Kristen Welker on being portrayed by Maya Rudolph on 'SNL': ‘Completely surreal’

Moderating last week's presidential debate was the latest milestone in Kristen Welker's accomplished career, but the NBC News White House correspondent realized she had really made it big when she turned on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend.

The co-anchor of Weekend TODAY was portrayed on the show by famed "SNL" alum Maya Rudolph in a skit centered around the debate.

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"I couldn't believe it," Welker said on the 3rd hour of TODAY Monday. "A completely surreal moment to see yourself depicted on 'SNL,' what an honor."

Rudolph plays Welker moderating the final debate between President Donald Trump, portrayed as usual by Alec Baldwin, and Jim Carrey as Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

"It is the honor of a lifetime to moderate the second and, praise Jesus, final presidential debate," Rudolph said as Welker. "Tonight, we have a mute button, because it was that or tranquilizer darts and the president has a very high tolerance for those after his COVID treatment."

"Maya Rudolph is my favorite, so it doesn't get any better than that, and it was just a fun skit all around," Welker said. "A lot of laughs."

A running gag involves Baldwin repeatedly misidentifying Welker when he addresses her, alternately calling her Padma, Mindy and Hoda, in reference to Padma Lakshmi, Mindy Kaling and TODAY's own Hoda Kotb.

Lakshmi posted a picture on Twitter of all three of them and Welker, writing, "Squad @nbcnsl."

Hoda said she was at home with her mom and daughters when she found out about the mention on "SNL."

"We did get a laugh," she said on TODAY Monday. "We were cracking up."