Laughing at Politics: SNL Takes Aim at the Election

Saturday Night Live's Season 50 Opener Brings Humor to the Campaign Trail The show's cold open tackled the presidential election with a star-studded cast, poking fun at candidates and their campaigns. Maya Rudolph returned as Vice President Kamala Harris, joking about her campaign being like a catchy summer song – despite the vague lyrics, the vibe is on point. Guest stars Jim Gaffigan played Harris's running mate Tim Walz, mocking his character's suit from Costco, a brand that also makes dog food. Andy Samberg portrayed Emhoff, proudly declaring he's joining an exclusive club of presidential spouses – all of whom are women.

The sketch then shifted to James Austin Johnson reprising his role as Donald Trump at a rally introducing Sen. JD Vance, played by Bowen Yang. Johnson joked about the pick, while Yang's Vance quipped back about being like "son" to Trump – in a way that shows he's stuck with him despite not liking him. By bringing humor to the campaign trail, SNL provided comic relief and highlighted some of the real-life moments and personalities involved. The show's lighthearted approach adds to the excitement of the election season.

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