“Jimmy Kimmel Live” improved Sessions’ dull testimony by making it the soundtrack to a Bugs-and-Daffy exchange in an old “Looney Tunes” cartoon to produce “testimony the whole family can enjoy.”

Sessions’ remarks about “secret innuendo” regarding his actions — and his declaration that, although he recused himself from any investigation into the presidential campaign, he would not recuse himself from “defending my honor against scurrilous and false allegations” — brought forth a variety of portrayals of offended Southerness, in an appropriate accent.

“I say, ‘Pistols at dawn, sir! Pistols at dawn!’ ” said Colbert, adding, “which is not a great idea because the committee chairman is named Burr.” (That would be Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina.)

“Oh, well, I do declare,” said Noah, “Jefferson Beauregard defending his honor.” He called Sessions’ defense of his self-defense “a slick line” and imagined that it was something he said regularly: “I recuse myself from this investigation, but I will not recuse myself from these nachos. Wait, $5 for guacamole? I recuse myself.”

“There’s nothing more Southern than scurrilous innuendo,” said Meyers, offering an example: “His sister never got married. She prefers to tend to her pussy willow.”