Saturday Night Live kicked off their second show of the season with a hilarious parody of this week’s vice presidential debate.
It saw Bowen Yang’s take on the role of a bumbling JD Vance, while Jim Gaffigan returned as a crazy Tim Walz.
The skit poked fun at how deferential the pair were towards each other during Tuesday night’s debate, while also mocking some of the rules imposed by the debate moderators who insisted there would be no fact-checking – but then did so anyway.
At one point, Vance and Walz were pictured staring into each other’s eyes on the debate stage, as the sketch mocked how the pair found “common ground” between the two.
The episode’s cold open began with Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris and Andy Samberg’s Douglas Emhoff sitting on the couch at home to watch the debate.
Saturday Night Live kicked off their second show of the season with a hilarious parody of this week’s vice presidential debate, as Bowen Yang’s JD Vance and Jim Gaffigan’s Tim Walz found common ground
SNL’s Heidi Gardner and Chloe Fineman played CBS News debate moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan, respectively
“I’m feeling good tonight,” said Harris of Rudolph. ‘We have momentum. Liz Cheney is about to support me and Bruce Springsteen. ‘Cause baby, I was born to run,” she jokes, quoting a line from one of The Boss’ legendary songs.
They proceed to instigate the vice presidential debate with moderators
SNL’s Heidi Gardner and Chloe Fineman played CBS News debate moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan, respectively.
‘Thanks for having me. I want to start with something that will appeal to women voters. I understand that both moderators tonight are mothers and I like that.” Yang’s Vance starts before the cameras cut to Gaffigan’s Walz, who can be seen scribbling.
“Are you preparing your answers?” the moderators ask him.
“No, I have to grade these papers,” Gaffigan’s Walz says in response. “I have a pile of midterms.”
The real Walz was a teacher in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
As always, the impersonations were spot on with Bowen Yang as JD Vance
Jim Gaffigan took on Tim Walz’s role as Democratic vice presidential hopeful
As questions begin in the mock debate, moderators Gardner’s O’Donnell and Fineman’s Brennan ask Yang’s Vance: “Senator Vance, you called Donald Trump America’s Hitler. Do you regret that?’
Just like in the real debate, Yang’s Vance tries to explain why he said that.
‘The context is important. I meant that as a compliment,” he emphasizes.
To Gaffigan’s Walz: “Governor Walz. You claimed you were in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre while you were at home in Minnesota. Can you explain that?’
Gaffigan’s Walz responds, “I think what happened is I went to Epcot. You can travel all over the world, and I had a few in the German section, and I thought I was going to China. Anyway, I’m an idiot.’
The moderators quickly move on to ask the vice presidential hopefuls how they can resolve the current crisis in the Middle East.
“That’s such an important question,” Yang’s Vance responds, dodging the question. “Margaret, a question that deserves an answer because it is important and it is a question you asked me tonight.”
Gaffigan’s Walz fares no better, as he doesn’t seem to know the answer either.
In the skit, Vance and Walz appeared to find common ground on their respective policies
Maya Rudolph portrayed Kamala Harris, left, Dana Carvey impersonated a confused Joe Biden, center, while Andy Samberg took on Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff, right
“So I’m just going to say the word fundamental, because debating is 30 percent fun and 70 percent demented,” he jokes.
Back at the Harris residence, Rudolph’s Harris begins to worry about her running mate.
“Okay, okay, he’s there, he’s doing his thing, whatever that is.” says Doug Emhoff of Andy Samberg. “Would you like to see something less stressful, like the Menendez Brothers show?” he asks.
Rudolph’s Harris suggests they rewatch her presidential debate against Donald Trump. “Remember when I said his crowd was small and I broke his brain?”
Samberg’s Emhoff tries to calm the fears of Rudolph’s Harris.
“It’s not like he’s going to say anything crazy,” he says.
But Samberg’s Emhoff curses Gaffigan’s Walz for messing up a sentence: “I’ve become friends with school shooters,” he shouts, miming a sentence he got wrong during the debate.
The real Walz actually said he had “become friends with school shootings,” but later clarified his comments, telling reporters he was talking about people affected by school shootings rather than the shooters themselves.
Rudolph’s Harris and Samberg’s Emhoff appeared to be watching the VP debate at home
In what were probably the sketch’s most memorable moments, the two VP candidates find “common ground” and are seen on screen staring into each other’s eyes.
The sketch made clever use of the split screen and saw Yang’s Vance and Gaffigan’s Walz appear to place their hands together.
“This guy is good, he has an answer for everything,” says Gaffigan’s Walz, turning to Yang’s Vance.
In the couple’s tender moment, they reach out to touch each other’s palms from their podiums on the shared screen.
The skit saw the two saying the exact same thing as they turned towards each other.
‘Why are they friends? Why are they vibrating?,” Rudolph’s Harris exclaims.
During Tuesday’s debate, both candidates repeatedly spoke of agreeing with each other on a wide range of issues.
The pair reached agreements on speeding up the asylum application system, bringing jobs back to the U.S., doing more to address gun violence and not blaming immigrants for driving up housing prices.
Back in the alternate reality of the SNL sketch, the moderators return to the topics at hand and show Vance’s worst moment of the debate.
Yang’s Vance if he were to certify the results of the upcoming election, noting how Donald Trump refused to accept the 2020 results.
“Would you have certified the results?” asks Gardner’s O’Donnell.
Yang’s Vance replies, making fun of the ‘no fact checking’ rule that CBS News had previously imposed on itself, but subsequently failed to adhere to.
“It is sophisticated to say that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy when he peacefully surrendered power – without fact checking – and willingly – don’t check – boarded a plane without incident right after saving Obamacare – don’t check that.” , Yang’s Vance said.
In real life, Vance complained that the moderators were checking him on some of his false claims.
Gaffigan’s Walz is then allowed to speak for a few more seconds and tries to say a “Hail Mary” – referring to a football term for scoring some points before the clock runs out on the game.
“I need to get some points on the board here, so I’m going to throw a Hail Mary. Senator, will you admit that Donald Trump lost the election?” he asks.
“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Yang’s Vance responds, deftly deflecting the question.
“Bump, it’s okay!” praises Gaffigans Walz.
Back at the Harris household, Rudolph’s Harris expresses relief that Walz made it through the debate.
‘This is a huge victory. It made no difference,” she said.
The sketch ended with Carvey’s Joe Biden, center, wandering around on a complete ice cream cone, sitting between Rudolph’s Harris and Samberg’s Emhoff
Later in the sketch, Dana Carvey’s Joe Biden arrives on the scene at Harris’ house to give her some advice.
“Hey kid, let me give you a pep talk,” says Carvey’s Biden. ‘Here’s the deal. I’m serious now. Look at me. I’m serious now. The vice president doesn’t matter.’
Carvey’s Biden notes how Walz should highlight “all the great things we’ve done in the White House over the last four years.”
“Gas prices down, border crossings down and Emmys for The Bear down,” says Biden of Carvey. “Everyone down… tonight.”
Biden is portrayed as bumbling as he appears with his signature ice cream cone and general confusion.
‘Who the hell was Obama’s vice president? Nobody knows,” said Carvey’s Biden.
Of course, the real Joe Biden was Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017.
It was Carvey’s Biden who had the last laugh when he shoved his ice cream in Rudolph’s Harris’ face.
“You’re going to be a great president, and when you’re done, it’s my turn. Biden 2028!’