Jimmy Kimmel tonight tangled with President Donald Trump, as well the co-authors of the latest GOP Obamacare kill bill who, the Washington Post writes, do not understand their own bill’s impact as well as the late-night host.
Again tonight, Kimmel explained he found himself in the middle of this battle after his son, Billy, had open heart surgery at age 3 days, when Sen. bill Cassidy guested on his show to make assurances to Kimmel’s audience that he failed to keep.
“The reason I had him on the show in the first place is because he started telling people that any plan he supported would have to pass what he called the Jimmy Kimmel Test,” Kimmel reminded all those now bashing him for having waded into the debate.
After guesting on JKL, Cassidy co-authored the bill, with Sen. Lindsey Graham, that “most definitely does not pass that test,” Kimmel said. Once again the late-night host took the time cable news networks can’t seem to spare, to point out the bill: doesn’t protect people from having their insurance rates jacked up for having a pre-existing condition, doesn’t prevent insurance companies from putting lifetime caps on on how much they will spend on a person with medical issues, and cuts hundreds of billions of dollars in health care funding.
After Kimmel’s previous two monologues savaging the bill made national news, President Donald Trump got involved last night, via Twitter:
“Those are the key words: Repeal and Replace,” Kimmel warned viewers.
“For Donald Trump, this isn’t about the Graham-Cassidy bill. It’s about getting rid of Obamacare, which he hates, primarily because Obama’s name is on it….At this point he would sign anything if it meant getting rid of Obamacare. He’d sign copies of the Koran at the Barnes and Noble in Fallujah, if it meant he could get rid of Obamacare.”
And, after Kimmel accurately accused Cassidy of not telling the truth, Trump again took to Twitter:
Kimmel tweeted back to Trump: “That’s great news Mr. President! Does that mean he’ll vote against the horrible bill he wrote?” Tonight Kimmel reported he still is waiting for a response.
Meanwhile, Kimmel told viewers, “I guarantee [Trump] doesn’t know anything about this Graham-Cassidy bill He doesn’t know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid. He barely knows the difference between Melania and Ivanka.”
Hours earlier on Thursday, Cassidy, went on Fox News and again said Kimmel does not understand what he is talking about this time saying it’s because they have not spoken in a year. That’s curious because Cassidy was on Kimmel’s show four months ago. And, here’s probably a good place to note Washington Post has concluded, after combing through the bill, that Kimmel “understands the bill’s impact better than do its authors.“
And, to those people who still say Kimmel is not qualified to talk about this subject, Kimmel said tonight, they “forget Bill Cassidy named his test after me!”
“I see these comments from these angry people, that say ‘What qualifies you to talk about this stuff, you’re a comedian – go back to being not funny,'” Kimmel said. “I feel like it’s my duty to remind these people who are so concerned about my qualifications: The guy you voted for President – his job qualification? Was this: He fired Meatloaf. And you put him in the White House.”
“So, I’m going to say it again, it is more important than ever: Call your senators and tell them not to gut American health care, not to turn their backs on people with pre-existing conditions. Call him or her, encourage your friends and family to call too, and let me know how it goes.”
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