‘SNL’ Roasts Elon Musk Over Midterm Losses and Errant AI in Sharp ‘Weekend Update’ Debut

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November 8, 2026, at 10:45 a.m. Eastern time.

NBC’s Saturday Night Live took direct aim at Elon Musk during Saturday night’s broadcast, with featured player Jeremy Culhane delivering a viral impersonation of the tech billionaire on "Weekend Update" that skewered his colossal midterm election spending and erratic public persona.

Appearing alongside co-anchor Colin Jost, Culhane’s Musk attempted to brush off the fallout from Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which the Tesla and xAI founder spent hundreds of millions of dollars backing Republican candidates across Texas and national battlegrounds only to see Democrats sweep key legislative and gubernatorial races. Throughout the bit, the character constantly pivoted away from financial losses, pitching juvenile stunts and begging Jost for an "epic vulgar roast."

The segment marked Culhane’s first major solo showcase on the "Weekend Update" desk, capturing widespread attention across social media for its pitch-perfect parody of Musk's speech patterns, awkward physical mannerisms, and defensive online banter.

Cars doing flips and fist bumps

The sketch leaned heavily into Musk’s tendency to change the subject whenever confronted with corporate or political setbacks. When Jost pressed the billionaire on spending an estimated half-billion dollars on election campaigns that largely collapsed, Culhane’s Musk excitedly pulled out his smartphone to replay video of a Tesla flipping over in a stunt test, boasting that it moved "like a freaking Hot Wheel."

Culhane repeatedly attempted to establish camaraderie with a visibly bewildered Jost, offering unsolicited fist bumps and mimicking tech-bro jargon. The parody skewered not only Musk's political misadventures but also recent controversies surrounding Tesla stock volatility and paused Cybertruck assembly lines.

Grok’s ‘epic vulgar roast’ backfires on live TV

The climax of the appearance lampooned Musk’s fascination with his proprietary AI model, Grok. Culhane’s Musk commanded an audio app on his phone to deliver an "epic vulgar roast" of himself to prove how thick-skinned and irreverent his technology could be.

Instead of light ribbing, the simulated chatbot unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of personal insults that dissected Musk's high-profile business blunders, plummeting online approval, and messy public family disputes. As the computerized voice escalated in cruelty, Culhane frantically tapped his phone, shouting "Shut it down! Grok, shut it down!" before scurrying off the studio set to roars of audience laughter.

Elon Musk stopped by Weekend Update to talk about the midterms, car flips, and getting roasted by Grok.

— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) Official clip on X

Online reception and political context

The sketch quickly racked up millions of views across YouTube and X by Sunday morning, sparking lively debates among commentators. While supporters of the billionaire argued the bit was uncharitable, comedy critics praised Culhane for steering away from cartoonish caricature and homing in on Musk’s specific cadence and conversational quirks.

Musk, who hosted Saturday Night Live in May 2021, did not immediately issue a public response to the parody, though his personal X account continued sharing charts and commentary analyzing the post-election political landscape.

Studio 8H, 30 Rockefeller Plaza

The star marks NBC’s Studio 8H inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, home of Saturday Night Live since 1975.

Map: OpenStreetMap contributors. Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112.

Timeline of Musk's midterm week to the SNL parody

Chronology of events leading up to Saturday night's broadcast:

1. Tuesday, Nov. 3 Midterm election returns show major setbacks for candidates backed by Musk's political action committees in Texas and swing districts.
2. Thursday, Nov. 5 Tesla shares experience mid-week volatility as investors assess election outcomes and electric vehicle policy expectations.
3. Friday, Nov. 6 Tech outlets report ongoing user complaints regarding Grok bot performance and rate-limiting adjustments.
4. Saturday, Nov. 7, 11:30 p.m. EST NBC airs Season 52 episode of Saturday Night Live featuring Jeremy Culhane's Weekend Update debut as Elon Musk.
5. Sunday morning, Nov. 8 The sketch surpasses viral viewing milestones online, dominating entertainment discussions across social channels.

Sources and visual credits

Saturday Night Live on NBC · The Hollywood Reporter · Deadline Hollywood · Business Insider · Saturday Night Live on X.

Hero and thumbnail: default Hollywood section card. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Research note: Broadcast content, actor credits (Jeremy Culhane, Colin Jost), and dialogue verified against NBC's live broadcast of Saturday Night Live (Episode 5, Season 52) and official NBC clip releases.