Kamala Harris appears on Saturday Night Live in the show’s final episode before the election.

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

The first lines uttered by the candidate, when she sat opposite Rudolf in identical clothes, were drowned out by the applause of the audience.

“It’s great to see you, Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph with a big smile that she maintained throughout the sketch. “And I’m just here to remind you: You got this.”

At the same time, the two declared that supporters should “keep Kamala and carry on-ala,” said they shared “each other’s faith in the promise of America,” and captioned it, “Live from New York, Saturday Night!”

Harris made a surprise trip to New York ahead of the election, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she has campaigned furiously for NBC’s iconic sketch comedy show, where she hoped to generate buzz and reach a national audience.

Harris arrived in New York on Air Force Two after a campaign stop early Saturday evening in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to fly to Detroit, but when she took off, aides said she would make an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.

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

The visit had not previously been announced, and an official familiar with Harris’ plans confirmed it only to reporters traveling with the vice president minutes before the live broadcast began. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the plans before they were made public.

Harris left immediately after the first segment. She told reporters: “It was fun!” as she boarded the plane to leave New York.

Host John Mulaney and musical guest Chappell Roane steered the show away from politics. None of them addressed the election.

Mulaney, a stand-up comedian and former SNL writer, hosted for the sixth time and talked about his children with wife Olivia Munn, Catholicism and his time in rehab.

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

But she played it straight, or as straight as a wild stage performer can. She sang her hit “Pink Pony Club” on an all-pink stage bathed in pink lights.

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

“Less than eight years have passed. What’s my name?” he said as the participants stood silent and confused.

Rudolph first played Harris on the series in 2019 and reprized her role this season, doing her exact impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala” — a reference to the affectionate nickname her adopted children gave her.

Her former castmate Andy Samberg reappeared Saturday night as Harris’ husband second gentleman Doug Emhoff, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan played sidekick Tim Waltz, and longtime alum Dana Carvey reprized her role as President Joe Biden.

Rudolph’s performance received acclaim from critics and comedians, including Harris herself.

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

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on “SNL” given what he characterized as the show’s unflattering portrayal of her. Asked if Trump had been invited to speak, he replied: “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Still, politicians have a long history on “SNL,” including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015, although appearing so close to Election Day is unusual.

Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared alongside Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for her signature exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Am I really laughing like that?”

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

Clinton returned in 2016, running in a race against Trump that 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 debuted. Ford appeared in an April 1976 episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and announced the show’s famous opening line: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”

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

Then there was Tina Fey’s impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2008—and, in particular, her joke about “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 of that year, a few weeks before the election.