Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) fired back at comedian Jimmy Kimmel over the late night host’s segment highlighting Cruz’s latest book — “Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America” — and said that while he was fine with Kimmel poking fun at him, it was almost always one-sided.
Cruz addressed the topic on a recent episode of his podcast, “Verdict,” and he explained to cohost Ben Ferguson that he didn’t mind taking a few barbs from a comedian — he just wished that they were actually funny.
“Slimy Ted Cruz has a new book!” Kimmel announced via X, sharing a short clip of himself talking about it.
WATCH:
Slimy Ted Cruz has a new book! pic.twitter.com/FPfdnsekLX
— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) November 8, 2023
Kimmel went through a list of other titles he attributed to Cruz — including “Head Ooze,” “Glued Pubes: The Guide For Guys Who Can’t Grow A Beard,” and “A Partially Digested Rat” — before he delivered the punchline, his reaction to Cruz’s claim that late-night comedy had become “unwatchable” and that hosts unable to do anything but attack former President Donald Trump were “pitiful” rather than funny.
“It’s an honor to be called pitiful,” Kimmel said, to tepid laughs from his audience.
Cruz explained to Ferguson that he had initially responded to the clip by sharing it and thanking Kimmel for helping to promote the book.
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“I mean, when he did that last night, I actually tweeted his monologue out this morning and I said, ‘Hey, thanks for pitching my book. You forgot the link to where you can buy it,'” Cruz said, and added that he had also poked fun at Kimmel with a reminder of their last meeting on the basketball court.
Ever since I kicked @JimmyKimmelLive’s ass at one-on-one hoops, it seems like I’m living rent-free in his head.
Fond memories: pic.twitter.com/oUfwH1khRw
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 8, 2023
“I sent a video of me scoring on him and blocking him just to remind him of that moment that I think he probably still wakes up in tremors about, but I thought it was hysterical,” the Texas senator continued. “What he read there was an actual excerpt from the book and he put up the book cover, and I think that’s fabulous.”
“But I do wish, the substantive point that late-night humor I wish was actually funny. I love comedy. I grew up watching ‘SNL.’ I like real comedians who are funny, and they used to be funny,” Cruz continued. “And now it’s one of the many examples that I discuss at length in the book, ‘Unwoke’: How Trump broke the media, Trump broke the Democrat Party, and Trump broke late-night comedy because they just, it’s a partisan primal scream instead of good comedy that makes fun of both sides. I’m perfectly fine with making fun of me, but they never ever make fun of the Democrats. It’s purely ‘I am leftist; hear me roar.'”