“Saturday Night Live” introduces its new cast of political characters

• “Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 50th season on NBC.
• The cast portrayed leading political figures during the episode.
• Maya Rudolph appeared as Vice President Kamala Harris, while Bowen Yang played Ohio Senator JD Vance.

“Saturday Night Live” began its 50th season by mocking the upcoming US presidential election. There was a lot of material to draw from.

Cameras rolled live in Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza as cast members past and present addressed the 2024 presidential campaign and two of the biggest scandals of the election season.

The sketch comedy series has long had an impact on American politics and has been a key campaign stop for many candidates, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

A study published in 2012 found that Tina Fey’s portrayal of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may have even influenced public perception of her ahead of the 2008 presidential election, according to the Washington Post.

Fans of the show had been wondering who its producer Lorne Michaels would tap for some of the key political roles.

Here’s who’s playing who this year.