Kimmel keeps up war of words
Jimmy Kimmel doubled down on his criticism of Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy on Wednesday, firing back at the co-sponsor of the new Graham-Cassidy health care bill and many others who responded to his monologue from the previous night.
On Tuesday, the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host called out Cassidy for, as he put it, lying to his face about his commitment to ensure that every American family, regardless of income, has access to quality health care. Cassidy shot back the next morning, insisting Kimmel just didn’t understand the bill.
And Kimmel was not having it.
“Oh, I get it. I don’t understand because I’m a talk show host, right?” said Kimmel. “Well, then help me out. Which part don’t I understand?
“Is it the part where you cut $243 billion from federal health care assistance? Am
I not understanding the part where states would be allowed to let insurance companies price you out of coverage for having pre-existing conditions?” asked Kimmel.
“Maybe I don’t understand the part of your bill in which federal funding disappears completely after 2026? Or maybe it was the part where the plans are no longer required to pay for essential health benefits like maternity care or pediatric visits?” he continued.
“Which part of that am I not understanding?” pressed Kimmel.
But Cassidy was not the only target of Kimmel’s ire. The host had plenty of additional words for his other critics, including Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Lindsey Graham, President Donald Trump and especially “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade, who dismissed Kimmel’s speech as rumblings from the out-of-touch “Hollywood elite.”
Kimmel found Kilmeade’s comments “particularly annoying” because Kilmeade has always sucked up to Kimmel “like a little boy meeting Batman.” He had even asked Kimmel to write a blurb for his book, which he did.
“I don’t get anything out of this, Brian, you phony little creep,” said Kimmel. “Oh, I’ll pound you when I see you. That is my blurb. That will be my blurb for your next book. ‘Brian Kilmeade is a phony little creep.’ That’s right.”
Kilmeade disputed some of Kimmel’s account Thursday, saying he asked him to be a part of a sports book he wrote in 2003. He added he hoped Kimmel’s son gets better and told the host: “Continue to do a great job.”