Jimmy Fallon has ripped into Donald Trump’s flimsy excuse for his wife’s latest absence.
On Monday night, the late-night host poked fun at first lady Melania Trump skipping the Irish Open golf tournament at Trump’s Doonbeg resort.
Trump explained Melania’s absence in his remarks at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Dublin. The president, 80, said Melania, 56, did not want to make the long journey over to Ireland.
“My wife is here in spirit. She’s watching right now. She said, ‘Say hello,’ because she was very friendly with these two people. I said, ‘Well, why don’t you come with me?’ She said, ‘Well, it’s a seven-hour trip. Maybe I’m not that friendly,’” he said.
But Fallon has another explanation.
“Trump said Melania skipped the trip because it was a seven-hour flight, yeah. Asked where she went for the weekend, Trump said, ‘Australia,’” quipped the Tonight Show host.
“Yeah, Trump really wanted Melania to be there,” continued Fallon. “He even tried bribing her with a check for $5,000.”
Trump said that his wife “sends her regards.” With him instead for the two-day trip was Natalie Harp, Trump’s devoted 35-year-old aide and “human printer.” Harp has raised eyebrows and even security concerns over her obsession with the president, writing intimate letters declaring that he is “all that matters” to her.
Members of Trump’s family, including sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., along with their wives and children, were also present on his Ireland trip.
Melania has been notably absent during Trump’s second term. According to a Daily Beast analysis of the first lady’s 2026 schedule, she has skipped multiple high-profile events and kept her workload to a minimum. For an entire month between July and August, she made no public appearances.
After months of silence amid Harp’s increasingly frequent presence, Melania’s spokesman slammed “liberal media” for their focus on the matter. “The liberal media is ridiculous,” Marc Beckman said. “They don’t know anything about the first lady’s personal and private life. They don’t even take the time to put us on air to cover these incredible achievements that our first lady has accomplished.”
The first lady resurfaced for a memorial service on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The presidential couple was spotted holding hands before Trump struggled to stay awake for the service.
