Content Advisory: This article discusses a public assassination, graphic roast jokes, and backlash over political commentary. Reader discretion is advised.
Pete Davidson returned to the roast stage and walked straight into backlash.
The former ‘Saturday Night Live’ star appeared at Netflix’s ‘The Roast of Kevin Hart’, which streamed from the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, as part of the Netflix Is a Joke Festival. Davidson targeted Tony Hinchcliffe, Charlie Kirk, and Kanye West during the set, but one Kirk-related joke drew audible groans from the room and anger online.
Pete Davidson’s Charlie Kirk Joke Sparks Backlash
Davidson opened by comparing Hinchcliffe to Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was fatally shot onstage at Utah Valley University in 2025. The joke referenced the video of Kirk’s assassination and was met with shock from the audience.
He then continued with another violent punchline aimed at Hinchcliffe, before moving into his long-running feud with Kanye West. Davidson said Hinchcliffe could not hurt his feelings because he had already “taken shots from better gay Nazis,” a reference to West’s history of antisemitic statements and Nazi-related remarks.
The set quickly spread online, where critics accused Davidson of using a violent political death for attention.
Critics Call It A ‘Sad Attempt’ To Stay Relevant
Some viewers did not see the joke as edgy. They saw it as desperate.
One critic wrote that Davidson’s Charlie Kirk jab felt like “a sad attempt” to stay relevant and said the tone did not fit the room. Another said Davidson was bringing politics into a space where it made people uncomfortable just to get a viral clip.
Others said the set ranked among the weakest of the night, with one viewer arguing that Davidson looked like a once-promising comedian who had little new to offer.
The backlash was not just about Kirk. It was also about Davidson’s choice to pull Kanye West back into the bit years after their public feud over Kim Kardashian.
Kanye West Feud Gets Dragged Back In
Davidson and West’s feud began when Davidson briefly dated Kim Kardashian after her split from the rapper. West mocked Davidson publicly and included a disturbing claymation image of Davidson in the 2022 music video for ‘Eazy’.
Davidson’s roast joke revived that history, while also tying it to West’s past antisemitic remarks. West has faced years of backlash for statements about Jewish people and Hitler, and some outlets noted that Davidson’s jab leaned directly on that controversy.
Davidson ended his appearance by praising Kevin Hart, calling him hardworking and saying he had always been kind to him. Still, that softer ending did not erase the online reaction.
For many viewers, the issue was simple. A roast can be brutal, but Davidson’s Charlie Kirk joke crossed a line they were not willing to laugh at.
