In a contrast of how two network late night comedy hosts addressed the Hillary Clinton email scandal on Monday, CBS’s David Letterman whined about the attention and effort being devoted and given to the scandal while NBC’s Jimmy Fallon took to mocking Clinton’s long-winded, confusing responses during her press conference as to why she used just one account and one phone.
Taking numerous long pauses, Letterman squinted, threw his hands up, and lamented that “I don’t get it” and admitted to not knowing what to think about it beyond it being that Clinton “shouldn’t have done” what she did.
Letterman continued to express discomfort with talking about the scandal by playing up the pressure “they” (meaning the media and/or Republicans) have applied to the Clintons and voters:
[I]t's just fatiguing and I think that's – that’s what they want. They just want to wear you out on something [APPLAUSE] and, congratulations, it's working. Here's what I know – she is in trouble because she got rid of one device. You should have had two.
The Late Show host ended the subject by finally making a crude joke in reference to Bruce Jenner: “She got rid of one device because it was inconvenient. It’s the same kind of thing that Bruce Jenner is doing.”
Meanwhile, Fallon teased a series of clips from Clinton’s press conference on March 10 by sarcastically suggesting that “[i]f you listen to Hillary explain it, it all seems to make sense.”
Following a series of short clips of Clinton explaining why she only used “one device” (and e-mail address) for her personal and work matters, the screen returned to Fallon’s face buried in his hands before mocking the former Secretary of State’s excuses:
Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks so much. Yeah, you cleared that up. [IN HILLARY CLINTON VOICE] “See because if you have one device and the second device breaks, then you use the second device as the first device, which is perfectly – everyone does that. So if the second device isn't the first one, then you never know which device is the – if you pick up the wrong device – Then your stuck using the device. [APPLAUSE]
To cap it all off, Fallon linked Clinton’s poor performance at her press conference to the arrest of New York real estate heir and HBO mini-series subject Robert Durst after he appeared to confess to committing murder on a hot mic: “Even Robert Durst is like, “stop talking.” Yeah, you know, it’s very interesting.”
Just before mentioning the e-mail scandal, Fallon had some fun with the size of the Clinton family in reference to news that Scott Walker’s two sons will take time away from college to assist their father his possible Republican presidential campaign:
Some more political news. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced that both of his sons are skipping college this fall to help with his campaign. Yep. Hillary was like, “I wish I had two college aged sons to help with my campaign” And Bill was like – [IN BILL CLINTON VOICE] “I have something to tell you.” [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE] “You should sit down.” [Gives a thumbs-up]
The relevant transcript from CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman on March 16 can be found below.
CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman
March 16, 2015
11:42 p.m. Eastern
DAVID LETTERMAN: This Hillary Clinton thing – [LAUGHTER] I, um – [LAUGHTER] do you – I don't even get it. I – you know, e-mails, and she – I don't know. She shouldn't have done it, she should have – it's just fatiguing and I think that's – that’s what they want. They just want to wear you out on something [APPLAUSE] and, congratulations, it's working. Here's what I know – she is in trouble because she got rid of one device. You should have had two.
PAUL SHAFFER: Oh.
LETTERMAN: She got rid of one device because it was inconvenient. It’s the same kind of thing that Bruce Jenner is doing.
SHAFFER: Hmm! [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
LETTERMAN: It’s the same, exact thing — High-quality stuff, right? [LAUGHTER]
The relevant portion of the transcript from NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon March 16 is transcribed below.
NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
March 16, 2015
11:37 p.m. Eastern
JIMMY FALLON: Some more political news. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced that both of his sons are skipping college this fall to help with his campaign. Yep. Hillary was like, “I wish I had two college aged sons to help with my campaign” And Bill was like – [IN BILL CLINTON VOICE] “I have something to tell you.” [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE] “You should sit down.” [Gives a thumbs-up] Of course Hillary's dealing with this e-mail scandal and a lot of Republicans are saying it could derail her chances for 2016. I don't know. If you listen to Hillary explain it, it all seems to make sense. Listen.
HILLARY CLINTON: I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal e-mails instead of two. I wanted to just use one device for both personal and work e-mails instead of two. Even if I'd had two devices, which is obviously permitted, many people do that, one device, two devices, three devices. Now looking back, think that it might have been smarter to have those two devices from the very beginning.
FALLON: [Face buried in hands] Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks so much. Yeah, you cleared that up. [IN HILLARY CLINTON VOICE] “See because if you have one device and the second device breaks, then you use the second device as the first device, which is perfectly – everyone does that. So if the second device isn't the first one, then you never know which device is the – if you pick up the wrong device – Then your stuck using the device. [APPLAUSE] Even Robert Durst is like, “stop talking.” Yeah, you know, it’s very interesting. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
