Kamala Harris launched her 2024 presidential campaign on July 21, 2024, after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed her the same day. With limited time before the election, Harris is running a fast-paced campaign, aiming to accomplish more in a condensed timeframe than most candidates typically face.
From creating multiple viral TikTok videos to speaking with Oprah, the Harris campaign knows they need to stay at the top of Americans’ minds and speak directly to voters of all ages and backgrounds.
This may also include the popular late-night live sketch comedy variety show, “Saturday Night Live (SNL).” The same day as the announcement of Maya Rudolph returning to play Kamala Harris on “SNL,” a Polymarket market launched, forecasting the likelihood of Kamala Harris appearing on the show. Currently, the current probability stands at 23%. At the end of September, the chances were at a higher 39%, and they’re back down to 23% as of Wednesday, Oct. 2.
But will she?
Why would Kamala Harris want to appear on ‘Saturday Night Live’?
Kamala Harris is trying to speak to as many Americans as she can. Whether it’s rallies, presidential debates, or TikToks, she wants people to know who she is, what she stands for, and why they should vote for her.
“SNL” can potentially be a good way to reach many Americans. In the 2023/2024 broadcast season, “SNL” averaged 7.2 million viewers and is the top-rated show in the 18-49 demo. And their skits frequently go viral across all media. An effective cameo can increase her “brand awareness” significantly to an audience who may not tune into presidential debates or TikTok.
Why do people think Kamala Harris will appear on ‘Saturday Night Live’?
Many believe she may appear on “SNL” because her campaign has been full of crossovers into “pop culture” platforms. Only a day after Biden stepped down, she appeared on a popular TikToker Harry Daniels’s videos, who approaches celebrities and sings to them. She also was part of a huge coconut tree trend and her team took part in Charli XCX’s Brat summer trend as well.
@harry.daniels the devil works hard but harry daniels works harder 🌴🥥 #kamalaharris #kamala #beyoncé #beyonce @madeline daniels ♬ original sound - harry daniels
These TikToks have blown up. According to Zeif, a Tiktok listening and analytics platform, in the first week after Biden stepped down, her four TikTok posts had received over 81 million views and 9.6 million likes.
Since then, her official TikTok account has posted close to 50 TikToks and has received 48.4 million likes. The Kamala HQ TikTok account has an impressive 147.7 million likes on the platform. But it’s not only on TikTok, Harris has also participated in the wildly popular WIRED’s Web’s Most Searched Questions on YouTube
With all of these pop culture collaborations, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched that Harris would appear on SNL’s upcoming season.
Have past presidential candidates appeared on “Saturday Night Live”?
Many presidential candidates have appeared on “Saturday Night Live” in the program’s 50-year run. The current Republican nominee and former US president Donald Trump has hosted the show twice in 2004 and 2015. In his second hosting gig in November 2015, he was already a presidential candidate.
A month prior, Hilary Clinton, who was also a presidential candidate at the time, appeared on SNL. She played a bartender named Val while Kate McKinnon played Clinton. Clinton had appeared on the show to give Americans a more “authentic” version of herself, which at the time was a common criticism of her and her campaign. Clearly, using SNL as a platform to showcase yourself in a new light and a new audience is not a new play.
Prediction News Pro Tip: When considering this market, two key factors come into play. Historically, many presidential candidates have made appearances on “SNL,” suggesting it’s possible for Harris to do the same. However, with less than 40 days remaining until the U.S. election, will Harris’ campaign prioritize an “SNL” appearance over essential political rallies and other engagements?
Would Harris being on ‘Saturday Night Live’ be a smart decision?
Unsurprisingly, Harris wants to appeal to all Americans and not just those in her party. So would appearing on SNL be the right decision? Currently, Harris is trying to appeal to Republicans who will not support Trump in the upcoming election. But appearing on SNL may have the opposite effect for these Republicans (if they’re watching). In a 2019 Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult poll, 52 percent of Republicans did not like the political slant of “SNL” and 55% of them felt there were too many political skits.
Ultimately, while participating in “SNL” could boost her brand awareness, Harris must weigh whether this exposure will resonate with the audience she hopes to engage. The decision will play an important role in shaping her campaign’s narrative as the election quickly approaches.
