Sen. Tim Scott (R., S.C.) flipped the script on Wednesday night when he took the media-induced controversy revolving around White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway kneeling on the Oval Office couch and turned it into a jab at former President Bill Clinton.
"Has anyone seen the controversy around Kellyanne Conway and a couch in the Oval Office?" Scott asked at the Washington Press Club Congressional dinner.
"Come on, people. You remember the '90s. That couch has had a whole lot of worse things. Come on now," he said.
Scott's joke was referring to the infamous scandal where Clinton started having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office.
Conway defended the picture by saying that she was taking pictures of President Trump and chancellors from the nation's historically black colleges and universities. She told Fox Business host Lou Dobbs on Tuesday, "I certainly meant no disrespect, I didn’t mean to have my feet on the couch."
Thanks @OMAROSA. Happy to snap/send pics. Kellyanne Conway has ‘incredible respect’ for the Oval Office, WH says. https://t.co/YF3w8uS35a
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 28, 2017
Scott told jokes for about 15 minutes on various issues ranging from the Black Congressional Caucus to fake news.
"Greta, now that you're with MSNBC, maybe you can clear something up for me. Every time anyone in the media reports fake news, does Brian Williams get a royalty?" Scott joked.
"Why would I want to join a black group run by a white dude? In the South, we call that a plantation! I’m just saying," Scott said.
"People say Washington is the Hollywood for nerds; actually they’re very different," he said. "One is the place that produces fantasy and fiction with jealousy over who gets the best roles, enormous egos, and a lot of backstabbing. And the other is where they make movies."
Following Scott's stand-up act, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D., La.) went too far when he told a crude joke about the viral photo of Conway kneeling on the couch, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
"You even mentioned Kellyanne and that picture on that sofa," Richmond said during his speech to Scott. "I really want to know what was going on there because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there, but don't answer."
Richmond's joke received backlash from the media on Twitter:
Congressman Richmond's "joke" was sexist and inappropriate and his denial of what he was suggesting is insulting. https://t.co/zHEmWGJry2
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 2, 2017
I'm a Dem. I've been super critical of @KellyannePolls.
But this "joke" by @cedricrichmond is beyond offensive.https://t.co/zq4MBWCrmh
— Mo Elleithee (@MoElleithee) March 2, 2017
Absolutely vile statement from Cedric Richmond on @KellyannePolls. really disturbing https://t.co/cmbNcY60he
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) March 2, 2017