Jimmy Kimmel came up with a colorful way to describe what far-right Republicans did to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) when they tossed him out of the speaker’s office.
After Republicans failed to elect a speaker on Monday, McCarthy tried to blame Democrats for voting against him earlier this month.
“Every single Democrat and eight Republicans voted to shut down one branch of government,” McCarthy said. “That is why we’re here today.”
But Kimmel wasn’t having it.
“No, no, no,” he said. “We’re here today because your own party threw you out like a tray of salmon cakes from last weekend’s HomeTown Buffet.”
McCarthy is reportedly steamed because he had been hoping that Democratic lawmakers would help save him after far-right members of his own party moved to vacate the chair.
Kimmel put that in perspective as well by describing the offer Republicans made to Democrats in the House.
“Here’s what we’ll do: You guys give us enough votes to elect a speaker, and in return we’ll give you nothing and call you all a bunch of communists and groomers,” Kimmel summed up.
Republicans first selected Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) to replace McCarthy. When he couldn’t secure enough votes, they switched to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who failed in his first bid for the gavel on Monday.
The House has now been without a speaker for two weeks, causing business to grind to a halt.
See Kimmel talk about that and more in his Tuesday night monologue: