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Comedian Jimmy Kimmel has defended his criticism of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who worked as a plumber earlier in his career.
Kimmel’s comments did not sit well with many Republicans, who saw Kimmel disparaging plumbers and blue-collar workers. The late-night host addressed the controversy during his show on Thursday.
“I didn’t make this clear, it doesn’t bother me that the head of Homeland Security used to work with pipes. It bothers me that he’s not a plumber yet,” said Kimmel when he opened the monologue.
Before becoming Secretary of Homeland Security, Mullin represented Oklahoma in the House and Senate for 13 years. After high school, he went to college on a scholarship to fight until he was 20, when his father became ill. Mullin and his wife then put their college education on hold to take over the family plumbing business.
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Kimmel said he saw conservative commentators saying “nuts on every channel” about his comments and accused them of twisting his words.
“They definitely decided to twist that to say it’s disrespecting a plumber, which it’s not,” said Kimmel.
“I wouldn’t put a plumber in charge of Homeland Security for the same reason I wouldn’t call a five-star general to flush a rat out of my toilet. OK? We all have our areas of expertise,” he added.
Kimmel defended his criticism of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who served as a lumberjack earlier in his career. “I didn’t make this clear, it doesn’t bother me that the head of Homeland Security used to work with pipes. It bothers me that he’s not a plumber yet,” said Kimmel when he opened the monologue. (Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Secretary Mullin for comment but did not immediately respond.
The controversy began when Kimmel made the first comment during his Tuesday show. He specifically discussed Mullin’s past work as a plumber, comparing his qualifications to those of the Nintendo character from “Super Mario Bros.”
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“He’s an Oklahoma senator now. Before he was elected to the Senate, Markwayne Mullin was a low-level MMA fighter and a plumber. That’s right. We have a plumber protecting us from terrorism now. He worked for Super Mario. Why not Markwayne?” Kimmel said.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin arrives to testify during a hearing to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 18 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
He then suggested President Donald Trump tap rapper Lil Wayne for Homeland Security, joking about what he called an “inappropriate” choice. Several Republican lawmakers came to Mullin’s side online, criticizing Kimmel’s comments as damaging to working Americans.
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Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., wrote in X: “The contempt Democrats and the Hollywood elite have for working-class Americans — and the people who step up to do important jobs for their country — is shameful. These people need help.”
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., also responded with an X: “I prefer plumbers to stand up and comedians who aren’t funny.”
Mullin was sworn in as DHS chief on Tuesday, following the departure of Kristi Noem. He took the role at a time of turmoil, as lawmakers were weeks into a DHS shutdown that left many workers, including TSA workers, without pay.
