SNL Mocks Musk After Midterm Loss, Jabs at South African Roots
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - Jeremy Culhane, an “SNL” featured player, portrayed Elon Musk during Weekend Update.
The Hollywood Reporter - Colin Jost appeared as Weekend Update co-anchor and questioned Culhane’s Musk about the midterm losses.
Variety - Jeremy Culhane played Musk in a Weekend Update segment; Colin Jost was the co-anchor who challenged the character about the election outcome.
Deadline - Jeremy Culhane performed an impression of Musk, while Colin Jost noted that Musk had backed candidates who lost.
The Hollywood Reporter - Grok, the AI chatbot, delivered roast lines in the sketch, including, “You’re the worst thing South Africa has ever done,” “When you’re on TV it feels like a episode of ‘Hate on the Spectrum,’” and “If you have 100 more kids, maybe one of them will talk to you.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Mike Myers had previously portrayed Musk on “SNL,” including in a cold open alongside portrayals of President Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - The article said Alex Gibney made a four-hour investigative documentary about Musk that deconstructs the mogul’s public image and argues he is more dangerous than Hollywood portrayals suggest.
The Hollywood Reporter - The article reported that Musk tried to turn the election losses into vindication for conspiracy theories alleging his involvement in rigging the 2024 election.
The Hollywood Reporter - The sketch mocked Musk over his midterm campaign spending and losses; Jost said, “You wasted half a billion dollars on the midterms” and that “almost all the candidates you backed lost.”
Variety - The segment addressed the midterm election results and Musk’s spending of nearly $500 million on Republican candidates.
Deadline - The sketch described Musk as having wasted half a billion dollars backing candidates who lost; Musk rejected Jost’s characterization.
The Hollywood Reporter - In the sketch, Musk changed the subject to his car flipping, saying it was “like a freaking Hot Wheel.” The article also reported that the Cybertruck had officially been deemed a failure.
The Hollywood Reporter - When Jost asked how Musk felt about Texas becoming Democrat-run after Musk moved there because California was run by Democrats, the character replied, “Bad.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Culhane’s portrayal used halting speech, repeated non sequiturs, and the word “Imagine”; the character asked Grok for an “epic vulgar-roast.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Jost ended the exchange by saying, “I cannot believe you’re the richest person in the world.”
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - The sketch took place at the “Saturday Night Live” Weekend Update desk.
The Hollywood Reporter - The roast invoked Musk’s South African roots; Jost’s exchange also referenced California and Texas.
WHEN:
Variety - The article described the segment as addressing the outcome of “Tuesday’s” midterm elections.
The Hollywood Reporter - The article said Musk had hosted “SNL” five years earlier and referred to a prior Mike Myers cold open “a year ago.”
The Hollywood Reporter - The article said Musk had been in the pop-cultural spotlight “this fall.”
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - Jost’s questions framed the appearance around Musk’s campaign spending and the losses of candidates he backed.
The Hollywood Reporter - The article said the sketch could be viewed as “SNL’s” attempt to atone for Musk’s earlier hosting appearance, which prompted a boycott by multiple cast members and led Chloe Fineman to cry.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - The article described Culhane’s portrayal as more restrained and on-point than Mike Myers’ earlier impression, and suggested Culhane might reprise the character in future “SNL” episodes.
The Hollywood Reporter - The sketch used Culhane’s impression, Jost’s questions, and AI-generated insults from Grok to roast Musk.
The Hollywood Reporter - The article reported Musk spent $1 billion on Skydance, bought spectrum, and faced criticism over allegations that he turned off Starshield, potentially endangering Ukrainian lives.
(UPDATED November 8, 2026 18:59 UTC)
“Saturday Night Live” mocked Elon Musk after Republican candidates he supported suffered midterm losses. Jeremy Culhane portrayed Musk, as Colin Jost questioned his campaign spending and election setbacks. Grok joined the Weekend Update roast, delivering insults at Musk’s request.
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(UPDATED November 8, 2026 17:57 UTC)
SNL’s Weekend Update roasted Elon Musk over costly campaign losses, with Jeremy Culhane portraying him. Colin Jost challenged the character over nearly half a billion dollars spent backing candidates. Grok joined the sketch with insults, while Musk’s character dodged questions and changed the subject.