Jimmy Kimmel under fire for mocking DHS chief’s past as a plumber — critics call it ‘tasteless’ to insult blue-collar work. But here’s the big truth

“He [Mullin] is the now-former senator of Oklahoma. Before he was elected to the Senate, Markwayne Mullin was a low-level MMA fighter and a plumber. That's right. We have a plumber protecting us from terrorism now,” Kimmel joked, drawing laughter and applause from the audience. “It worked for Super Mario. Why not Markwayne?”

Mullin’s background in plumbing, however, is more than just a punchline.

At just 20 years old, after his father fell ill, Mullin and his wife put their studies on hold to take over the family business, Mullin Plumbing. Over the next 25 years, they grew it into the largest service company in the region, according to his official Department of Homeland Security bio (2).

But Kimmel didn’t stop there, continuing the bit by suggesting a way for President Trump to “have more fun” with the pick.

“Honestly, if Trump is going to keep picking these unqualified people to run the department, why not have more fun with it?” said Kimmel. “I mean, next time instead of Markwayne, how about Lil Wayne for Homeland Security? At least we can get a concert out of it, right?"

The audience erupted in laughter again, but outside the studio, the reaction was far less amused. Sen. Cynthia Lummis didn’t mince words, calling it “shameful” for Hollywood figures to show disdain toward working-class Americans.

“The disdain for which the Democrats and Hollywood elites have for working class Americans — and folks who step up to do important jobs for their country — is shameful,” Lummis wrote on X (3).

Sen. Ted Cruz struck a lighter but pointed tone, saying (4): “I prefer plumbers to woke and unfunny comedians.”

Rep. Mike Collins echoed the sentiment, arguing that blue-collar workers remain the backbone of the country.

“The elites too often look down their noses at blue collar, middle America,” he posted on X (5). “They try to demean a man by calling him a plumber. As if plumbing is something to be ashamed of or is somehow a lesser profession than a court jester turning tricks on late night commentary (comedy is dead).

Independent journalist Dom Lucre added (6): “Many Americans feel it was tasteless to insult a job so relatable.”

The blunt reality is that blue-collar work remains a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, yet it’s often overlooked. According to Pew Research Center, blue-collar jobs make up about 27% of the nation’s workforce (6).

Industries like construction, plumbing, transportation and manufacturing employ tens of millions of Americans and form the backbone of the country’s infrastructure — from building homes and roads to maintaining essential services.

In many cases, skilled trades don’t just keep the country running — they can also provide strong, stable incomes, often without the burden of hefty student debt.

But whether you’re working with your hands or behind a desk, one thing remains true: income alone doesn’t build wealth. What matters is how you put that money to work.

How a Vermont Janitor built an $8 million fortune

Being a janitor isn’t typically seen as a lucrative job. That’s why it stunned many people when Ronald Read, a retired gas station attendant and janitor in Vermont, passed away in 2015 and left behind an estate worth roughly $8 million.

How did he do it? Through a combination of frugality and long-term investing.

Read was known for living well below his means. Friends recalled him driving a used car and using safety pins to hold together his worn-out coat. As one neighbor put it, “I’m sure if he earned $50 in a week, he probably invested $40 of it.”

After he passed away, The Wall Street Journal analyzed Read’s portfolio and found that many of his holdings were in blue-chip companies he had owned for years — in some cases, decades — allowing his investments to compound significantly over time.

It’s a strategy long championed by investing legend Warren Buffett: buying high-quality companies and holding them for the long haul. And importantly, you don’t necessarily need to pick individual winners to build wealth this way.

“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett famously stated (7). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.

The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.

With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

For investors interested in individual stocks, platforms like Moby aim to simplify the process. Their team of former hedge fund analysts does the heavy lifting — breaking down the market, flagging quality stocks and making the research easy to digest.

In fact, across nearly 400 stock picks over the past four years, Moby’s recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by almost 12% on average. Their research keeps you up to the minute on market shifts and takes the guesswork out of choosing investments.

Plus, Moby’s reports are easy to understand for beginners, so you can become a smarter investor in just five minutes.

Build wealth like America’s elite

Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America; it’s an asset class embraced by everyone from Hollywood celebrities to Washington politicians.

Kimmel himself owns an extensive portfolio of high-end properties — from beachfront homes to a hillside compound, and even a lodge for fly-fishing enthusiasts, according to Architectural Digest (8).

And he’s far from alone.

A 2021 Business Insider analysis found that 238 federal lawmakers — including 44 senators and 194 members of the House — were also landlords (9). A separate report from the nonprofit OpenSecrets suggested that members of Congress have invested more cash in real estate than any other industry (10).

Like stocks, real estate can be a long-term wealth-building asset, but it offers a key advantage: the potential for steady rental income. Rather than relying solely on price appreciation, high-quality properties can generate cash flow even in less favorable market conditions. Real estate has also historically been viewed as a hedge against inflation, as rents and property values often rise alongside the cost of living.