The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Episode: Trump Doubles Down That Epstein Scandal Is a "Democratic Hoax" | Steve Buscemi, David Byrne, Malin Akerman
Date: September 4, 2025

Overview

This episode blends late-night comedy, news parodies, quirky games, and light-hearted celebrity interviews. Jimmy Fallon opens with topical jokes about the Epstein files and recent political events, before welcoming a star-studded lineup: Steve Buscemi talks about his career and his new role in "Wednesday," David Byrne shares insights about his new album and stage ventures, and Malin Akerman discusses her hit series "The Hunting Wives." The show maintains a playful and improvisational feel, full of quick riffs and memorable moments.

Monologue & Current Events Satire

[01:11–05:41]

• Epstein Files & Trump Commentary:

  • Fallon pokes fun at Trump dismissing the Epstein scandal as a hoax.
  • Quote:

    "Trump’s so desperate to change the subject, he was like, who wants to hear about me dying last week? Remember that?" — Jimmy Fallon [01:15]

• International News Satire:

  • Jokes about Xi Jinping, Putin, and Kim Jong Un's joint military parade.
  • Quote:

    "The parade was fun, especially when Kim Jong Un had to sit on Putin’s shoulders so he could see." — Jimmy Fallon [01:34]

• CDC Parody:

  • Mocks the CDC’s supposed confusion after recent leadership changes.
  • Quote:

    "For the question ‘What does CDC stand for?’ it says 'pass.'" — Jimmy Fallon [02:21]

• News Avoidance Segment:

  • Introduces "breaking news correspondent" Conrad Peck to comment on news avoidance, only for him and David Byrne to humorously avoid all news.
  • Byrne taps on pots and pans, citing "self care."
  • Quote:

    "It’s called self care, Jimmy." — David Byrne [03:55]

• Tech & Business Gags:

  • Jokes about Uber Eats delivering Best Buy goods, Instagram on iPad, and fake Loboo dolls at Seattle airport.

Game Segment: "Any Answer Wins"

[06:41–10:27]

• Contestants: Steve Buscemi, Malin Akerman, David Byrne

  • Every answer is valid—trivia with no wrong answers.
  • Comedy highlights include intentionally absurd responses.
  • Quotes:

    "What does the acronym GIF stand for?"
    "Great Ideas for Time?" — Contestant [07:36]
    "What is President Calvin Coolidge’s most famous quote?"
    "Pizza." — Contestant [09:41]

• Prizes:

  • All win "three tubes of German mustard."
  • Fallon wraps:

    "Any Answer Wins, the game where any answer that’s correct." — Jimmy Fallon [10:27]

Interview: Steve Buscemi

[10:49–20:06]

Career Highlights & Recent Projects

• Talks about his cameo in "the studio" and being cast by Seth Rogen.

  • Quote:

    "I was reading these horrible things that they’re saying about me… Who is this bug eyed, you know, corpse?" — Steve Buscemi [11:53]

• Name pronunciation humor:

  • Quote:

    "They also have a big thing where they’re trying to pronounce your last name." — Jimmy Fallon [12:39] "Yes, yes... At one point they said Bruschkemi. Like Bruschemi Buscemi." — Steve Buscemi [12:40]

• "Happy Gilmore 2" & Meeting John Daly:

  • Mistaking famous golfer John Daly for actor John Daly; riffing on their chemistry during filming.
  • Quote:

    "I thought he was a teamster." — Steve Buscemi [14:26]

On "Wednesday" Season 2

• Joining the established cast:

  • Quote:

    "You come into something that’s so well established and that people love. It is a little intimidating." — Steve Buscemi [16:27]

• Childhood stories about his dad’s fascination with the occult and healing pyramids:

  • Quote:

    "He would sometimes wear the pyramid on his head like a hat." — Steve Buscemi [19:08] "My dad died 10 years ago and he was cremated and I keep his ashes in a pyramid urn." — Steve Buscemi [19:30]

• New role:

  • Principal Dort, "kind of a dork," hiding something nefarious.
  • Quote:

    "He’s kind of another great name, kind of a dork. But he’s. He’s named Dort." — Steve Buscemi [19:45]

Interview: David Byrne

[20:31–28:41]

Personal News & Collaborations

• Announces his upcoming marriage.

  • Quote:

    "Yeah, I let the cat out of the bag kind of." — David Byrne [21:08]

• Playing with Olivia Rodrigo at Governor’s Ball, matching outfits, and spontaneous collaboration.

  • Discussion of taking inspiration from live performers.

• Reflects on stage presence compared to Talking Heads days.

  • Quote:

    "The name of this next song is. And There We Go." — David Byrne [23:16]

Stand-up Comedy & Broadway

• Tries stand-up after encouragement from Fred Armisen.
  • Quote:

    "It’s the scariest thing in the world... I mean, you don’t have a band..." — David Byrne [23:47]

New Album: "Who Is the Sky"

• Title origin: a voice-to-text error.

  • Quote:

    "A friend was texting me and using voice to text. Must have said, 'Who is this guy?'... changed it to 'Who is the sky' on my phone. And I said, there’s my record title." — David Byrne [25:09]

• Working with producer Kid Harpoon and collaborations with St. Vincent and Hayley Williams.

  • Attends a birthday party to meet the producer.
  • Quote:

    "He did Harry Styles and Miley... I played him my songs... they’re a little bit left field." — David Byrne [26:21]

• Performance of the new single, filmed in the basement of Rough Trade Records.

Interview: Malin Akerman

[29:07–34:19]

The Hunting Wives Phenomenon

• Discusses runaway success of the Netflix series.

  • Quote:

    "I was in Sweden... A week into airing, my Instagram went up by like 30,000 followers. And then the next day, it was like 40,000. I was like, this is crazy." — Malin Akerman [29:57]

• On playing Margot Banks and how the role fit her.

  • Quote:

    "She's amazing. This character is so incredible to get to play all the nuances..." — Malin Akerman [31:16] "My husband... went, 'This is tailor made for you.'... He's pretending to be a middle-aged lesbian on Reddit just to get into all of the Reddit threads." — Malin Akerman [31:48]

• The show's famously debated wig:
  > "We literally pulled a wig out of a box... put it on. We were like, well, this is all we got, so we're gonna make do." — Malin Akerman [32:48]

Hopes for Season Two

• Speculation about return of the wig and whether the show will be renewed.

  • Quote:

    "Is the wig going to return?... I feel like now is a question of whether people want it to return because it's its own character..." — Malin Akerman [33:05]

• For new viewers, sums up the plot:

  • "It's a woman from Boston... meets Margo Banks and her socialite little clique, and it turns into friendships, affairs, and murder." — Malin Akerman [34:09]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• David Byrne’s anxiety about news ("La la la la la") — [03:24]
• Steve Buscemi’s story about his dad’s pyramid hat — [19:08]
• David Byrne on the strangeness of stand-up — [23:47]
• Malin Akerman’s husband crusading Reddit as a fan — [31:54]

Notable Timestamps

• 01:11 — Monologue: Trump & Epstein scandal jokes
• 03:12 — Segment on Americans avoiding the news
• 06:41 — Start of "Any Answer Wins" game
• 10:49 — Steve Buscemi interview segment begins
• 20:31 — David Byrne interview segment begins
• 29:07 — Malin Akerman interview segment begins

Tone & Style

The episode maintains Jimmy Fallon's trademark blend of energetic humor, spontaneous riffing, and genuine excitement for his guests. The interplay between guests and host is loose and quick-witted, with moments of heartfelt personal storytelling alongside irreverent satire.

Summary

This Tonight Show episode is a smart snapshot of 2025 pop culture, mixing sharp political satire with feel-good celebrity stories. The highlights include quick-fire game antics, Steve Buscemi’s earnest family tales, David Byrne’s inventive musings about art and technology, and Malin Akerman’s viral TV role. Whether poking fun at news avoidance or marveling at Broadway’s backstage mysteries, Fallon keeps things buzzing with a light, joyful touch.