Pete Davidson faced criticism for his jokes about Charlie Kirk and Kanye West at Netflix’s ‘The Roast of Kevin Hart’. His remarks, referencing Kirk’s alleged murder and West’s past antisemitic comments, sparked online backlash. Viewers deemed his set a desperate attempt at relevance, with some finding his political jabs out of place and his performance disappointing.
Pete Davidson drew backlash after joking about Charlie Kirk and Kanye West during Netflix’s ‘The Roast of Kevin Hart’ at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 10. The former ‘Saturday Night Live’ cast member first took aim at Tony Hinchcliffe, then moved to West, linking the rapper’s past remarks to their long-running feud. The set quickly spread online, where several viewers criticized Davidson’s tone and timing.
Pete Davidson on Charlie Kirk’s joke at Kevin Hart’s roast
According to The Express, Davidson opened his roast set with a pointed joke about Hinchcliffe. “Tony [Hinchcliffe] reminds me of Charlie Kirk in that he’s definitely been on camera letting a guy unload in his throat,” he said. Davidson then added, “Kill Tony, please. Someone f—–g kill Tony. Tony, nothing you say tonight will hurt my feelings.” Netflix’s roast streamed live from the Kia Forum as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest, with Shane Gillis hosting the special.The joke referenced Kirk, the MAGA influencer who was shot dead during a rally at Utah Valley University in September 2025. Reuters reported that Tyler Robinson has been accused of killing Kirk, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. A Utah judge recently allowed cameras to remain in the courtroom and delayed a key hearing in the case.
Pete Davidson and Kanye West’s feud explained
Davidson then shifted to West and said, “I was in a beef with Kanye. So I’ve taken shots from better gay Nazis.” The remark referred to West’s 2025 posts, in which he used offensive terms about himself, including “Nazi.”Davidson and West’s feud goes back to the comedian’s brief relationship with Kim Kardashian in 2021. Kardashian and Davidson split in August 2022. During that period, West repeatedly targeted Davidson online and called him “Sk-te.” He also released the “Eazy” music video, which showed a disturbing depiction of Davidson being decapitated.Reaction online was sharp. One X user wrote, “Pete going savage on Tony with Charlie Kirk jab is a sad attempt to staying relevant and the vibe didn’t match. He was once cool.” Another wrote, “Pete Davidson came with nothing to lose. Throwing punches like he had immunity..I’m sure Erik Kirk is not having it.”A third viewer said, “Always bringing politics where it has no place to make everybody uncomfortable, make half the people uncomfortable just to get a clip later online.” Another post read, “Pete Davidson’s set ranked among the worst of the night, and most of the rosters weren’t even comedians, sad to see a once promising comedian with nothing to bring to the table.”
