderie displayed on the show, finding entertainment in the unexpected camaraderie.
