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Jimmy Fallon’s Trump-In-the-Mirror Sketch is Far Too Accurate

Jimmy Fallon’s Trump-In-the-Mirror Sketch is Far Too Accurate

“YYYYYUUUUUUUUUUUGE!”

On Friday night, Donald Trump joined the “Tonight Show’s” Jimmy Fallon for a little late night…reflecting…on what it means to be The Donald.

Literally. Reflecting. Trump interviewed a “mirror image” of himself as played by Jimmy Fallon—who did a decent job at the impersonation.

Watch:

From Mashable:

Trump responded to the jobs question like one does when one is Trump.

“I’m just gonna do it,” he said.

“Right,” Fallon said, laughing. “But how?”

“By doing it,” Trump said. “It just happens. Just by doing it.”

#SoundsLegit

Then it was onto immigration, where Fallon (again, as Trump) asked The Donald how he’d convince Mexico to build a wall to keep immigrants from coming to the United States, a topic that frequently makes it into Trump’s speeches.

Trump flipped the interview, telling Fallon that if he was going to play Trump he might as well answer like Trump.

So Fallon said he’d challenge Mexico to a game of Jenga and when they finally put the last log into the tower to set up the game, he’d say, meh, I don’t want to play anymore, leaving a huge wall.

This isn’t the first time a Republican has joined Fallon for a little good natured self-deprecation. Mitt Romney participated in a similar sketch earlier this year:

Last year, Sarah Palin riffed off of the tensions between Russia and Ukraine while Fallon did his best Vladimir Putin. Jeb Bush made an appearance during one of Fallon’s “Slow Jam the News” segments—and actually managed to pull it off.

Was Trump’s segment funny? Reasonable minds will differ, but that’s not the question we should be asking. The question is, was this effective?

Here at Legal Insurrection, we’ve gone back and forth about how much help Republicans can glean from dipping their toes in the pop culture pool. The debate continues, but the 2016 candidates are at least testing the waters. Ted Cruz might have pulled off some “Simpsons” impressions; Bobby Jindal’s humanity came out in a totally bizarre push-up challenge; Carly Fiorina fell face first into a big puddle of social justice.

Pop culture outlets mean great exposure, but in many cases, that exposure comes with a price. Does that rule apply to Donald Trump? Probably not; but then again, almost none of the “rules” we normally ascribe to politicians apply to Donald Trump.

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Comments

Why don’t the rules apply to Trump? People are willing to give a lot of leeway to men they perceive as alpha.

    Radegunda in reply to Robert What?. | September 12, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    And TV celebrities. There might be an element of wishful vanity among Trump fanatics, who may be thinking (if subconsciously): “He’s very rich and famous – and he cares about me! He says so! I’m big enough to vote for you, Mr. Trump, and then you’ll care about me even more. Oh please, care about me!”

    Radegunda in reply to Robert What?. | September 12, 2015 at 6:55 pm

    For an alpha male, Trump is remarkably sensitive to “disrespect.”

He’s throwing the charade right in the publics face, and gaining fans at the same time. Laughing at the fooled all the way to the bank.

    Uncle Samuel in reply to Tlag Nhoj. | September 12, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    The ones laughing (at you and me) all the way to the bank are the (insert expletives) GOP establishment slimes like McConnell and Corker:

    http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2015/09/mitch-mcconnell-and-bob-corker-when.html

    Tlag Nhoj – who is your candidate?

    Did you vote for Obama, I wish someone could calculate just how much money he laughingly took out of the average American taxpayer’s pocket to cronies and foreign countries.

    Or did you vote for McConnell and his ilk? In which case I wish someone could calculate just how much money they laughingly took out of the average American’s pocket to hand out to cronies and foreign countries.

    We all know and history tells us, with out a doubt, they will bend us over, we only think Trump may bend us over.

      Tlag Nhoj in reply to betty. | September 12, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      Top few include Walker, Kasich, Cruz for top spot. Fiorina/Carson (who’d get more votes in key states?) for VP. I live on the west coast. My vote for President, or much else, hasn’t counted since moving here 40 years ago. Down deep I think Bush has it in the bag, unlessTrump manages to blow up. Figuratively.

        Juba Doobai! in reply to Tlag Nhoj. | September 13, 2015 at 9:14 pm

        Fantasize much, Tlag Njoh? Bush has what in the bag? His head? Jeb! was the doofus who arrayed himself in a Reagan-Bush tee-shirt and so reminded voters of his father’s contempt for Reagan—voodoo economics is what he called capitalism—and betrayal of Conservatives when he violated his no new taxes pledge.

      Radegunda in reply to betty. | September 12, 2015 at 7:12 pm

      McConnell is not running for president; he never has. Nor is Boehner.

      Does a record of conservative leadership as a governor (or a senator — see “Cruz, Ted”) really mean less than the untested promises of an “outsider” — an “outsider,” that is, who has spent a lot to buy favors for himself from politicians (or try to)?

      Even if that record is not 100% to your liking, why is it worse than a record of funding politicians you dislike even more, and expressing viewpoints more opposed to your own?

      And what’s the basis of the belief that Trump will be nicer to the little people and more honorable in his dealings, given that he boasts about the success of his bullying tactics to enrich himself, and given that he’s had no qualms about kicking little people out of their homes for the same reason?

      I truly don’t understand why Trump is given the benefit of the doubt in so many ways that practically no one else would get, even when evidence points the other way. “He’s not a politician” is far from an adequate explanation. Nor does his readiness to insult people gratuitously mean that he’s a straight shooter. It just means he’s arrogant and rude.

        pesanteur in reply to Radegunda. | September 12, 2015 at 8:06 pm

        Did you see his press conference with the families of victims of illegal aliens? No republican politician would come close to such audacious patriotism. It’s why people are drawn to Trump.

        It’s a simple answer, not that you will ever get it.

        Trump supporters are tired of getting boned by the R party. Period. Full stop. Every single time.

        Trump is not beholden to the special interest republican party. He might not be any better. But he cannot possibly be any worse. So, chance. Anyone outside looks better than the inside.

          So basically, Trump’s campaign material should feature a toddler spitting his dummy.
          “Trump 2016: Because WAAAAAAAAAAH!”

          pesanteur in reply to Barry. | September 12, 2015 at 10:49 pm

          You’re right. Also, his total disinterest in what the media think of him is fairly exhilarating to many on the right who are sick of the sphincter-squeezing fear of the media by virtually the entire republican party.

          Barry in reply to Barry. | September 13, 2015 at 1:06 am

          “Trump 2016: Because WAAAAAAAAAAH!”

          Dear Amy,

          As I said, I know you will not get it.
          You have no clue.

          Radegunda in reply to Barry. | September 13, 2015 at 1:35 am

          “he cannot possibly be any worse”? That’s a downright irrational argument — as so many pro-Trump arguments are. Of course he can be worse.

          You’ve demonstrated (as so many others have) that Trump fandom is not primarily based on the supposed principles and virtues of Donald Trump. It’s based on indiscriminate anger, and on blind faith.

          I “get it” perfectly well. I just think it’s an unwise basis for choosing a president. If you’re so sick of the “special interest republican party,” why not just vote for a Democrat?

          And why is someone rich enough to buy his own campaign — after buying his own “special interest” favors from politicians — necessarily someone of purer principles than candidates whose campaigns are supported by the contributions of citizens and voters?

          Apparently you’d be happy to have a system where the only people eligible to run for office are the very wealthy, because they’re not “beholden to special interests.” Or you want publicly funded campaigns, or an overturning of Citizens United and a very low limit on campaign contributions.

          Be careful what you wish for.

          Ragspierre in reply to Barry. | September 13, 2015 at 7:49 am

          “But he cannot possibly be any worse.”

          Which is a close paraphase of what T-rump said in endorsing Barrack Hussein Obama relative to BOOOOOOOoooooooosh.

          How’s that workin’ fer ya…???

          Anonamom in reply to Barry. | September 13, 2015 at 10:46 am

          “Trump supporters are tired of getting boned by the R party.”

          “He might not be any better. But he cannot possibly be any worse.”

          I think these two statements explain precisely why Mr. Trump is polling the way that he is. I don’t happen to agree-being old, my mantra is “Things could ALWAYS be worse”- and I am not a Trump supporter. I do, however, understand and agree with the frustration that, I think, are driving his numbers.

          Radegunda in reply to Barry. | September 13, 2015 at 1:01 pm

          Anonamom — If people are “frustrated” with politicians who don’t keep their promises, it would make sense to compare the various candidates on the basis of which have the best records of keeping (at least some) promises and acting on principle in public office.

          Evidently that’s too difficult for the Trump fanatics. They prefer resorting to easy and irrational arguments, like “Anyone outside looks better than the inside” — even if those “outsiders” have been quite inconsistent in their expressed principles.

          Or worse, they rely on the weird notion that “chance” is more reliable than observable facts.

          Barry in reply to Barry. | September 13, 2015 at 3:04 pm

          I explained why people support Trump. You trump haters are trying to explain why the status quo is better. You are failing, big time failing.

          I bet every one of you voted for Dole/McCain/Romney, just because.

          Because they were “less evil” than the democrat. They were all losers, because, in the end, they were only slightly less slower moving this country to the same end desired by the democrats, and the conservatives would not vote for them.

          Romney lost even though Obama received far less votes than in the first election. Many saw little difference and simply refused to cast a vote for the man. Is he a better man than the current dolt in office? Of course. Would the outcome be much different? No.

          Would walker or cruz make a better president? Maybe. I say maybe because it is not clear they could/would do what needs to be done, ignore the entire R apparatus that is only concerned with maximizing their control to get the boodle. They R party could care less what is happening to this country. See Boehner/McConnel.

          Calling the trump supporters names or insinuating they are “low information voters” is just your own way of ignoring reality. With an exception or two, you simply want a “standard” republican in office, that will continue the current slide to oblivion.

          Without trump in this race it would just be a coronation for bush. I owe the man just for clobbering that bit of R horseshit.

          Trumps just not nice enough for some of you:

          Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.
          Barry Goldwater

Trump tackles the sacred cows of PC, Amnesty, the Iran deal, etc. and offers solutions, inspires and cheers ordinary Americans who are either angry or broken-hearted by the betrayal of the administration and its enablers.

This video is a volunteer effort and expresses some of the reasons Trump is leading in the polls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6kgqyWmD9LQ

    Tlag Nhoj in reply to Uncle Samuel. | September 12, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    Cool video. Some good points made in the lyrics.

    Winning 🙂

    Radegunda in reply to Uncle Samuel. | September 12, 2015 at 7:28 pm

    Trump and his fans confuse a lack of manners with principled opposition to “political correctness.” He is not the only one speaking about the Iran “deal” and other serious matters. Far from it.

    The most serious free-speech issue today and for the foreseeable future is whether we have a constitutional and moral right to say and do things that Muslims don’t like.

    Donald Trump came down squarely on the wrong side of the issue, in favor of sharia-dictated self-censorship. He emphatically expressed the opinion that it’s wrong to draw a cartoon and label it “Muhammad,” because it offends Muslims. Not incidentally, he has big investments in Dubai.

    What was that you were saying about the sacred cows of PC? And what exactly has Trump said about the un-PC facts of race and crime in America?

    Ridiculing women’s faces does not make someone an anti-PC hero. It make him a shallow boor.

      Radegunda in reply to Radegunda. | September 12, 2015 at 7:31 pm

      Also, poking fun at the hairstyle someone chooses is not at all comparable to demeaning someone because of the face that person got by genetics and the relentless march of time. So “she ridiculed Trump’s hair” is not a counterargument.

Oh Noes! Trump support rockets upward among Republican Women!

Get those down votes warmed up and prepare to ignore reality Trumpo-phobics of LI! Hot, smart, strong, and savvy Republican women are increasingly leaning toward You Know Who. 🙂

———

Trump’s gains come most notably among two groups that had proven challenging for him in the early stages of his campaign — women and those with college degrees. While he gained just 4 points among men in the last month (from 27% in August to 31% now), he’s up 13 points among women, rising from 20% in August to 33% now….

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/10/politics/donald-trump-ben-carson-cnn-poll/index.html

ps: Fiorina is at 3%

    #IAmTheSixtySevenPercent


    … #OfRepublicanWomenNotFallingForThisSham

      pesanteur in reply to Amy in FL. | September 12, 2015 at 10:52 pm

      So which sham are you falling for?

      Indeed.

      ‘Time travels in divers paces with divers persons.’

      So, Amy,

      are you in the next closest, Carson at 22% (trump is 50% higher than 2nd place)

      Or perhaps 3rd place, Bush at 10% (trump is 330% higher than 3rd place)

      perhaps Fiorina at 3% of republican women?

      Actually, at this point, in this poll, trump has a higher % of women than men…

        Radegunda in reply to Barry. | September 13, 2015 at 1:40 am

        Obama had very high numbers too, and he got reelected. Sometimes large numbers of people have bad taste or make unwise choices.

        As Radegunda alludes to, 57% of women (not just Democrat women, but all American women) voted for Obama in 2008; and 56% in 2012.

        The fact that women seem especially prone to swooning for style over substance when it comes to politicians, and to making poor decisions based on their emotions rather than their brains, is not in question here. ‘Twas ever thus — just look to the etymology of the word “hysteria”.

        It’s unfortunate, but there it is. As for me, I am content in myself that I did not fall for the President Boyfriend sham (“Oooooh, he’s so handsome!”) in 2008 or 2012, and am not falling for the President Sugar Daddy sham (“Oooooh, he’s so rich & powerful!”) in 2016. I am a competent, confident grown-up and will be reserving my primary vote for the most competent, confident conservative adult I think can win.

          Radegunda in reply to Amy in FL. | September 13, 2015 at 1:20 pm

          It doesn’t even require personal confidence to resist the putative allures of President Sugar Daddy. A woman has only to be alert enough to notice that he has been changing his political principles rather wantonly — just as he has dumped a couple of wives to get younger ones.

          Trump fans of the male persuasion apparently want John Wayne to swagger into town and dispatch all the evil “politicians” and then take over the place; and they seem gratified to think of themselves as allies of such a big, brash hero.

          Of course, you didn’t answer the question:

          Who are you supporting?

          Your fellow women are supporting trump by a large majority, but now they are just the “swooners”, according to you.

          You complain about Trump not having good manners, then insult anyone that isn’t like you.

          I don’t know who I’m going to vote for yet, That’s why I didn’t answer the question. I’ve still got months and months to decide — Florida’s primary isn’t till March next year. 4 years ago at this point in the election cycle, Rick Perry was the superstar, with just as impressively high levels then as Trump does now.

          So far I know it’s not going to be Jeb Bush, Donald Trump or Chris Christie. Other than that, I’m still listening and learning. As I said earlier, I’ll be “reserving my primary vote for the most competent, confident conservative adult I think can win.”

The Fallon jag is just exactly what Mr. Establishment is good at. He’s an actor in reality shows.

As I’ve noted before, his one apparent political talent is in reading and audience and giving them what they want. He will turn on a dime to get them what he reads they want. None of it is real or principled, of course.

I’ve never seen lying as anything but moral cowardice, far from being an “alpha” trait. And T-rump won’t apologize…when he really should…but he certainly WILL lie. Like the (at least) two he told WRT his Fiorina crap. “I was talking about her persona” and “I was being an entertainer”.

I think we’ve had all we need of narcissists who lie to us. Which is what you can rely on them doing, btw.

    Radegunda in reply to Ragspierre. | September 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    Trump fanatics tell themselves that Trump’s readiness to insult people (often in ways that are gratuitous or irrelevant to the point at issue) is proof that he’s an anti-PC straight shooter — as though someone couldn’t be shifty and rude at the same time.

    Meanwhile, they’re completely unconcerned that he has taken a strongly PC, sharia-friendly line on the matter of Islamic taboos, which is going to be (or is) the most crucial liberty issue of our time.

Funny, I don’t recall any Democrats ever being self-deprecating. Certainly not on a late-night talk show, where they are lauded as the second coming, rather than being made to make fun of themselves.

That was a funny clip! Both Fallon and Trump had a good time with it.

I’m glad that Trump has a sense of humor, and can take someone poking fun at him so long as they’re not mean-spirited about it. Personal attacks on him deserve, and get, an attack right back! So they should!

Keep it up Mr. Trump!

David R. Graham | September 13, 2015 at 6:34 pm

” almost none of the “rules” we normally ascribe to politicians apply to Donald Trump.”

Nothing is less inevitable than the inevitable. To wit, Glenn Gould on Richard Strauss:

“Richard Strauss, then, seems to me to be more than the greatest man of music of our time. He is in my opinion a central figure in today’s most crucial dilemma of aesthetic morality – the hopeless confusion that arises when we attempt to contain the inscrutable pressures of self-guided artistic destiny within the neat, historical summation of collective chronology. He is much more than a convenient rallying point for conservative opinion. In him we have one of those rare, intense figures in whom the whole process of historical evolution is defied.”