SNL calls Elon Musk 'White Kanye' - and the internet is going crazy

Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” delivered a blistering takedown of Elon Musk, with anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che wielding sharp humor to skewer the Tesla CEO, DOGE director, and Trump administration figure. The segment, airing late Saturday night, dubbed Musk “White Kanye,” a nickname that sent the audience into cheers and ignited a wildfire of reactions across X, marking yet another chapter in SNL’s fraught relationship with the polarizing billionaire.

Jost led the charge, targeting Musk’s role in the Trump era and his public persona. “Experts say President Trump’s tariffs will raise the cost of a new car by as much as $12,000,” Jost quipped. “Or you can get a free Tesla, since people are throwing them away.” The jab underscored Musk’s recent prominence as Trump’s DOGE chief, a position that has drawn scrutiny since his appointment in January 2025.

Jost then unveiled the “White Kanye” moniker, pausing as the studio erupted in laughter and applause. Jost pivoted to Musk’s wardrobe shift at a Cabinet meeting. “He wore a suit instead of a jacket and T-shirt this week, after President Trump made fun of his clothing. It’s a refreshing reminder that bullying still works.”

The nickname, drawing a parallel between Musk’s erratic billionaire persona and West’s provocative celebrity, resonated deeply, reflecting their shared penchant for controversy, massive social media followings (Musk boasts over 200 million on X, West once hovered near 32 million), and flirtations with conservative circles.

Jost’s line, delivered with deadpan precision, taps into SNL’s long-standing pattern of framing Musk as an eccentric, out-of-touch figure—a characterization rooted in his rocky 2021 hosting stint, when cast members like Bowen Yang and Aidy Bryant voiced unease over his wealth and polarizing stances.

Michael Che, meanwhile, piled on with his own barbs. “On Thursday, Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship exploded just minutes into its mission,” Che said, riffing on Musk’s prolific family life. “Which is how he ended up with all those kids!” The quip, met with groans and laughter, underscored SNL’s willingness to poke at Musk’s personal and professional excesses. Che also took aim at Trump’s claims, joking, “President Trump said no president has ‘changed government more in 43 days.’ Yeah, and nobody changed airport security faster than bin Laden,” drawing a sharp historical parallel that elicited mixed crowd reactions.

A Nickname Takes Flight

The nickname’s humor hinges on Musk and West’s shared traits: both are outspoken, influential, and prone to controversy—Musk via his X posts on Ukraine or government cuts, West via his 2025 antisemitic rants. SNL’s choice may also reflect Musk’s recent clashes, like his March 7, 2025, spat with Marco Rubio over State Department cuts, which SNL lampooned in a sketch featuring Mike Myers as Musk and Marcello Hernandez as Rubio.

Musk’s Complicated SNL Legacy

Musk’s history with SNL is a tapestry of tension and satire. His May 8, 2021, hosting gig—marked by his public disclosure of Asperger’s syndrome, a Dogecoin plug (followed by its crash), and mixed reviews—stirred controversy before it aired, with cast members questioning his selection. The Guardian called it one of SNL’s worst episodes, but Musk weathered the night without disaster.

Since then, SNL has intermittently targeted him: in April 2022, Che mocked Musk’s $43 billion Twitter bid as enabling “white guys” to “use the n-word”; in October 2022, Jost ridiculed Musk’s emotional intelligence after his Kanye West tweet. This latest jab—“White Kanye”—builds on that narrative, casting Musk as a chaotic, Trump-aligned counterpart to West’s cultural provocateur.

If Musk responds—as he has before, labeling SNL “unfunny” in 2024 after Chloe Fineman’s tears claim—it could amplify the frenzy. For now, the nickname’s viral spread reflects SNL’s knack for capturing a zeitgeist, weaving Musk’s Trump-era prominence, his DOGE role, and his cultural parallels with West into a biting, memorable punchline.

The laughter may fade, but the “White Kanye” echo will linger, a testament to the sharp edge of late-night satire in an era of outsized personalities.

The Daily Beast contributed to this article.