NEW YORK — In a media moment nobody saw coming, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld — the conservative firebrand whose namesake show routinely tops late-night ratings — is set to join The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this Thursday. His appearance comes alongside the Jonas Brothers in what he gleefully calls “the biggest crossover since the Harlem Globetrotters visited The Golden Girls — but with better suits and fewer perms.”

But before stepping onto NBC’s stage, Gutfeld lit a rhetorical bonfire under the rest of late-night TV, praising Fallon while taking direct aim at Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.

Fallon Gets the Nod — Colbert Gets Torched

Media MELTS DOWN over Gutfeld's 'Tonight Show' appearance

“While Colbert interviews a loser, Jimmy Fallon invites a winner,” Gutfeld jabbed during Friday’s Gutfeld! broadcast, referencing Colbert’s recent sit-down with Vice President Kamala Harris to promote her memoir 107 Days. The shot came just days after CBS confirmed The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be ending.

“Fallon seems like a great, genuine guy who wants to make people laugh,” Gutfeld continued. “Unlike the other guys, Jimmy isn’t trying to put viewers to bed angrier than The View at a salad bar.”

For Gutfeld, Fallon’s invite is proof of courage in a climate where certain guests are celebrated, others quietly blacklisted.

“Jimmy sitting with me proves he’s not afraid of upsetting his peers,” Gutfeld added. “Or afraid of my mesmerizing charm.”

Colbert’s “Fall from Grace”

Gutfeld didn’t hold back on Colbert, a one-time satirical darling he now sees as a “script reader” whose edge was dulled by political obedience.

“Colbert stuck to the script, and that script got him axed,” Gutfeld declared, calling his Harris interview a symbol of what’s gone wrong with the genre: “It’s no longer about laughs, it’s about loyalty tests.”

The Trump Hair Moment Revisited

Greg Gutfeld - Wikipedia

Gutfeld also revisited Fallon’s infamous 2016 “Trump Hair” interview — when Fallon tousled then-candidate Donald Trump’s hair and was pilloried for “humanizing” him.

“He was destroyed for humanizing Trump,” Gutfeld said. “The angry mob wanted a brutal takedown. But Jimmy had fun. And that was criminal to the liberal hive mind.”

Fallon later said the backlash left him “devastated.” Gutfeld framed it as proof the industry punishes lightheartedness when it doesn’t fit the narrative.

“Maybe we can have fun with each other again,” he mused. “Even if politically we’re different.”

High-Risk Guest, High-Profile Stage

Fallon’s decision to book Gutfeld — one of cable’s most polarizing figures — is already sparking debate in media circles. Will Fallon challenge him on-air? Keep it breezy? Or turn the moment into a culture-war flashpoint?

The stakes are high. Fallon is no stranger to blowback, and Gutfeld has no interest in playing nice.

“They told me I’d never be welcome,” Gutfeld quipped. “Now I’m sitting next to the Jonas Brothers. Who’s winning again?”

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld set to appear on Jimmy Fallon's 'Tonight Show'  Thursday night

Why This Matters for Late Night

Fallon, often dismissed as the “safe” late-night host, is now being cast — at least in Gutfeld’s telling — as a rule-breaker willing to cross the ideological aisle. The booking comes as traditional late-night shows face declining ratings, shrinking cultural relevance, and growing competition from YouTube and podcasts.

Gutfeld, meanwhile, is relishing the chance to step into enemy territory, armed with the bragging rights that Gutfeld! has outdrawn network late-night staples among younger viewers.

Thursday: Must-Watch or PR Stunt?

Whether the Fallon-Gutfeld meeting turns out to be a good-faith comedy exchange or an exercise in mutual brand-building, the result is the same: it’s already dominating the conversation.

One thing is certain: this isn’t just a guest spot — it’s a handshake between two different Americas, played out under studio lights.

Promo Caption Idea:
“Jimmy Fallon just did the unthinkable — he invited Greg Gutfeld to The Tonight Show. Is this the end of woke late-night, or just a PR stunt gone nuclear?”