Comedian and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel mocked Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s new book during a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Kimmel shared a clip of his bit to his X account and referred to the Texas senator as “slimy.”
“Ted Cruz has a new book, it’s called Unwoke,” Kimmel said during the taping before he mocked Cruz’s weight.
Kimmel also mocked Cruz’s other book releases, including his debut 2015 book A Time For Truth: Reigniting The Miracle of America.
The late-night talk show host joked and listed off fake titles of books written by the Texas senator as he poked fun at Cruz’s hair, beard, and face.
Fake book titles included “Head Ooze,” “Glued Pubes: The Guide For Guys Who Can’t Grow A Beard,” and “A Partially Digested Rat And Other Things I Found In My Chin Pouch.”
Kimmel also mocked a quote from Unwoke in which the Texas senator says the 1987 comedy The Princess Bride was his favorite movie and said he had watched it “hundreds” of times.
“No one’s seen anything hundreds of times,” Kimmel asserted. “And apparently he’s not a fan of late-night television.”
Kimmel shared an excerpt on late-night TV from Cruz’s new book.
“Late-night TV is virtually unwatchable,” Cruz writes in Unwoke. “I love comedy, but watching angry leftists scream about how much they hate Donald Trump isn’t remotely funny. It’s pitiful.”
The talk show host said it was an “honor” to be called pitiful before joking about Cruz having hooves for hands.
Slimy Ted Cruz has a new book! pic.twitter.com/FPfdnsekLX
— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) November 8, 2023
In a response to Kimmel’s X post, the Texas senator said he lived “rent-free” in the talk show host’s head ever since he “kicked Jimmy Kimmel’s a– at one-on-one hoops.”
Cruz also shared a 2018 video of the two playing basketball.
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
Cruz responded to the talk show host’s comments during a Thursday episode of his podcast Verdict With Ted Cruz and said he appreciated Kimmel’s promotion of the book.
“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.”
Cruz doubled down on his stance on late-night comedy.
“I love comedy. I grew up watching ‘SNL.’ I like real comedians who are funny, and they used to be funny,” he said. “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,” Cruz added, “It’s purely ‘I am leftist; hear me roar.’”
