REPORT: Hillary Clinton Ditches HRC For SNL
UPDATE: HRC Disputes Cancellation Claim

UPDATE: I’ve reached out to the Human Rights Campaign and they dispute the below-linked New York Times story. According to HRC spokesman Brandon Lorenz, Hillary Clinton “remains the morning speaker” on Saturday.

Hillary Clinton was scheduled to address Human Rights Campaign staffers and supporters on Saturday in advance of their annual gala in Washington DC, but the HRC gig has reportedly been canceled so that she can appear during the opening monologue of Saturday Night Live. Via the New York Times:

Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to appear on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, the latest — and highest stakes — appearance of her current push to show her funny, personable side as the campaign heads into the critical first Democratic debate and she faces headwinds in Iowa and New Hampshire and a potential challenge from Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. In a top-secret appearance that her campaign would not confirm, Mrs. Clinton will meet her comedic counterpart, Kate McKinnon, who has portrayed the former first lady to effusive praise as the latest “S.N.L.” member to don a blonde wig and attempt to bring to life the character of Mrs. Clinton.

In order to appear, Mrs. Clinton turned down the chance to give the keynote address to the influential Human Rights Campaign, the country’s most powerful lesbian and gay rights group, which will allow her to make the debut “S.N.L.” appearance of her 2016 campaign, said several people with knowledge of her schedule who could not discuss private planning for attribution. She is expected to pop in to join Ms. McKinnon as part of the so-called cold open skit, these people said. A spokeswoman for NBC declined to comment. Both the show and NBC were hoping to make the appearance a splashy surprise. The show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, is well known for being tight-lipped about guests and has even changed the lineup at the last minute, which is still a possibility with Mrs. Clinton, whose own schedule is also fluid, these people said.

NOTE: Contrary to the above report and as I mentioned last month, Clinton was scheduled to speak to at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters on Saturday morning and was not slated to deliver the keynote address at that evening’s gala. Joe Biden is the scheduled keynote speaker.