Jimmy Fallon approached the latest episode of The Tonight Show intent on getting every last bit of laughter he could out of Donald Trump’s claim that he was once regularly reminded of a resemblance people saw between him and Elvis Presley.
In a video that Vulture has reposted from the NBC production’s YouTube channel, Fallon sits on a stool with a guitar rested on his lap — addressing applause from his studio audience on Tuesday night, November 27. As the clip rolls, it becomes evident by the leather suit and wig he is wearing that Fallon is spoofing the look that Elvis donned during his classic 1968 comeback special. But within moments of him opening his mouth, the reasoning behind a bit of blonde hair poking out from beneath the black pompadour on Fallon’s head dawned on viewers — who connected the dots between his appearance and a nasal-voiced Trump impersonation.
“The warden threw a party in the county jail, Everyone in my administration started to wail, Indictments headed down to the whole West Wing, You should have heard my lawyer Michael Cohen sing,” Billboard quotes Fallon as singing. Fallon then went on to deliver a performance of “Jailhouse Rock” that was modified to reflect Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. “Let’s rock, Everybody let’s rock, Everybody with a White House job, Was dancin’ to the jailhouse rock,” he’d eventually get around to repeating via lyrics to the song’s hook.
Exclusive: Watch @JimmyFallon channel Trump as Elvis in ‘Jailhouse Rock’ spoof https://t.co/BFqzuud7Xv @FallonTonight
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 28, 2018
Pres. Trump, in Tupelo, MS, the birthplace of Elvis Presley: “Other than the blonde hair, when I was growing up they said I looked like Elvis…I always considered that a great compliment.” https://t.co/NkJuIoh4fP pic.twitter.com/uBAzhWwA9G
— ABC News (@ABC) November 26, 2018
Fallon’s parody came just one day after President Trump said to a crowd of Mississippians that, as a young man, he was often told that he looks like the late rock and roll icon. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the comment caused chuckles to echo through the Tupelo Regional Airport rally, and within hours of his departure from the city that boasts being Elvis’ birthplace, the internet would be flooded with memes mocking his account.
In hindsight, the lengths that Trump went to bring a touch of amusement to his campaigning, while stumping for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, certainly didn’t hurt her chances of overcoming a campaign that had been marred by racial controversy. Within 24 hours of the Elvis comparison going viral, the interim senator was declared winner of the Mississippi Senate race — with 54 percent of the vote.
“Congratulations to Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on your big WIN in the Great State of Mississippi. We are all very proud of you!” the president would go on to tweet shortly after the results of the run-off race were tallied.