During his opening monologue on Thursday’s Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon made a few jests toward Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in relation to their chances of winning the 2016 presidential election.
Fallon began the gag by playing a clip of Clinton speaking to the abortion group EMILY’s List on Tuesday night and asking if they “someday want to see a woman president of the United States of America” to which “the crowd,” Fallon said, “went crazy.”
With that in mind, he suggested that Biden would have to undergo a transformation of sorts to have a chance at the presidency: "While Biden said, ‘it looks like I'm going to have to pull a Mrs. Doubtfire.’ [LAUGHTER] Alright, here we go. [In Mrs. Doubtfire-like voice] Hello! I'm running for president. [APPLAUSE] You don't have to. You don't have to."
Turning his attention to the Democratic presidential primary field, Fallon brought up former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley as one of the few Democrats who could run alongside Clinton. While the competition for the former First Lady is considered by many to be weak, Fallon provided a note of caution for her:
Yeah, Hillary's not worried. I mean, who's going to go from being totally unknown to beating her for the presidency? [LAUGHTER] You know what I'm saying? I mean that's – how would that ever happen? [APPLAUSE]
Thursday’s jokes made about two top figures in the Democratic Party come a day after he went after the Democrats who skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress.
Biden and Clinton weren’t the only figures in the world of politics that he went after in his monologue. Concerning the oral arguments heard on Wednesday concerning the constitutionality of the ObamaCare subsidies, Fallon humorously laid out the scene in terms of where the justices stand [with the punchline being Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg]:
The Supreme Court spent over an hour listening to arguments on whether ObamaCare is unconstitutional. It's pretty close right now. Looks like four opposed, four in favor, and one asleep and [LAUGHTER and APPLAUSE] – yeah, [in Ruth Bader Ginsburg-like voice] just taking a little nap. Taking a little power nap.
Additionally, Fallon mocked a Republican presidential contender on the subject of Clinton’s appearance at the EMILY’s List gala (as he did for Biden): “Then Chris Christie said, “Would you settle for just someone who wears a bra?” [APPLAUSE] And you go, “no, that's not what we're saying Chris, but thank you for asking.”
The relevant portions of the transcript from NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 5 are transcribed below.
NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
March 5, 2015
11:36 p.m. Eastern
JIMMY FALLON: Ah, let's get to some news here. Yesterday, the Supreme Court spent over an hour listening to arguments on whether Obamacare is unconstitutional. Yep. Listening to arguments about Obamacare for an hour, or as most people call that, Thanksgiving dinner. [LAUGHTER] It’s like, “I get it, dad.” “You don't get it.” [LAUGHTER] That's right. The Supreme Court spent over an hour listening to arguments on whether ObamaCare is unconstitutional. It's pretty close right now. Looks like four opposed, four in favor, and one asleep and [LAUGHTER and APPLAUSE] – yeah, [in Ruth Bader Ginsburg-like voice] just taking a little nap. Taking a little power nap.
STEVE HIGGINS: Liquid nap.
FALLON [in Ruth Bader Ginsburg-like voice]: Just taking a cat nap.
HIGGINS: Yeah.
FALLON: And Hillary Clinton gave a big speech in Washington, D.C. this week and well, check out what she had to say.
HILLARY CLINTON: And I suppose it's only fair to say don't you someday want to see a woman president of the United States of America? [APPLAUSE] Well –
FALLON: Yeah. [LAUGHTER] The crowd went crazy. While Biden said, “it looks like I'm going to have to pull a Mrs. Doubtfire." [LAUGHTER] Alright, here we go. [In Mrs. Doubtfire-like voice] Hello! I'm running for president. [APPLAUSE] You don't have to. You don't have to. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A woman president. Yep. Then Chris Christie said, “Would you settle for just someone who wears a bra?” [APPLAUSE] And you go, “no, that's not what we're saying Chris, but thank you for asking.”
HIGGINS: Hey. Forget about it.
FALLON: “Thank you for asking." But actually she may have some competition. There's rumors former Maryland governor martin O'Malley may enter the race and challenge Hillary for the Democratic nomination. Yeah, Hillary's not worried. I mean, who's going to go from being totally unknown to beating her for the presidency? [LAUGHTER] You know what I'm saying? I mean that's – how would that ever happen? [APPLAUSE]
