Jimmy Fallon joked that Melania Trump’s 29 days away from cameras may have a very Washington explanation involving Mitch McConnell.
The “Tonight Show” host turned President Donald Trump’s Long Island campaign stop without the first lady into a run of marriage jokes, with producers putting a tabloid headline on-screen saying Melania had been “missing” for 29 days.
“Guys, over the weekend, President Trump made a campaign stop in Long Island, and Melania Trump did not travel with him,” Fallon began.
Fallon shifted into Trump’s voice and made the joke about a gap inside the marriage, not just on the campaign trail.
“Yep, people have noticed that she’s been laying low. In fact, she hasn’t been seen in public for 29 days,” Fallon said. “Trump heard and was like, ‘Big deal. I haven’t seen her in private for two years.’”
Melania has skipped the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner and the funeral for the late Lindsey Graham.
Fallon also worked in the assassination threat in Turkey last month that put Trump inside an airport catering truck.
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“I understand Melania’s taken a step back – with everything going on, she’s worried at any moment she could be trapped with Trump inside a catering truck,” Fallon said.
McConnell entered the joke because the Kentucky Republican has also been away from Washington after a June 14 fall at his home and a rehabilitation stay.
“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.”
McConnell, 84, had completed the rehabilitation stay, but had still not returned to work.
Fallon had already used McConnell’s recovery photo for a previous “Tonight Show” segment after weeks of questions about the senator’s health.
The photo showed McConnell sitting up in bed beside his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, while holding that Sunday’s Washington Post sports section.
“Well, some news from Washington after weeks of speculation about his health,” Fallon said as the image appeared on the broadcast.
The newspaper did not settle the matter for Fallon.
“Not sure how OK he is because that’s actually a video,” Fallon joked.
Chao appeared to be helping McConnell sit upright in the picture.
“Nothing says perfect health like having someone hold you up when you’re already sitting,” Fallon said.
He also compared the image to “a husband and wife ventriloquist act.”
“Mitch said, ‘I’m feeling great, and I’ll be back at work by August 1997,’” Fallon said.
McConnell’s lack of answers drew a real political complaint Sunday from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the senator had not responded to requests for an update.
“I’ve heard absolutely nothing back from Mitch McConnell,” Beshear said.
Beshear said he had known McConnell his entire life and hoped the senator was recovering, but added that McConnell’s “boss are the people of Kentucky.”
The governor said McConnell could answer questions with a two-minute call to CBS, Fox News or the voters he represents.
“This is why the Senate, the Republican-controlled Senate, feels so broken, they feel like they’re not accountable to anyone,” Beshear said.
“All he needs to do is call into this show for two minutes, or Fox News for two minutes, or do a video for two minutes to the people he’s supposed to serve. But you know what? He absolutely refuses to do it.”
The Melania jokes followed Fallon’s earlier Trump material about Karoline Leavitt leaving the White House press secretary job.
Leavitt was departing “to spend more time with her family,” including her newborn daughter, and Fallon turned the family explanation into another Trump jab.
“Yeah. Between the nonstop White House construction and Trump, she wanted to be around something way quieter – a baby,” Fallon said.
Fallon also used reports that Trump was surprised by Leavitt’s decision to bring up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Trump had blamed vandalism for problems with repairs to the pool.
“This is strange, Trump is now blaming her resignation on pool vandals,” Fallon said.
The host imagined Leavitt explaining why there had been no ideal moment to quit.
“Yeah, Trump was surprised by Leavitt’s decision. She was like, ‘I wanted to wait for a good time but there hasn’t been one, so,’” Fallon said.
Fallon used the press secretary opening to circle back to Trump’s doctor and the president’s May physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Trump wrote on Truth Social after the exam that everything had checked out perfectly.
“Just finished my 6 month physical at Walter Reed Military Medical Center. Everything checked out PERFECTLY,” Trump wrote. “Thank you to the great Doctors and Staff!”
Fallon suggested the doctor might already have the right résumé for the White House briefing room.
“Trump’s now looking for a replacement who can spin facts and numbers, so another good option is his doctor,” Fallon said.
“I’m 155 pounds!” he added.