NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the election, playing the mirror image of Maya Rudolph’s version of herself in the show’s opener.

The candidate’s first lines as she sat opposite Rudolph, their matching outfits, were drowned out by cheers from the audience.

“Good to see you Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph with a big grin that he kept throughout the sketch. “And I’m just here to remind you that you got it.”

In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and keep him going,” said they shared “faith in the promise of America” ​​and tweeted the signature “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

Harris made a surprise trip to New York City as the election looms, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where he has campaigned furiously for NBC’s iconic sketch comedy show, where he hopes to generate buzz and to attract a national audience.

Harris arrived in New York on Air Force Two after an early campaign stop Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, advisers said it would make an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.

Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where the “SNL” tapes shortly after 8 p.m., with plenty of time for a quick rehearsal before the show goes live at 11:30 p.m. It’s the last “SNL” episode before Election Day on Tuesday.

The visit was not previously announced, and an official familiar with Harris’ planning only officially confirmed it to reporters traveling with the vice president moments before the live broadcast began. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the plans before they are made public.

Harris left immediately after the opening segment. She told reporters, “It was fun!” as he boarded the plane to leave New York.

Host John Mulaney and musical guest Chappell Roan moved the show away from politics. None addressed the elections.

Mulaney, the standup comic and former “SNL” writer, hosted for the sixth time and talked about his children with wife Olivia Munn, Catholicism and his stint in rehab.

Some expected Roan, the 26-year-old singer who has become a major star in recent months, to make a political statement in her first appearance on the show. She has previously been a vocal critic of the Democratic Party and refused to endorse Harris, even though Roan has said several times that she plans to vote for her.

But she played it straight, or as straight as the wild theater performer gets. She performed her hit ‘Pink Pony Club’ on an all pink set bathed in pink light.

Senator Tim Kaine also made a surprise appearance in a sketch show where the gag was that no one remembered him despite being Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016.

“It’s been less than eight years. What’s my name?” he said as the contestants stood silent and bewildered.

Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019, and he did reprized his role this season, doing a perfect impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala” — a reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave her.

Her former cast member Andy Samberg reappeared on Saturday night as Harris’ husband, second Mr. Doug EmhoffJim Gaffigan played fellow running back Tim Walz, and longtime alum Dana Carvey once again played President Joe Biden.

Rudolph’s performance won critical and comedic acclaim, including from Harris herself.

“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said on ABC’s “The View” last month. “She had everything, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”

Jason Miller, senior adviser to the former president and Republican candidate Donald Trumpexpressed surprise that Harris would appear on “SNL,” given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Still, politicians have a long history on “SNL,” including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — though it’s unusual for him to appear so close to Election Day.

Hillary Clinton has been running in the Democratic presidential primary since 2008, when she appeared alongside Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for breaking into an exaggerated giggle and trademark. The real Clinton asked herself during her appearance, “Am I really laughing like that?”

Harris repeated that line in response to Rudolph’s portrayal of her laugh in Saturday’s episode.

Clinton returned in 2016 while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.

The first sitting president to appear on “SNL” was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show’s debut. Ford appeared in an April 1976 episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and delivered the show’s famous opening line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”

Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared with Poehler following Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 — just 11 days after losing that year’s election to him Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.

Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her quip that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show in October in the weeks before the election.

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Long, Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed to this report.