Overview
- Jimmy Kimmel, in his Thursday monologue, said his crack about DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin was not an insult to plumbers and argued the job calls for specific expertise.
- The blowback grew after President Trump called into Fox’s The Five on Thursday to slam Kimmel as a “loser” and to praise Mullin’s success running a plumbing company.
- Kimmel’s original bit aired Tuesday and described Mullin as “a low-level MMA fighter and a plumber,” joking that “we have a plumber protecting us from terrorism now.”
- Republican lawmakers and conservative media called the joke elitist, with Sens. Ted Cruz and Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Mike Collins saying it demeaned blue-collar work.
- DHS declined to engage, saying it was “too busy” with law-enforcement work, while reports also noted Mullin’s 54–45 Senate confirmation on Monday and his swearing-in on Tuesday.