Stayin’ true to himself. Jimmy Fallon revealed that he chooses not to attack President Donald Trump on The Tonight Show because “it’s just not what I do.”
The late-night talk show host spoke with Today’s Willie Geist in a clip to promote his interview that will air on Sunday, October 15, and confided that he has no plans to speak out about politics, despite his falling ratings to fellow late-night hosts that do.
“Have there been people that have come to you and said, ‘This is working for other people, maybe we should step into the anti-Trump lane and get in on it?’” Geist asks in the preview.
“It’s just not what I do. I think it would be weird for me to start doing it now. I don’t really care about politics, I gotta be honest,” the funnyman, 43, replied. “I love pop culture more than I love politics. I’m just not that brain.”
When asked if he ever feels pressure to talk about Donald Trump or “go political,” the Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA author answered, “I think the other guys are doing it very well. Colbert’s doing great — I mean, that’s what he’s good at. He’s great, he’s always into political comedy. I think when it’s organic, I’ll dip into it as well.”
“But I’ve always made jokes about the President. We’ve only had Obama but I’ve made thousands of jokes. I remember having him on the show and I was like, ‘Sorry, that’s my job, I have to do what I have to do,’” the Saturday Night Live alum laughed. “But with Trump, it’s just like, everyday is a new thing. He gives a lot of material, a lot of stuff is hard to make a joke about. It’s just too serious.”
As previously reported, Fallon was scrutinized for his September 2016 interview in which he tousled Trump’s hair. Viewers slammed Fallon for being playful and non-confrontational, as well as for joking that Trump and Vladimir Putin’s bromance nickname should be “Vlump.”
