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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
William Mata

Kamala Harris appears on Saturday Night Live and takes surprise Iowa poll lead

Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live as a poll suggested she has taken a surprise lead in Iowa over US election rival Donald Trump. 

The vice president appeared on the American television staple opposite regular show presenter Maya Rudolph - who had dressed up as her double

Rudolph stepped aside for a moment to reflect before her last campaign speech, seeing the real Ms Harris as she looked into the mirror.

"I just wish I could talk to someone who's been in my shoes," she said moments before the Democratic presidential nominee appeared. "You know, a black South Asian woman running for president, preferably from the Bay Area."

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris appears on NBC's Saturday Night Live with Maya Rudolph (AP)
Republican presidential nominee former president Donald Trump dances onstage (REUTERS)

The pair give each other a pep talk before resolving to "end the dram-ala" and "keep Kamala and carry on-a-la".

The skit comes as the Des Moines Register newspaper published latest research to show that Ms Harris has taken a three point lead over her rival in what was thought to be safe Republican territory.

Iowa is not one of the seven battleground states that both candidates have aimed their attention on in the lead up to the vote on Tuesday. 

Attention has mostly been on Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. 

Campaigning earlier on Saturday in Atlanta, Ms Harris said that Mr Trump would abuse his power if he returns to the White House.

“This is someone who is increasingly unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and the man is out for unchecked power," she said.

At a rally in Salem, Virginia, Mr Trump said he ran for office to rescue the economy from "obliteration" even though it would have been easier to relax at one of his oceanfront resorts.

"I didn't need to be here today," he said. "I could have been standing on that beach, my beautiful white skin getting nice and being smacked, being smacked in the face by a wave loaded up with salt water."

Mr Trump was joined on stage by women from a local college swim team who have objected to competing against transgender athletes. 

Some of Mr Trump's TV ads have sought to capitalise on transgender controversies.

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