Cape Town – Tech billionaire Elon Musk has publicly criticised comedian Trevor Noah after the South African-born entertainer made a controversial joke about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a recent stand-up performance.
During his set at the Comedy Cellar, Noah addressed the backlash surrounding jokes about Kirk’s assassination.
He told the audience that he had been warned not to comment on the incident but decided to do so anyway.
“You can’t say there’s nothing funny about it. As a comedian, I’m sure there is something funny about it,” Noah said.
“The guy was shot while defending guns. I’m not even writing that as a joke. As a human, you have to admit that it is an incongruous, funny thing that happened.”
Trevor Noah jokes about Charlie Kirk and the MAGA snowflakes are upset 😂😂
— The Black Tucker Carlson Jr 🇺🇸 (@B1TuckerCarlson) October 10, 2025
Clips of Noah’s performance quickly went viral, sparking a wave of reactions across social media. Some users defended the comedian, saying his dark humour was part of his craft, while others condemned the remarks as insensitive and disrespectful toward the slain activist.
Elon Musk also weighed in, posting on X (formerly Twitter) to criticise Noah’s comments and question his relevance in comedy.
“Trevor was lauded for being a libtard cuck for so long that he hasn’t realised that he stopped being funny. The guy actually has talent, but needs to get the woke virus out of his brain,” Elon wrote.
Trevor was lauded for being a libtard cuck for so long that he hasn’t realized that he stopped being funny.
The guy actually has talent, but needs to get the woke virus out of his brain.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 10, 2025
The exchange reignited tensions between the two, following previous criticism from Noah about Musk’s use of online platforms to influence public discourse and fuel division.
In response to the backlash, Noah defended his remarks, saying comedians often use irony to confront uncomfortable truths. He explained that his joke was not meant to ridicule Kirk’s death but to highlight the contradictions that exist within human experiences.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
