“Saturday Night Live” kicked off Season 50 with a predictably star-studded cold open that put a focus on the upcoming presidential election, lampooning the rallies held by candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Maya Rudolph, reprising her role as Harris, joked that her campaign was not unlike Sabrina Carpenter’s summer hit “Espresso” – “the lyrics are vague but the vibes slap.”
Rudolph was joined on stage during the sketch by three big-name guest stars, Jim Gaffigan as Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, Andy Samberg as Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden.
As Walz, Gaffigan played up the governor’s Minnesota-nice reputation, joking at one point in his ebullient Midwestern accent, “This suit is from Costco. It’s a Kirkland brand. They make great dog food.”
Samberg, meanwhile, drew laughs with lines like, “I am proud to join the esteemed list of presidential spouses throughout history, women and men – but it’s all women.”
In the other half of the sketch, James Austin Johnson reprised his role as Trump, who in the bit was speaking at a rally of his own, with the crowd behind him slowly thinning out as he entered his third hour of speaking.
Before introducing his running mate, Johnson as Trump quipped, “people are saying he’s a bad pick and in may ways he was.”
Cast member Bowen Yang then appeared, playing Sen. JD Vance.
“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 as Vance quipped.
Jean Smart hosted the season premiere with musical guest Jelly Roll.