Rick Perry, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump‘s pick to run the Energy Department, offered unintentional comic relief during his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.
Perry, the former governor of Texas, brought laughter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in his response to Democratic senator Al Franken.
“Governor, thank you so much for coming into my office. Did you enjoy meeting me?” asked Franken after several hours of testimony in which Perry made frequent comments about meeting privately with members of the committee.
“I hope you’re as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch,” replied Perry, bringing the committee and members of public and press to laughter.
“Well, I think we found our Saturday Night Live soundbites,” Perry added, prompting a smile from Franken.
After several minutes of serious exchange on climate change, Franken then offered another moment with a self-deprecating remark before yielding his time.
Franken is a former writer and performer on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, but now a senator from Minnesota.