Funnyman Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at the ‘extraordinary moment’ when Ohio Republican Markwayne Mullin offered to fight Teamster union boss Sean O’Brien during an explosive Senate Committee hearing on Tuesday.
Kimmel remarked that Chairman Bernie Sanders, 82, took on the role of ‘Grandpa Bernie’ as he slammed the gavel in an attempt to stop the pair from bickering.
Ex-MMA fighter Mullin, 46, told O’Brien, 50, to stand up as he adjusted his wedding ring and looked ready to lunge during the wild Committee on Education, Labor and Pensions hearing.
‘Grandpa Bernie is about to turn this car around, and then nobody is going to Six Flags,’ Kimmel joked while adding that the recent altercations on Capitol Hill had created ‘UFC-SPAN.’
Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin stood up and challenged a teamster boss to a fight in chaotic scenes in Congress on Tuesday
Ex-MMA fighter Mullin told Sean O’Brien to stand up as he adjusted his wedding ring and looked ready to lunge during Tuesday’s wild Committee on Education, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing
The confrontation on the Senate side was sparked by Sean O’Brien (pictured) challenging Mullin to a fight in June on Twitter, when he called him a ‘clown’ and a fraud’
Senator Bernie Sanders interrupted and demanded Mullin sit down
Kimmel spoke about the alleged confrontation between former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett.
It’s reported that McCarthy elbowed Burchett in the back following a vote.
Kimmel said it was ‘presumably as some kind of payback for voting to remove McCarthy as speaker last month.’
McCarthy has denied the report prompting Kimmel to joke that ‘[McCarthy] also denies the election so he’s probably lying.’
Kimmel went on to joke that Sanders has played peacekeeper previously, notably between Alexander Hamilton and the man who shot him dead, Aaron Burr, in 1804.
‘That isn’t the first time Bernie Sanders was forced to play the role of peacemaker. You know, when he was originally elected to the Senate, he tried to convince Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton to hug it out, and that didn’t work, either. That didn’t end well at all,’ the late night host joked.
While over on CBS, Stephen Colbert did his patented Bernie Sanders impression for laughs.
‘Zip it, Bunson Honeydew! Sit down, or I will come over there and redistribute the top 10 percent of my fist to 99 percent of your face! I will split your lip like pea soup! Don’t make me take off my mittens!,’ the former Colbert Report host quipped.
Kimmel said the antics on Capitol Hill this week could see the creation of UFC-SPAN
Ousted House Speaker has been accused of elbowing colleague Rep. Tim Burchett in a physical altercation in Congress
The confrontation on the Senate side was sparked by O’Brien challenging Mullin to a fight in June on Twitter, when he called him a ‘clown’ and a fraud.’ ‘You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy,’ O’Brien warned.
Mullin used his questioning to confront O’Brien and read some of the tweets.
‘Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth? We can be two consenting adults — we can finish it here,’ Mullin said.
‘OK, that’s fine. Perfect,’ O’Brien responded.
‘You want to do it right now,’ Mullin hit back.
‘I’d love to do it right now,’ O’Brien said.
‘Well stand your butt up then,’ Mullin retorted, and told O’Brien to stand up.
Sanders then jumped in, banged the gavel and said to Mullin: ‘You’re a United States senator, sit down.
‘This is a hearing, and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress let’s not…’
Mullin and O’Brien then cut him off and started shouting at each other again.
Tuesday’s near-brawl is not the first time the two have almost come to blows.
During a Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee hearing in March, O’Brien accused Mullin of being a ‘greedy CEO.’
The senator replied: ‘shut your mouth.’
Mullin is the freshman senator from Okalhoma. He was elected to the Senate in 2022 after serving as a House member since 2013.