Jimmy Fallon Donates To Refugee Charity After Trump Tells Him To “Be A Man”

Late night television host, Jimmy Fallon, is the latest figure in entertainment to donate to RAICES – Refugee and Immigrant Centre for Education and Legal Services. The non-profit provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrant families and refugees in Texas. 

The donation comes as United States President Donald Trump called out the late night host for “whimpering”. 

Last Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter interviewed Fallon about The Tonight Show, his career, and the infamous 2016 interview with Trump. If you’re unfamiliar with the interview, Fallon invited the – at the time – presidential candidate to talk about his campaign. At the end of the interview, Fallon asked and did ruffle Trump’s hair. Two months later, Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, seeing extreme political divide throughout the country as a result.

Since then, Fallon’s show lost more than one fifth of its audience and has been overtaken in ratings by Stephen Colbert’s more political The Late Show. Jimmy Kimmel, who has used his platform to oppose many of Trump’s views, has also sparked a rise in ABC’s ratings.

Talking to THR, Fallon said he didn’t mean to “‘normalize’” Trump by ruffling his hair or “to say I believe in his political beliefs or any of that stuff.”

“It was definitely a down time,” Fallon said of the period following the interview.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to make anyone angry — I never do and I never will. It’s all in the fun of the show. I made a mistake. I’m sorry if I made anyone mad. And, looking back, I would do it differently.”

This morning, Trump replied to Fallon’s interview via his Twitter claiming the host had called him after the interview and said “monster ratings”. 

“Jimmy Fallon is now whimpering to all that he did the famous “hair show” with me (where he seriously messed up my hair), and that he would have done it differently because it is said to have “humanized” me – he is taking heat. He called and said “monster ratings.” Be a man Jimmy!” 

Fallon – usually non-political Jimmy Fallon – replied writing “In honor of the President’s tweet I’ll be making a donation to RAICES in his name.” 

Fallon now joins multiple writers, producers, actors, and more who have made donations to RAICES in protest of Trump’s family separation policy. Cable network Starz donated $10,000 to the organisation.

Jane the Virgin actor Gina Rodriguez is funding a full college scholarship to Princeton University for an undocumented immigrant high-school student. Westworld’s Jonathan Tucker announced he’d be donating all FOX residuals to RAICES after FOX News host, Laura Ingraham, compared children detention centres on the Mexico Border to summer camp.

Last week, Seth MacFarlane – a longtime employee of FOX – denounced the network after FOX News’ political commentator, Tucker Carlson, told viewers “If you’re looking to understand what’s actually happening in this country, always assume the opposite of whatever they’re telling you on the big news stations.” 

https://twitter.com/SethMacFarlane/status/1008078997429710848

Current and past FOX employees including New Girl creator Liz Merriweather and Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan have both publicly criticised the network.

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