Jost Jokes About El-Sayed's Senate Win

Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost made a joke about Michigan Senate winner Abdul El-Sayed, drawing criticism online.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Islam

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Abdul El-Sayed won election to the U.S. Senate in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber. During Weekend Update, Colin Jost joked about El-Sayed while a picture of former President Barack Obama appeared beside him, and users on X criticized the joke as Islamophobic.

Why it matters

The joke drew attention to how a historic first in Congress is being discussed in comedy and political media. The criticism reflects ongoing debate over how religious identity is portrayed in mainstream entertainment.

El-Sayed won one U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, making him the first Muslim elected to the chamber. Public reaction on X called the joke Islamophobic, but no formal complaint or network response is documented in the source.

The players

Colin Jost

Colin Jost is a longtime Saturday Night Live cast member and co-anchor of its Weekend Update segment.

Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul El-Sayed is a Michigan politician who won election to the U.S. Senate and became the first Muslim elected to the chamber.

Katie Miller

Katie Miller is a conservative media figure who criticized the SNL Musk segment as a political hit job.

The details

During the Weekend Update segment, Jost delivered the joke as a picture of Obama appeared beside him. Separately, cast member Jeremy Culhane portrayed Elon Musk in a Grok roast segment that drew criticism from conservative commentator Katie Miller, who called it a cheap shot and political hit job.

Early November 2026: Midterm elections in which El-Sayed won his Senate seat.
November 8, 2026: Weekend Update jokes aired and drew reaction online.

Season Trajectory

El-Sayed's election follows Keith Ellison's 2006 win as the first Muslim member of the U.S. House, extending a pattern of Muslim Americans reaching federal office. The reaction to the SNL joke shows how that milestone is now being discussed in national comedy and political media.

The episode highlights how religious identity can become a subject of mainstream entertainment and public debate. Readers following political news may see similar reactions as Muslim candidates continue to win office.

The takeaway

Historic firsts in public office often draw attention beyond politics, including in comedy and social media. Watching how such moments are framed can help readers separate substantive debate from jokes that reinforce stereotypes.