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‘SNL’ alumni kick off 50th season with Trump, Harris cold open
By The HillLauren Irwin,
8 hours ago
( The Hill ) — “Saturday Night Live” kicked off its 50th season this weekend with an episode packed with references to the upcoming election.
Actress and comedian Maya Rudolph returned to the cast to portray Vice President Kamala Harris and James Austin Johnson played his recurring role as former President Donald Trump in a cold open that poked fun at their respective campaign rallies.
Rudolph referred to Harris’s “coconut tree” line that went viral at the start of her campaign and joked that her bid was similar to Sabrina Carpenter’s hit “Espresso,” because “the lyrics are vague but the vibes slap.”
Rudolph was joined on stage by several big guests now playing political personalities.
Jim Gaffigan played Harris’s running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who leaned into the dad jokes. Andy Samberg played Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey portrayed President Joe Biden.
Gaffigan, as Walz, called Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) “weird.” Walz popularized the remark this summer and was launched into national fame for plainly calling out the other side before becoming Harris’s vice presidential pick.
Samberg joined Rudolph on stage to play Emhoff, the first Second Gentleman, to brush off the attacks from Republicans about his undying support for his wife.
“They say that me blaming Democrats for inciting violence is the pot calling the kettle black,” Johnson said. “But frankly, I didn’t know the kettle was Black until very recently. I thought the kettle was Indian but then she decided to turn Black.”
Before introducing his running mate, Johnson as Trump said people were saying his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), was a bad pick and said “in many ways he was. JD come on up.”
“How much do we love Donald Trump? Just this afternoon he told me, ‘JD, you’re like a son to me ‘cause I don’t like you and I’m stuck with you,” Bowen said acting as Vance.
The episode was hosted by Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll performed.
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