Jimmy Fallon Admitted He Regrets The Trump Hair-Ruffling Incident

    "I don't support his politics but I don't make that part of my show. It's The Tonight Show. It should be for everybody."

    In the run-up to the US presidential election in 2016, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon caused controversy for giving Republican nominee Donald Trump a softball interview, which included ruffling his hair.

    Many people commented on Twitter that he was normalising Trump's extreme political views.

    The event cast a shadow over Fallon. When he hosted the Golden Globe Awards the following January after Trump won the presidency, Fallon opened his monologue with this joke.

    This also created immediate backlash.

    "This is the #GoldenGlobes, one of the only places where America still honors the popular vote," says the the man who tousled Trump's hair

    Later that summer, Fallon addressed the controversy the hair-ruffling incident had caused during an interview with the New York Times.

    If there’s one bad thing on Twitter about me, it will make me upset. So, after this happened, I was devastated.

    I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just trying to have fun.

    Now in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, which is available as a podcast, Fallon said of the incident: "It's all in the fun of the show. I made a mistake. I'm sorry if I made anybody mad. And, looking back, I would do it differently."

    He also described the significant amount of criticism that he and his show received after the incident.

    On the relentless criticism he faced after his Trump interview: "You go, 'Alright, we get it—I heard you. You made me feel bad. So now what? Are you happy? I'm depressed. Do you want to push me more? What do you want me to do? You want me to kill myself?'" https://t.co/zTckQDGtir

    However, he defended the softball approach of the interview, adding that the show has always been this way and that he had Hillary Clinton on the very next night.

    I did not do it to normalize him, or to say I believed in his political beliefs or any of that stuff. I don't do that with any guest. Anyone. Whoever is on the show on tonight, I do not know who they believe in or what they believe in.

    I don't support his politics but I don't make that part of my show. It's The Tonight Show. It should be for everybody.

    The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, a rival of The Tonight Show, has surged ahead in ratings in the last 18 months, with many speculating that it is because of Colbert's consistent anti-Trump political commentary.

    Fallon's remarks with the Hollywood Reporter were then picked up by Trump, who tweeted that Jimmy should "be a man."

    .@jimmyfallon is now whimpering to all that he did the famous “hair show” with me (where he seriously messed up my hair), & that he would have now done it differently because it is said to have “humanized” me-he is taking heat. He called & said “monster ratings.” Be a man Jimmy!

    In response, Fallon said that he would be making a donation to RAICES, a nonprofit that provides immigration legal advice and support.

    In honor of the President’s tweet I’ll be making a donation to RAICES in his name.

    The charity responded by thanking Jimmy.

    It’s hard to #resist supporting reuniting families. Thanks, Jimmy! This is a tremendous honor. A hugely winning choice! #nohumanisillegal https://t.co/ZTmFjbr5GJ

    And while other people have praised Fallon's contribution and openness about the event...

    a perfect example of love > hate https://t.co/xMVRri06JZ

    ...other people say that Trump's comments have been a distraction from his policies.

    Ignore the Jimmy Fallon tweet- it's Trump's desperate attempt to get people to talk about him tweeting about Jimmy Fallon rather than the lives he is actively destroying...

    Fallon addressed Trump's tweets about him on Wednesday's show, by joking: "Melania, I don't think your anti-bullying campaign is working." He then said:

    You can watch the clip here:

    View this video on YouTube

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