Jimmy Kimmel fumed at Republican senators who showed their support for Pete Hegseth during his heated defense secretary confirmation hearing on Tuesday, singling out one name in particular.
Kimmel explained, “Hegseth was hammered by Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who argue that he should be disqualified based on accounts of excessive drinking, allegations of sexual misconduct. Which are two of the qualities Trump looks for in a nominee.”
Kimmel was most interested, however, in the defense Hegseth received from Republicans on the committee.
“These Republican senators are so scared of Donald Trump, they’ve been circle-j---ing the wagons around them,” Kimmel said. “None more so than Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, who did not do much to help head off the stereotype about people named Markwayne.”
Kimmel showed the clip of Mullin accusing Democrats of hypocrisy for their attacks on the former Fox & Friends host, finishing off the rant with, “Give me a joke.”
“Oh, you got so close,” Kimmel mocked. “Sticking the landing is the hardest part.”
Kimmel played the rest of Mullin’s speech, where the senator explained that the “only reason” he wasn’t in prison was because his wife “loved him too.”
“What? What does that mean?” Kimmel replied. “I looked it up. I have no idea what he’s talking about. Did she keister a nail file in a conjugal visit or something?”
Kimmel joked, “If I was in that room, I’d say, ‘Never mind Pete Hegseth. Let’s find out more about Markwayne and his wife.‘”
Kimmel also showed a clip of Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine grilling Hegseth about one of his coworkers filing a sexual harassment charge at him for his behavior at a strip club. Kaine pointed out that Hegseth’s own mother had stated that he’d “abused” women.
“Wait, his mother was at the strip club?” Kimmel joked.
The late-night host sarcastically concluded, “This guy ... was reportedly forced out of two different veteran nonprofit groups after allegations of sexual impropriety, personal misconduct, and financial mismanagement. In other words, just the dude you want in charge of an $800 billion budget and the security of the free world.”
