Kamala Harris’ appearance on Saturday Night Live instantly drew comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s ill-fated performances on the show in previous elections.
The vice president laughed throughout her skit with Maya Rudolph on Saturday’s episode, putting on a similarly giggle-filled performance to Clinton in 2008 and 2016.
At one point, Harris even repeated a joke from Clinton’s sketch opposite Amy Poehler, as she asked Rudolph: ‘I don’t really laugh like that do I?’
Hillary Clinton was running for president in the 2008 Democratic primary when she appeared next to Poehler, who played her on the show and offered a trademark, exaggerated cackle.
The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, ‘Do I really laugh like that?’
Conservative critics of the vice president quickly brought up Clinton’s past appearances on SNL as they hoped Harris’ sketch will not translate to a victory on Tuesday.
Harris’ appearance on SNL was a surprise last-minute move from her campaign as the election enters its final days.
Some viewers noticed the repeated line from Clinton’s previous performance, with one saying on X that the show ‘need new writers.’
‘SNL writers must be as lazy as everyone thinks they are,’ said another.
Other viewers said Harris had set herself up for comparison jokes with Hillary Clinton if she goes on to lose the presidential race next week.
Podcaster Stephen L. Miller joked: ‘Kamala Harris tempting fate by going on SNL means there’s a real possibility we get Maya Rudolph doing Hallelujah on a piano next week.’
Harris also faced criticism for her laughter in her surprise cameo, which viewers said was strikingly close to a mirror sketch Donald Trump did with Jimmy Fallon back in 2015.
In the sketch, Rudolph is in her dressing preparing for a speech with husband Doug Emhoff when she wonders aloud if 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 says to her the actress: ‘You and me both sister’.
The scene then quickly turned into a parody of adding ‘ala’ to phrases in reference to the Democratic nominee’s ‘Momala’ nickname’.
‘I’m just here to remind you, you’ve got this. Because you can do something your opponent cannot do. You can open doors,’ Harris tells Rudolph.
A giggling Rudolph asked if she’s referring to 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?’
Rudolph tilted her head and nodded in response in a scene similar to when Hillary Clinton was roasted just before the 2016 election.
‘Kamala, reach out and take my palmala’, Rudolph says to Harris.
She adds: ‘Kamala, the American people want to stop the chaos.’
‘And end the drama,’ the vice president responds with the audience laughing,
‘The American people want to stop the chaos, and end the drama-la, with a cool new step mom-ala, get back in our pajama-laas 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.’
