Greg Gutfeld Warns Jimmy Fallon: “Inviting Me Might Be the Riskiest Move of Your Career”

NEW YORK — In a twist no one saw coming, Fox News’ provocateur-in-chief Greg Gutfeld is heading straight into what he calls “enemy territory”—and late-night television may never be the same.

The outspoken host of Gutfeld! and co-host of The Five dropped a political and entertainment bombshell this week: he is appearing on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon next Thursday.

Yes, you read that correctly. Gutfeld—the man who gleefully skewers left-leaning celebrities, late-night comedians, and the so-called “mainstream media”—is stepping into the lion’s den of late-night liberalism. And he’s doing it with a smirk.

“I’m Psyched,” Gutfeld Says—But Fallon’s Taking the Real Risk

“I am doing Jimmy Fallon next week,” Gutfeld casually announced on The Five Thursday. “I’m psyched about it because Fallon comes across as a great guy.”

Then came the twist—a line that sounded less like a compliment and more like a warning:

“Me going on his show shows he’s not worried about upsetting his peers.”

Translation: Fallon’s late-night contemporaries—those who’ve built careers interviewing Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and other liberal icons—might not be thrilled to see a Fox News figure grace the same studio.

With Fallon already navigating internal NBC drama and struggling ratings, inviting Gutfeld is a high-wire act with no safety net.

Timing Is Everything: Colbert’s Exit Casts a Shadow

Gutfeld’s announcement comes just days after CBS confirmed that Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show—often the anti-Trump flagship of late-night—will end next year.

While the rest of the late-night landscape rallied behind Colbert, Gutfeld was notably silent. Now, in a move that feels almost surgical, he is headed to Fallon—Colbert’s competitor—for what insiders call either a “power flex” or a “declaration of war.”

Gutfeld Defends Fallon for ‘Humanizing’ Trump

During his Five appearance, Gutfeld revisited the infamous 2016 moment when Fallon tousled then-candidate Donald Trump’s hair—a moment that sent liberal Twitter into meltdown.

“Remember, he got a lot of stick for ‘humanizing’ Trump,” Gutfeld said. “But it didn’t come from anybody but the people on the left who wanted to teach entertainers a lesson: if you dare show that Trump is human, then you’re toast.”

Pausing, Gutfeld added with trademark smirk: “So it’s kind of nice that he’s taking this risk.”

Behind the Scenes: What’s Fallon Thinking?

NBC has confirmed Gutfeld’s appearance for Thursday, August 7, but Fallon himself has remained silent—no tweets, no comments, no promos. In a world where talk-show guest announcements are typically teased weeks in advance, that silence is telling.

Sources inside NBC describe senior producers as “nervous” about the optics, while others believe Fallon is “trying to break the mold” and give viewers something unpredictable. One anonymous producer admitted:

“Look, we know Gutfeld’s going to go viral—for better or worse. The question is: are we ready for the backlash?”

Gutfeld vs. Late-Night: The Ratings War

Greg Gutfeld has made it his personal mission to dismantle late-night as we know it. While Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon have struggled to regain audiences post-pandemic, Gutfeld! quietly surged—often surpassing the three traditional late-night shows in key demographics.

He has called mainstream comedians “predictable,” “partisan,” and “out of touch,” mocking Fallon, Kimmel, and Meyers for years. And now, he is walking straight onto Fallon’s set—possibly armed with sharp jokes and unfiltered commentary.

What Will Happen on August 7?

The big questions remain: Will Gutfeld play nice, or will he treat the studio like a Fox News segment? Will Fallon challenge him with tough questions—or offer only softballs for laughs? Will viewers tune in—or tune out in protest?

One thing is certain: this is not just another talk-show appearance. It is a cultural crossover with potential to go viral—and possibly nuclear.

Late-Night Cold War… or Ceasefire?

Gutfeld’s Fallon debut could mark the start of a new era of ideological openness in late-night—or the ultimate conservative troll. NBC may be hoping for a viral moment, but they are also playing with fire: when Gutfeld shows up, there are no scripts, no filters, and no guarantees that Fallon’s feel-good format can contain him.

Either way, Thursday, August 7 promises to be one of the most talked-about nights in late-night history.