NBC late-night host Jimmy Fallon took aim at first lady Melania Trump with a series of jokes about her marriage to President Donald Trump, including a punchline suggesting she had “run off” with another prominent politician.
Fallon made the remarks while discussing Melania’s recent absence from public appearances, noting that she did not accompany the president during a campaign stop in Long Island.
“People have noticed that she’s been laying low. In fact, she hasn’t been seen in public for 29 days,” Fallon said.
The “Tonight Show” host then turned Melania’s absence into a joke about the Trumps’ marriage.
“Trump heard and was like, ‘big deal, I haven’t seen her in private for two years,’” Fallon joked.
Fallon continued targeting the first couple’s relationship while referencing a separate story involving Trump’s recent travels.
“I understand Melania is taking a step back with everything going on,” Fallon said. “She’s worried that at any moment she could be trapped with Trump inside her catering truck.”
The comedian ultimately capped off the segment with an affair joke involving Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell (R).
“Yep, no one has seen Melania,” Fallon said. “All I know is that it’s going to be crazy when we find out she ran off with Mitch McConnell.”
Fallon offered no evidence of an affair between Melania and McConnell, and the remark was plainly delivered as a joke. The first lady’s relatively low public profile has nevertheless provided material for late-night comedians and generated questions about how she is spending her time away from the campaign trail, per Breitbart News.
Melania has remained involved in official initiatives despite appearing less frequently in public.
Breitbart reported this week that the first lady has been working on efforts to reunite children separated from their families during the Russia-Ukraine war. According to the outlet, her work has helped facilitate another family reunification.
Fallon’s comments came as speculation involving the president’s marriage was also entering political discussions elsewhere.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) recently faced questions over remarks concerning Trump and aide Natalie Harp. According to Breitbart, Ossoff had suggested that Trump was having an affair with Harp, prompting questions from news anchors about the basis for the allegation.
Fallon, however, approached the subject entirely through comedy, using Melania’s absence as the setup for multiple jokes about the president’s marriage.
The first lady has long maintained a more private public profile than her husband and has periodically spent extended stretches away from major political events.
Her latest absence comes as Trump remains highly visible ahead of the midterm elections, traveling for events and addressing several major domestic and international issues.
Fallon has frequently made Trump and members of his administration subjects of his late-night monologues. His latest routine went beyond political criticism by focusing directly on the president’s marriage and joking that Melania had secretly left him for McConnell.
