Overview
- Jimmy Kimmel mocked Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during Tuesday’s monologue, quipping that the country now has “a plumber” protecting it from terrorism.
- Republican figures including Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Mike Collins, and Sen. Cynthia Lummis condemned the remarks as a slight against plumbers and other blue-collar workers, and President Donald Trump called Kimmel a loser on Fox News.
- Kimmel doubled down on Thursday, saying he was not insulting plumbers and adding that he would not put a plumber in charge of Homeland Security, arguing that jobs require specific expertise.
- Mullin was sworn in as DHS secretary on Tuesday after serving 13 years in Congress, and he previously ran and expanded his family’s plumbing company into a firm with more than 100 employees.
- Fox News reported it sought comment from Mullin and did not get a response, as coverage from right-leaning outlets framed Kimmel as elitist and others emphasized Kimmel’s focus on whether Mullin’s background fits the DHS role during a period of pay strain at the department.