Late-night host Jimmy Fallon says he plans to keep NBC’s The Tonight Show away from partisan politics, emphasizing a commitment to balanced humor and broad entertainment.
In a recent interview with CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, Fallon pushed back against criticism that late-night television has become a platform for political activism. He said his show has always focused on comedy that appeals to a wide audience, regardless of political affiliation.
“We hit both sides equally, and we try to make everybody laugh,” Fallon said. “That’s really the way our show works. Our monologues are kind of the same that we’ve been doing since Johnny Carson was hosting The Tonight Show.”
Fallon added that his approach is simple: “I just keep my head down and make sure the jokes are funny.”
“I have great writers,” he said. “And we’re just trying to make the best show we possibly can and entertain everybody.”
A Contrast to Other Late-Night Hosts
While Fallon hasn’t completely avoided politics — occasionally delivering jokes at the expense of public figures on both sides — he has noticeably steered clear of the overt partisan tone adopted by some of his late-night peers, including Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers. These hosts have made sharp criticism of conservatives and the Republican Party a regular feature of their programming.
Fallon, by contrast, has opted for a more traditional late-night format — with celebrity interviews, musical performances, and broader cultural commentary. This has earned him both praise and criticism.
Earlier this year, Fallon raised eyebrows — and drew backlash from some progressive viewers — after inviting Fox News host and conservative commentator Greg Gutfeld onto the show. Gutfeld, who has built a following with his own late-night for right-leaning audiences, represents a rare conservative voice in the late-night comedy space.
Fan Backlash
Fallon’s decision to maintain a politically neutral tone — and to welcome voices from both sides — hasn’t gone over well with staunch liberals.
“I’ve never liked Fallon. At all. I like him less now,” one Reddit user posted in response to the Gutfeld interview.
“Fallon has always been a ‘yes to everyone’ man. The guy’s got almost zero convictions,” another commented.
“I f***ing loathe Fallon and this is a prime example as to why,” a third wrote.
But the liberal criticism of Fallon’s neutrality is deeply ironic, given how ideological echo chambers in entertainment and media have repeatedly left progressive audiences blindsided by conservative resurgences—whether it be Trump’s re-election, GOP legislative victories, or the cultural traction of right-wing voices online. While some late-night hosts have chosen to act as Democratic surrogates, ratings data shows that this strategy has backfired: Colbert and Kimmel have seen sharp drops in viewership since going full partisan, and their networks are reportedly losing money on their shows. Meanwhile, Fallon’s attempt to maintain a traditional, broad-appeal comedic format echoes a bygone era of late-night, but may now be his competitive advantage.
Despite the criticism, Fallon’s strategy appears intentional. In an increasingly divided media landscape, where many late-night shows cater to politically aligned audiences, Fallon is betting on broader appeal.
Staying the Course
Fallon’s remarks also signal that The Tonight Show will continue leaning into its legacy as a variety and comedy program rather than a political soapbox.
“We’re just trying to make people laugh,” Fallon reiterated. “That’s what we’re here to do.”
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Fallon was a lemming, following the liberal left lesders of Kimmel and Colbert afraid to be the on,y one not bending the knee to LGBTQ+.. check his guest list over the past few years… suddenly now,,after Colbert and Kimmel got their comeupins… he says he wants to be Carson like… again he attemptimg to follow the wave of public opinion moving away from hard left… Fallon is the most talented late night host so it was particularly sad to see him bow to the liberal majority,for cheap laughs
Haarvhaahd should not get a penny of public funds … they have an endowment larger than some countries so it can easily be the bank for tuition loans. They don’t need a penny to fund any research or hire any trans speaker or to start any new ‘ shop clsss ‘ program. All of the ridiculously wealthy private schools should return to the program of funding their tuition programs… now the student get funds from taxpayer funded accounts so schools have zero financial risk of repayment so tuitions climbs yearly
He Gets IT Hooray aside Gutfeld