Michael Che Mocks Charlie Kirk Killing in Netflix Special

Michael Che, the longtime co-anchor of "Saturday Night Live's" Weekend Update desk, opens his new stand-up special on Netflix with jokes about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to Fox News. The outlet reports that Che repeatedly uses a slur, which Fox News's own account renders only as "the R-word," to mock President Donald Trump and his supporters throughout the special.

What does Che say about Charlie Kirk's killing?

Fox News reports the special's opening material centers on Kirk's killing, drawing on the circumstances of his death rather than treating the subject as off-limits for comedy. The outlet's account does not publish a verbatim transcript of the jokes, and Netflix has not released an official transcript alongside the special, leaving the exact phrasing undocumented outside Fox News's characterization.

What slur does Che use, and who is the target?

According to Fox News, Che uses the term multiple times over the course of the special specifically to describe Trump and his MAGA-aligned supporters. Fox News refers to the word only as "the R-word" in its reporting rather than spelling it out, a convention that limits independent verification of the precise language used on stage.

Who is Michael Che and what is his role at SNL?

Che has co-anchored Weekend Update on "Saturday Night Live" alongside Colin Jost since 2014, a run that spans multiple election cycles on NBC's flagship late-night sketch show. The Netflix special marks a shift from that broadcast format into an unedited, long-form stand-up hour, a setting where network content standards do not apply in the same way they do to a live NBC broadcast.

Has Netflix or NBC responded to the special's content?

The available reporting does not document a response from either company. Fox News's account focuses on cataloging what appears in the special rather than soliciting reaction from Che, Netflix, or NBC, so the public posture of all three on the material remains undisclosed in sourcing reviewed for this report.

What to watch

• Whether Charlie Kirk's family, Turning Point USA, or other allies issue a public response to the special's opening material.
• Whether Netflix or NBC addresses the special's content given Che's continuing role on "Saturday Night Live."
• Whether Che references the special, or any resulting criticism, on a future Weekend Update broadcast.
• Whether additional outlets independently verify or dispute Fox News's account of the language used in the special.

For now, Fox News stands as the only account reviewed describing the special's opening sequence and its repeated use of the slur against Trump and his supporters; no independent transcript or rival outlet confirmation has surfaced in the material examined for this report.