Kimmel jokes Pence is behind anonymous op-ed bashing Trump

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday joked that Vice President Pence might be the author of an anonymous New York Times op-ed that has roiled the White House.

Kimmel noted that the op-ed uses the word “lodestar.”

“That’s not a common word, lodestar. Not a lot of people use that word,” he said. “But you know who does use that word? This guy.”

Kimmel then showed a mashup video of Pence using the term “lodestar” on several occasions. The video circulated on Twitter on Wednesday after the op-ed was published. 

“lodestar” (h/t @danbl00m) pic.twitter.com/SqKFlBTR0f

— David Mack (@davidmackau) September 5, 2018

Kimmel called the op-ed “a scorching editorial.”

“Wouldn’t that be something if it’s Mike Pence?” Kimmel said. “This is going to drive Trump absolutely nuts.”

The op-ed, published Wednesday afternoon, described coordinated efforts among Trump administration staff to work against the president.

The Times described the author as “a senior official in the Trump administration whose identity is known to us and whose job would be jeopardized by its disclosure.”

The official criticized Trump for his “amorality” and wrote that while staffers “want the administration to succeed,” they have had to work against Trump’s “misguided impulses” and parts of his agenda.