A dismayed and somber Jimmy Fallon fought back tears Monday night in his opening monologue as he addressed Saturday’s deadly clashes between white nationalists and counter protesters in Virginia.
“What happened over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, was just disgusting,” Fallon said. “I was watching the news like everyone else, and you’re seeing Nazi flags and torches and white supremacists, and I was sick to my stomach.”
He revealed his struggle to explain racism to his two daughters, aged 2 and 4, and directly called out President Trump for taking so long to condemn white nationalists.
“The fact that it took the President two days to come out and clearly denounce racists and white supremacists is shameful,” Fallon said. “And I think he finally spoke out because people everywhere stood up and said something.
“It’s important for everyone, especially white people in this country, to speak out against this,” he said. “Ignoring it is just as bad as supporting it.”
Fallon, who some believe goes too easy on the president, reiterated that The Tonight Show isn’t political, but that he felt it was his “responsibility to stand up against intolerance and extremism.” Take a look at the clip above.
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