Gov. Matt Bevin got roasted on Comedy Central Wednesday for his criticism of teachers protesting at Kentucky's state Capitol.
On "The Opposition with Jordan Klepper," the host — who plays a self-described "somewhat unhinged conservative talk show host" — pretended he was blasting the teachers who have been protesting in several different states for more school funding, better pay and pension protection.
"Bottom line: We value teachers exactly the right amount, which is to say, not at all," Klepper said in a segment called "Teachers Suck." "And you know who else knows that? Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a man so fearless, even his hair is scared of his face." Klepper showed a picture of Bevin's prominent forehead as the audience laughed. "I'll tell you, a large forehead is a sign of strength and virility! That's a fact!"
"Bevin saw this teachers' strike and said what we were all thinking," Klepper continued.
He then played the now-infamous clip of Bevin standing outside the Capitol on the 59th day of the legislative session, warning of the dire consequences of schools being closed because so many teachers were in Frankfort.
“I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them," Bevin told a reporter for WDRB in Louisville. "And as surely as we're having this conversation, children were harmed, some physically, some sexually, some were introduced to drugs for the first time, because they were vulnerable and left alone. It's offensive, frankly."
Klepper came back with, "I couldn't agree more, Matt, that is offensive!" After the audience laughed, he added, "The teachers' strike, that is."
"You see, Bevin knows Kentucky. He's the governor, he's been all over the state. So if he casually 'guarantees' —" Klepper made air quotes with his fingers here — "that his state harbors an army of child molesters that saw the teachers' strike, called each other up and were like, 'It's go time!', it must be true," he said.
After a few more jokes, Klepper noted that Bevin's attack sounded like it came from a list of private talking points revealed by The Guardian, a British newspaper, that was circulated among conservative politicians faced with teacher protests. Among them was the complaint that working parents and children were put at risk when schools had to close because protesting teachers weren't in the classrooms.
"These are some good talking points," Klepper said. "Sure, he added a touch of that custom Bevin spice, but he was still on message."
Klepper also had some fun with Bevin's controversial quasi-apology for those remarks as well as his convoluted explanation, during his unsuccessful 2014 U.S. Senate campaign, for why he spoke at a cockfighting rally.
"It wasn't a cockfighting event," a haughty Bevin told reporters in a clip Klepper showed. "That's where you all need to start telling the truth about what happened. This was a gathering of people talking about states' rights. I don't know what they talked about."
The camera then returned to Klepper, who said in a deadpan voice, "Cockfighting." As the audience laughed, he said, "C'mon, Bevin. There are two things you don't do at a cockfight. Apologize and have peanuts in your pocket when you're standing near the ring. I learned that the hard way."
This story was originally published April 20, 2018 12:16 PM.