'SNL' spoofs vice presidential debate with Tim Walz and JD Vance

Saturday Night Live took the debate stage on Saturday with Bowen Yang's JD Vance and Jim Gaffigan's Tim Walz.

The final episode replicated the vice presidential debate from earlier in the week, with a bumbling Vance and the goofy Walz going head-to-head in a reasonably cordial debate. And SNL's cold open brought the same energy.

The skit began with Maya Rudolph's Kamala Harris and Andy Samberg's Douglas Emhoff sitting down to watch the debate. “I feel good tonight,” Rudolph says. “We gained momentum. Liz Cheney is about to support me and Bruce Springsteen. 'Cause baby, I was born to run (referring to his song 'Born To Run').”

The debate begins with moderators Heidi Gardner's Norah O'Donnell and Chloe Fineman's Margaret Brennan asking about the candidates for their opening statements.

“Thank you for having me. I want to start with something that appeals to female voters. “I understand that both hosts tonight are mothers, and I like that,” Yangs Vance says sheepishly.

The moderators then throw a question at a seemingly frantic Walz, who is scribbling on a stack of papers: “Are you preparing your answers?” asks Brennan.

“No, I have to grade these papers,” says Gaffigan’s Walz. “I have a stack of midterms.”

The moderators then delved into their questions, with the first question focusing on how the candidates would resolve the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

“It’s such an important question,” Vance says, avoiding a direct answer. “Margaret, a question that deserves an answer because it's important and it's a question you asked me tonight.”

Walz doesn't know the answer either: “So I'll just say the word 'basic' for a while, because debating is 30 percent fun and 70 percent insane.”

Rudolph's Harris begins to worry after hearing her vice president's answers, but her husband eases her worries by saying, “It's not like he's going to say anything crazy.”

But Samberg's Emhoff spoke too soon. “I became friends with school shooters,” shouts Gaffigan’s Walz, referring to a moment when the Democratic candidate made a false statement during the debate.

“As a goofy white guy, that really sets my colleagues back,” replies Emhoff von Samberg. “I'm in a group chat with Josh Gad and Jason Kelsey and the mood is somber.”

There was also a moment during the skit where the two vice presidential candidates find a surprising “commonality” and take a moment to stare into each other's eyes. But moderators quickly got the debate back on track, asking Vance if he would certify the results of the upcoming election, given Donald Trump's refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.

“It makes sense to say that Donald Trump posed a threat to democracy when he peacefully relinquished power – without fact checking – and willingly – don't check – boarded his plane without incident right after he saved Obamacare – check “Not that.” “says one fact-checker out of fear of Vance.

Dana Carvey's Joe Biden later visits Harris' home and emphasizes that Walz should highlight “all the great things we've done in the White House over the last four years” during the debate.

“Gasoline prices are down, border crossings are down and the Emmys for 'The Bear' are down,” he says. “Everyone come down…tonight.”