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The best jokes from Colbert, Fallon, and Meyers on Trump’s State of the Union

By Matt Moore

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 5: U.S. President Donald Trump, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence looking on, delivers the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Trump's second State of the Union address was postponed one week due to the partial government shutdown. (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 5: U.S. President Donald Trump, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence looking on, delivers the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Trump's second State of the Union address was postponed one week due to the partial government shutdown. (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images) /
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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon isn’t exactly known for it’s hard-hitting political humor. Fallon still gets criticized for the hair ruffling fiasco with Donald Trump. Yet Fallon has adapted to the late night landscape and been a little more open to using Trump for jokes.

Part of that decision stems from the new showrunner that was brought on to help Fallon compete with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the ratings. The two shows have flip flopped over the top spot for months now, so something is clearly working.

Fallon and the rest of The Tonight Show will always go with what they find funny. Breaking down the political ramifications of the State of the Union isn’t the show’s brand of comedy. Instead fans get what we saw last night: classic setups and punchlines mixed with Fallon’s use of pop culture references.

Whereas other hosts cover Trump in a more drawn-out way with an overarching theme, Fallon packs in as many jokes as he can. His rapid fire delivery of setups and punchlines not only suit his style but are much more similar to traditional late night monologues than the “take downs” and breakdowns posted by hosts like Colbert or John Oliver.

Best line: Fallon’s joke about the scandal involving Virginia Governor Ralph Northam was his best joke of the monologue. The reaction from the audience confirms that it had a little more bite than we’re used to from Fallon and that’s a good thing.

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