Senator Kamala Harris, who was spoofed by comic Maya Rudolph on âSaturday Night Liveâ as a no-nonsense âwalking, talking TNT show,â is proving that she knows how to take a joke.
Launching its 45th season with a bang, the show hosted a mock CNN Democratic forum to talk impeachment, because, as Cecily Strong playing anchor Erin Burnett noted, what better way to tackle a national crisis than âwith a muddled, 10-person town hall debate.â
As Harris was introduced, Rudolph as the 2020 candidate referred to a now-famous phrase used by Harris in a real-life Democratic debate in June.
âNow, Erin, that little girl you just introduced, that little girl was me,â Rudolph said, clarifying that sheâs not âjust that little girl.â
âIâm also Americaâs cool aunt, a fun aunt. I call that a âfuntâ â the kind of funt that will give you weed, but then arrest you for having weed,â she continued.
The crowd erupted in laughter over the clear jab at Harrisâ controversial record as Californiaâs attorney general from 2011 to 2017, during which more than 1,000 people in the state were jailed for marijuana violations. Thatâs despite her past admission of having smoked marijuana in college.
Having since evolved on the issue, in July, she partnered with Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) to introduce a bill to decriminalize marijuana use and ease the war on drugs.
Despite Rudolphâs round of one-liners, which included proclaiming herself âa smooth-talking lady lawyerâ and the embodiment of the TV detective-medical examiner duo Rizzoli and Isles, Harris had the perfect response.
âThat girl being played by @MayaRudolph on @nbcsnl? That girl was me,â she tweeted Sunday, receiving an enthusiastic reply from the actor.
Harris first used her âthat little girl was meâ line when facing off with former Vice President Joe Biden, whom she confronted over his past opposition to busing programs to integrate schools.
âThere was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day, and that little girl was me,â she said.
The headline-making quote soon went viral, appearing on both her Twitter account and T-shirts being sold by her campaign.
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