People Are Raking Jimmy Fallon Over The Coals For Going Easy On Donald Trump

Jimmy Fallon, the vanilla ice cream of late night talk show hosts, has come under fire for a softball interview with presidential hopeful Donald Trump. The Republican nominee was Fallon’s first guests on Thursday night’s episode of The Tonight Show, but anyone hoping the comedian might have prepared anything resembling a difficult question would have been sorely disappointed.

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Instead, Fallon played things infuriatingly safe, asking Trump about his hobbies, his childhood home and his eating habits on the campaign trail – as opposed to, say, his pledge to ban Muslims from entering the United States or his suggestion that gun nuts might want to assassinate his political opponent.

Towards the end of the interview, Fallon also got Trump’s permission to mess up his infamous hair, which he proceeded to do while grinning like a 12-year-old child.

Fallon has never been a particularly confrontational interviewer, so the way he handed Trump is hardly a surprise. Even so, the whole thing played as disappointingly tame, with many viewers criticising Fallon for giving the divisive candidate a free pass.

I don't fault Jimmy Fallon for not being a journalist. I do fault him for his willingness to serve as hell's court jester.

— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) September 16, 2016

I can't make any jokes about Jimmy Fallon. The way he showcased Trump like a lovable old grandpa was sickening.

— Matt Zoller Seitz (@mattzollerseitz) September 16, 2016

Jimmy Fallon: "So Mr. Manson, how difficult is it juggling family and work?"

— Nick Ross (@NickBossRoss) September 16, 2016

Racist.
Sexist.
Xenophobe.
Climate change denier.
Gives tax breaks to the rich.
But did you see how he let Jimmy Fallon tousle his hair?

— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) September 16, 2016

Larry Wilmore was canceled pic.twitter.com/rJ8LVobK6t

— Michael Tritter (@tritter) September 16, 2016