Doug Jones tells Seth Meyers about how he won in Alabama, Roy Moore, sexual misconduct, and Jimmy Buffett

(Image credit: Screenshot/Late Night)

published 22 December 2017

Since winning Alabama's special Senate election, Doug Jones has been living his best life, texting with Charles Barkley and being feted by fellow Alabamian Jimmy Buffett while celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary on Key West, he told Seth Meyers on Thursday's Late Night. He said that assuming his win is certified next week — opponent Roy Moore hasn't conceded — he hopes to be able to work with President Trump and Republicans on issues they agree on, like the CHIP children's health program, but "they've got to want to work with you as well."

Jones said he won be being true to himself on liberal social issues but also because he hit "kitchen table issues" like education and especially health care, an issue he said was probably as important to his victory as Moore's extremist views and alleged sexual misconduct. Meyers said the world was certainly watching the election and asked if Moore's antics were "as hard to believe at times as it was for people who were maybe new to this?" "No, it was hard to believe all the time," Jones quipped. "It was surreal to watch some of that."

Meyers also asked about comments Jones made to CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday where he said Democrats "need to move on and not get distracted" by the sexual assault allegations against Trump. "I wasn't really talking about moving on from those allegations," Jones told Meyers. America has "reached a tipping point, a kind of a crossroads" on sexual misconduct, he said, and "women's empowerment issues" were at the forefront of his campaign. "I think the people of Alabama voted for me to put me up there to try to talk about health care and those issues," Jones added. "But that doesn't by any stretch mean that I don't think that those issues and those women who have made those allegations aren't important." Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.