'Grab 'em by the throat!' Fox comics joke about physically beating Dem Senate hopeful

Comics on Fox News’ late-night comedy show erupted in laughter Saturday night after joking about physically beating Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Host Jimmy Failla introduced a segment he dubbed “Top Shelf or Top Rope,” a game in which he would name an individual and ask guests whether they wanted to “buy this person some top-shelf liquor” or “throw them off the top rope and beat the s--- out of them.”

The person named by Failla first was El-Sayed, eliciting boos from the audience. Recent polls have shown El-Sayed narrowly leading against his GOP opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers.

Robert Rudolph Remus, a retired professional wrestler better known as “Sgt. Slaughter,” didn’t mince words with his response.

“Over the top rope!” Remus said. “But that’s after I grab ’em by the throat and swing ’em around a few times!”

The audience responded to Remus with applause, and Failla moved to ask comedian Tom Shillue if he agreed.

“Yes, I would — I don’t think I could get him over the top rope, but maybe I could hit him with some top-shelf alcohol!” Shillue said of El-Sayed, his response eliciting laughter.

El-Sayed has been a frequent target of Republican figures, including President Donald Trump, who highlighted El-Sayed’s wife with an online post to unfavorably contrast her with First Lady Melania Trump. El-Sayed clapped back at Trump by taking a dig at the president’s “supposed digestive incidents behind the Resolute Desk,” as described by Zeteo’s Martin Pengelly.