The 50th season premiere of *Saturday Night Live* (SNL) brought the laughs as Maya Rudolph and Dana Carvey hilariously skewered Kamala Harris and Joe Biden in a sharp cold open. The comedic duo perfectly captured the quirks and mannerisms of the political figures, adding to the tradition of SNL’s legendary political parodies.
The sketch opened with Maya Rudolph reprising her iconic role as Harris, giving a campaign speech in front of a Harris-Walz banner. Rudolph effortlessly mocked Harris’ signature speaking style, adding in her trademark nervous laugh while simultaneously thanking President Biden, played by Dana Carvey.
In true Carvey fashion, his portrayal of Biden was spot-on, complete with confused shuffling and classic Biden pauses. As Biden made his entrance to the podium, he gazed around the room, capturing the president’s sometimes meandering style. Carvey’s impression hit all the right notes, poking fun at Biden’s tendency to start sentences only to veer off into something else entirely.
“Folks! That’s right. A lot of people forget I’m president, including me. But guess what? And by the way,” Carvey said, pausing mid-sentence to perfectly mimic Biden’s cadence.
Carvey, a master of presidential impressions, didn’t stop there. “I passed more bills than any president in history. But folks, we still got work to do. No joke. I’m being serious right now. Come on. And guess what? And by the way, the fact of the matter is…” he continued, channeling Biden’s sometimes rambling delivery.
In one particularly hilarious moment, Carvey leaned into the microphone to deliver a hushed line about taxes: “The rich don’t pay their fair share,” he whispered, drawing laughter from the audience. He then launched into a series of Biden-esque stumbles: “We gotta build back better. The build back the better, the better the better. Can’t believe it’s not butter!”
Rudolph, as Harris, jumped back in to thank “Biden” for “handing over the reins,” prompting Carvey to fire back, “I didn’t want to! They made me.”
Holy shit Dana Carvey crushed this two minute Joe Biden bit on SNL pic.twitter.com/TdGDIH36EC
— James Lynch (@jameslynch32) September 29, 2024
The skit was a classic SNL political parody, with Rudolph and Carvey delivering perfect comedic timing. From Biden’s signature phrases to Harris’ awkward laugh, the duo reminded viewers why SNL has been a cornerstone of political satire (when they’re not too focused on targeting one political party).