Kamala Harris’ appearance on Saturday Night Live immediately drew comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s ill-fated appearances on the show in previous elections.
The vice president laughed during her skit with Maya Rudolph on Saturday’s episode, putting on a similar giggling performance as Clinton in 2008 and 2016.
At one point, Harris even repeated a joke from Clinton’s skit to Amy Poehler, asking Rudolph, “I don’t really laugh like that, do I?”
Hillary Clinton was running for president during the 2008 Democratic primaries when she appeared alongside Poehler, who played her on the show and delivered a signature, exaggerated cackle.
The real Clinton asked herself during her performance: “Am I really smiling like that?”
Kamala Harris made a surprise last-minute cameo on Saturday Night Live, appearing opposite Maiya Rudolph playing herself
Viewers immediately drew comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s ill-fated sketches on the show in previous elections that she lost after an appearance on the show, appearing in 2016 opposite Kate McKinnon
Conservative critics of the vice president were quick to bring up Clinton’s past appearances on SNL as they hoped Harris’ sketch wouldn’t translate into a victory on Tuesday.
Harris’ appearance on SNL was a surprising last-minute move by her campaign as the election enters its final days.
Some viewers noticed the repeated line from Clinton’s previous appearance, with someone on X saying the show “needs new writers.”
“SNL writers must be as lazy as everyone thinks they are,” said another.
Other viewers said Harris had prepared herself for comparison jokes with Hillary Clinton if she lost the presidential race next week.
Podcaster Stephen L. Miller joked, “Kamala Harris tempting fate by going on SNL means there’s a real possibility that Maya Rudolph will be singing Hallelujah on a piano next week.”
Some observers joked that Harris had set herself up for comparison jokes with Hillary Clinton’s previous SNL sketches if she were to lose the presidential race next week.
Harris was also criticized for her smile in her surprise cameo, which viewers said was strikingly close to a mirror sketch Donald Trump did with Jimmy Fallon in 2015.
In the sketch, Rudolph is preparing for a speech with husband Doug Emhoff in her attire when she wonders aloud whether someone who has “been in her shoes” can give her a pep talk.
A laughing Harris then appears as Rudolph’s reflection on the other side of the table and tells her the actress, “You and I both sister.”
The scene then quickly turned into a parody of adding “ala” to sentences referencing the Democratic nominee’s nickname “Momala.”
“I’m just here to remind you that you have this. Because you can do something that your opponent cannot. You can open doors,” Harris tells Rudolph.
A giggling Rudolph asked if she was referring to a video of Donald Trump opening a garbage truck door before his rally in Wisconsin last week.
The Democratic nominee was then mocked for her cackle when she asked, “I really don’t laugh like that, do I?”
Harris was also criticized for her continued laughter during the SNL sketch
Rudolph and Harris hug at the end of the sketch from the iconic sketch show
Rudolph tilted her head and nodded in response in a scene similar to Hillary Clinton being roasted just before the 2016 election.
“Kamala, reach out and grab my palmala,” Rudolph tells Harris.
She adds, “Kamala, the American people want to stop the chaos.”
“And end the drama,” the vice president replies as the audience laughs,
“The American people want to stop the chaos and end the drama-la, with a cool new stepmom-ala, get back in our pajamas-alas and watch a rom-com-ala, like Legally Blonde-ala, and start decorating for Christmas , fa-la-la-lala.
‘Because what do we always say? Keep calm-ala and carry on-ala.”