The liberal and often inappropriate Triumph the Insult Comic Dog joined MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell to close out Tuesday’s Last Word and along with going after Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, and Donald Trump, Triumph took a few witty shots at former MSNBC (and soon to be Russia Today) host Ed Schultz and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
When O’Donnell asked about how viewers were able to see the puppet dog’s breath blowing in the wind in New Hampshire (where he was speaking from), Triumph made this quip that had even O’Donnell and his off-camera crew laughing: “I know. Pretty impressive for MSNBC. See — see your budget really skyrocketed once all that Ed Shultz money freed up.”
Not surprisingly, O’Donnell couldn’t mutter a full sentence, so Triumph dropped this zinger on Wasserman Schultz: “I'm just saying I'm actually using the same humidifier that Debbie Wasserman Shultz uses for her hair. Beautiful hair. Let's go, come on.”
Returning to how Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was in New Hampshire to follow Republican candidate Ted Cruz around (to basically be a troll), the puppet explained that he has been allowed “to go inside the Ted Cruz events, but I'm not to talk to Senator Cruz” even though he has “a media pass like a legitimate press person.”
Triumph then joked to O’Donnell that he’s part of “what legitimate press is like, you know, before MSNBC” to ask questions of Cruz about he and his wife’s connections to Goldman Sachs.
O’Donnell inquired about what it was like to briefly make eye contact with Cruz and Triumph responded that he “had fear in eyes” as Cruz dealt “a very scary glare.”
Turning to the endorsement news surrounding Donald Trump, Triumph went back to cracking jokes with this one about John Wayne’s daughter endorsing Trump: “John Wayne's daughter endorsed Trump and Cruz, I understand, got the endorsement of the daughter of John Wayne Gacy.”
As for Sarah Palin backing Trump, however, Triumph shot back that:
You know, no one really gives a crap except the media about her. Do they? At this point — I know she likes Trump. She's, you know, news nip. Now, I guess she likes — you know why she voted for — she’s choosing Trump because he's against background checks and so is she because if John McCain had conducted one, she never would have been on the ticket.
Before O’Donnell closed out the show, the irreverent puppet responded to a question from the MSNBC host about how he’d feel if he attended a Trump rally:
Oh, you know, I think it's really been misrepresented. There's quite a diverse group of individuals who show up at Donald Trump's events and get the crap beaten out of them. People of all races and creeds get around and dejected.
The relevant portion of the transcript from MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell on January 19 can be found below.
MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
January 19, 2016
10:56 p.m. EasternLAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Joining us now from New Hampshire, live from New Hampshire from the campaign trail, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Triumph, thank you very much for joining us tonight.
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: Thank you. You should be thanking me. I'm freezing whatever is left of my nuts out here.
O’DONNELL: I'm worried about you up there. It's very cold up there, isn't it?
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: It is. Look at this effect. I've got smoke coming out of my mouth like a real dog.
O’DONNELL: I have never seen that before, Triumph. That's really cold.
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: I know. Pretty impressive for MSNBC. See — see your budget really skyrocketed once all that Ed Shultz money freed up.
O’DONNELL: Triumph — go ahead. I don't want to interrupt.
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: No, no. I'm just saying I'm actually using the same humidifier that Debbie Wasserman Shultz uses for her hair. Beautiful hair. Let's go, come on.
O’DONNELL: So — you're getting in from the cold at least when you go to these campaign events? Do they let you inside?
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: Yes, I'm able to go inside the Ted Cruz events, but I'm not to talk to Senator Cruz. You know, I was there with a media pass like a legitimate press person. You know what legitimate press is like, you know, before MSNBC. No, seriously, I went and all I had was questions. Simple questions the world needs to hear for Ted Cruz. Questions like, you know, Ted, now that — do — your wife works for Goldman Sachs, Ted. We all want to punish Wall Street, but isn't sharing a bed with you a little extreme? That’s — you know, simple questions like that.
O’DONNELL: That’s —
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: And you're against — sorry?
O’DONNELL: What did it feel like when Ted Cruz spotted you in the audience today, did you think you were going to get your moment?
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: No, no. I had fear in my eyes. That's a very scary glare, that Ted Cruz glare. John Wayne's daughter endorsed Trump and Cruz, I understand, got the endorsement of the daughter of John Wayne Gacy.
O’DONNELL: Now, what about the big endorsement? Sarah Palin endorsing Donald Trump today?
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: You know, no one really gives a crap except the media about her. Do they? At this point — I know she likes Trump.
O’DONNELL: We — we spent 15 minutes on it here.
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: Exactly. She's, you know, news nip. Now, I guess she likes — you know why she voted for — she’s choosing Trump because he's against background checks and so is she because if John McCain had conducted one, she never would have been on the ticket.
O’DONNELL: Now, do you think you have a chance of getting a question in with Donald Trump? Or are you afraid of his crowds? That his crowds would turn on you?
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG: Oh, you know, I think it's really been misrepresented. There's quite a diverse group of individuals who show up at Donald Trump's events and get the crap beaten out of them. People of all races and creeds get around and dejected.
