Twitter is a great platform for anonymously slinging insults, especially at the rich, famous, and powerful. So it’s hardly a wonder that members of the perpetually unpopular Congress find themselves at the blunt end of 140-character jabs.
But the barbs can turn to comedy gold when the recipients of insulting tweets read them aloud. Inspired by the recurring Jimmy Kimmel Live gag “Mean Tweets,” the crew from Now This News got several members of Congress to read some of the nastiest things ever tweeted about them.
Some of the readings are quite good, such as Senator Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, reciting a tweet that compares him to an “old pair of shoes,” or Representative Sean Duffy, Wisconsin Republican, responding to one that compares his stints on The Real World and in Congress to a hygiene product. The best, though, is Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, fearlessly reading back a tweet compelling her to “suck a pig’s ass.”
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Watch Members of Congress Read Insulting Tweets About Themselves (Video)
Insult comedy comes to Capitol Hill.
Twitter is a great platform for anonymously slinging insults, especially at the rich, famous, and powerful. So it’s hardly a wonder that members of the perpetually unpopular Congress find themselves at the blunt end of 140-character jabs.
But the barbs can turn to comedy gold when the recipients of insulting tweets read them aloud. Inspired by the recurring Jimmy Kimmel Live gag “Mean Tweets,” the crew from Now This News got several members of Congress to read some of the nastiest things ever tweeted about them.
Some of the readings are quite good, such as Senator Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, reciting a tweet that compares him to an “old pair of shoes,” or Representative Sean Duffy, Wisconsin Republican, responding to one that compares his stints on The Real World and in Congress to a hygiene product. The best, though, is Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, fearlessly reading back a tweet compelling her to “suck a pig’s ass.”
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Everything You Need to Know About the New First and Second Families
How to Watch Trump Leave Town
The Internet Is Freaking Out Over Bernie Sanders Social Distancing in His Mittens
Conspiracy Theorists Target Comet Ping Pong on Trump’s Last Night in Office
Your Guide to Joe Biden’s Inauguration Celebration
Washingtonian Magazine
January 2021: Joe Town!
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
These Are the Most Influential Operatives on the Biden Campaign
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
Susan Glasser and Peter Baker Talk About Their New Book on James A. Baker III
More from News & Politics
Why Were Last Night’s Inauguration Fireworks So Amazing?
Biden Removes Trump’s Diet Coke Button—and Makes a Few Other Changes to the Oval Office
Now That the Inauguration Is Over, DC Is Slowly Returning to a New Normal
PHOTOS: Scenes From Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s Inauguration
Governor Hogan Wants Maryland Schools Reopened by March 1
Four Major DC Sports Teams Are Dogged With COVID Issues
There Are Now 117 Federal Cases Against Participants in the Capitol Siege. They’re Mostly Middle-Aged Guys.
Donald Trump’s Latest Financial Disclosure Shows a Huge Revenue Drop at His DC Hotel