Elon Musk has spoken out against Saturday Night Live after the sketch show mocked him.
On Saturday (9 November), the US series returned days after Donald Trump won the US election, which led to stunned reactions from the world of Hollywood.
Trump and Musk, who divided SNL viewers his “surreal” hosting stint in 2021, were both lampooned in the Bill Burr-hosted episode, which addressed Trump’s victory in a cold open that saw its stars sarcastically share their support for the president-elect to avoid being put on his “enemies list”.
As the episode went on, SNL’s version of Tesla CEO Musk was introduced, and he was played by former regular cast member Dana Carvey.
When Kenan Thompson said: “If our planet falls apart, we can all go to Mars with the other man that we love and trust: Elon Musk,” Carvey appeared and mimicked Musk. He wore a dark MAGA hat while jumping up and down with his hands in the air, lampooning Musk’s enthusiasm from Trump’s second rally.
Carvey’s Musk then said in a garbled voice: “But seriously, I run the country now.”
Musk, who hosted the show in 2021, was not impressed with the performance and set his sights on SNL in the immediate aftermath of the episode’s broadcast. He wrote on X/Twitter, which he owns: “They are so mad that @realDonaldTrump won.”
He then criticised Carvey’s performance, stating: “Dana Carvey just sounds like Dana Carvey.”
In the lead-up to the election, many stars openly endorsed Kamala Harris. Celebrities like Harrison Ford, Jennifer Aniston, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were among those to voice their support for the Democratic candidate.
Meanwhile, Trump’s contingent of famous supporters included Musk, Kelsey Grammer, Hulk Hogan, Zachary Levi and the influential podcaster Joe Rogan, who endorsed him just hours before the election.
Musk, who has been a staunch defender of the Republican, praised the news and hailed his high hopes for the future.
When the billionaire hosted SNL in March 2021, he incorrectly claimed he was the first person with Asperger’s syndrome to ever presenter the show and poked fun at the pronunciation of his child’s unusual name.
He and singer Grimes welcomed their son X Æ A-Xii in May 2020.
