First SNL did it. Now Jimmy Fallon pokes fun at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
First “Saturday Night Live” did it, and now Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” did the very same thing — poke fun at new Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
The Senate confirmed DeVos on Feb. 7 after Mike Pence became the first vice president in history to break a tie for a Cabinet nominee, a 50-50 vote among senators, reflecting how polarizing she has become. While her supporters see her as a champion of school choice, her critics believe she is not qualified for her job and wants to privatize the public education system.
On the show’s Thursday episode, Fallon “interviewed” the secretary, played by comedian Jo Firestone, for a skit that attempted to show DeVos as clueless about nearly everything, including how to stand in front of a camera. By midday Friday, more than 12 million people had viewed the bit on YouTube.
Firestone as DeVos says: “I’m very exited to be your new secretary of edu-cakeboss.”
“Saturday Night Live’s” jab at DeVos came on last week’s program, during a mock news conference by White House press secretary Sean Spicer, played by Melissa McCarthy. Kate McKinnon, who has played Hillary Clinton and Kellyanne Conway, portrayed DeVos as being totally ill-informed after she was asked a question about measuring student achievement:
Well yes, I don’t know anything about school, but I do think there should be a school, probably Jesus school, and I do think it should have walls and roof and guns for potential grizzlies.
This portrayal of DeVos stems from her inability to speak knowledgeably about important First SNL did it. Now Jimmy Fallon pokes fun at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. - The Washington Post: