Kamala Harris on SNL could bump another cameo (and not Maya Rudolph)

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An already highly-anticipated episode of Saturday Night Live got a boost hours before showtime. Sources reported Vice President Kamala Harris was enroute to New York City to appear on the show. Doing so could potentially bump a popular cameo from the air.

Harris' airplane diverted from its planned destination, Michigan, to New York without prior notice. It all but confirmed that Harris would be on tonight's episode of Saturday Night Live. The news reverses a previous report that neither Harris nor Trump would be invited to Studio 8H this season.

So far, season 50 has relied on Maya Rudolph to play the presidential hopeful. Based on the popularity of the SNL alum's parody, it's unlikely the show will ask her to stay home in favor of the real thing.

Instead, it's more likely that both Rudolph and Harris will share the stage. But if that happens, someone else may be on the short end of the stick.

That would be Dana Carvey. The master impressionist and SNL legend surprised audiences when he became the latest to play Joe Biden. Carvey's version of Biden has played up the president's age and tendency to repeat words at a meandering pace.

And while Carvey's version of Biden has played well opposite Rudolph's Kamala Harris, it's difficult to imagine the actual vice president going along with the bit. For months, Harris defended Biden's mental accuity. It would be something of an insult for her to stand in front of millions of people while Biden's competence was made into a punchline.

So what's the alternative? Saturday Night Live can turn down the heat on Biden for a night. Carvey could play up the proud grandpa angle as Harris nears the finish line.

Another option is that Carvey is the one asked to sit out tonight. SNL has already made a joke about not finding a way to shoehorn Andy Samberg's Doug Emhoff into a sketch. Tonight would be no different with Carvey's Biden, considering much of the attention will likely be on Trump's Madison Square Garden rally and/or Harris' celebrity endorsements.

We'll find out when Saturday Night Live starts at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.