Jimmy Fallon Play It Safe, Avoid Politics After Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

Jimmy Fallon is steering clear of political landmines on The Tonight Show following Jimmy Kimmel‘s temporary removal from the airwaves after remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, Fallon made it clear he has no plans to shift gears into political commentary.

“Our show has never really been that political, you know,” Fallon said. “We hit both sides equally, and we try to make everybody laugh, and that’s really the way our show works.”

Kimmel’s show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was pulled by ABC on September 17 after his controversial comments about President Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk drew scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission. He returned to the air six days later. Fallon, meanwhile, used his own monologue on September 18 to poke fun at the confusion surrounding the situation.

“Well guys, the big story is that Jimmy Kimmel was suspended by ABC after pressure from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), leaving everyone thinking WTF? What’s going on?” Fallon said. “This morning I woke up to 100 text messages from my dad saying, ‘I’m sorry they cancelled your show.’ And I go, ‘That’s not me!’ That’s Jimmy Kimmel!’”

Fallon also praised Kimmel directly, calling him “a decent, funny and loving guy,” and added, “And I hope he comes back.”

While Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension stirred debate around free speech and network boundaries, Fallon is doubling down on his long-standing approach—keeping things light and steering clear of controversy.

“Our monologues are kind of the same that we’ve been doing since Johnny Carson was hosting The Tonight Show,” Fallon said. “So really, I just keep my head down and make sure the jokes are funny.”

He credited his writing staff for helping maintain that tone. “We’re just trying to make the best show we possibly can and entertain everybody,” he said. “We have a lot of clever, smart writers.”