Jimmy Fallon Drops Politics After Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

Late-night TV is back in the political blast zone, but Jimmy Fallon is not jumping in. While the Jimmy Kimmel situation has everyone on edge, Fallon says The Tonight Show is staying exactly what it has been: silly, broad, and not a political street fight.

Fallon: still not a politics guy

During a CNBC Squawk on the Street spot promoting his new reality competition series, On Brand, Fallon got asked the obvious question: how does it feel to be on an FCC-licensed network right now, with the Kimmel controversy still humming in the background?

"Our show has never really been that political, you know. We hit both sides equally, and we try to make everybody laugh, and 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. So really, I just keep my head down and make sure the jokes are funny. I have great writers… clever, smart writers. And we’re just trying to make the best show we possibly can and entertain everybody."

That tracks with how Fallon’s run has always felt: keep it light, throw jokes at both parties, and leave the cable-news churn to someone else. He did take a quick, tongue-in-cheek swing at the broader censorship conversation in a recent monologue, silently mouthing a statement while a different voice read it over him. Point made without turning the show into a war room.

Quick recap: the Kimmel mess

If you missed all of this (and I don’t blame you), here’s the short version of how it spun out and then boomeranged back in less than a week:

• Sept. 17: During a monologue at Utah Valley University, Jimmy Kimmel made remarks about Charlie Kirk that lit up national coverage and political pushback, including from U.S. President Donald Trump.
• Hours later: FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly threatened Disney, which led ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. Yes, this got weird fast.
• Fallout: Protests popped up outside Disney HQ, with free speech concerns front and center. Over 400 Hollywood artists signed a letter condemning the suspension.
• Resolution: After negotiations between Kimmel and ABC, the show returned on Sept. 23 and pulled more than six million viewers, even with several affiliates preempting the episode. Inside baseball, but notable.

Where Fallon lands

With all that swirling, Fallon is basically saying: same plan as always. Keep the monologue old-school, lean on the writers, try to make everybody laugh. In a landscape where every punchline can turn into a referendum by noon the next day, that is either smart brand discipline or strategic caution, depending on your taste. Either way, do not expect The Tonight Show to become a nightly campaign rally anytime soon.