The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Episode: Trump Tears Down White House Wing to Make Room for $200M Ballroom as Government Shutdown Persists
Air Date: October 22, 2025
Guests: Jacob Elordi, Charlie Puth, Allen Iverson

Overview

This episode features Jimmy Fallon's trademark blend of sharp political satire and celebrity interviews, centered on current headlines—especially Donald Trump's White House renovations amid a government shutdown. Jimmy welcomes actor Jacob Elordi (discussing his starring role in "Frankenstein"), singer-songwriter Charlie Puth (who announces his upcoming fatherhood and album), and NBA legend Allen Iverson (reflecting candidly on his career and new documentary).

Monologue Highlights & Political Satire

(00:05–06:10)

• NBA Returns to NBC: Jimmy kicks off by celebrating the NBA’s return to NBC after 20 years, poking fun at the network’s 90s focus on Chicago and LeBron James' absence from the season opener.
• Team Name Confusion Bit: A quick, comedic rundown of NBA team names ensues, climaxing with playful confusion over the “Utah Jazz.”
• Trump & The White House:
  • Jimmy jokes about President Trump demolishing the White House East Wing for a $200 million ballroom during the ongoing government shutdown.
  • Fallon quips, “For Trump, knocking down walls is easy. It's building them that's hard.” (04:37)
  • On Trump’s lunch with Senate Republicans: “The lunch became a picnic when they realized there were no walls. Even worse, at the end of the lunch, Trump spun around his iPad and made everyone leave him a tip. And he goes, 30% is standard.” (04:49)

Notable Quotes

• “Today, when asked who his favorite NBA team is, Trump said, Without question, it's the Denver McNuggets.” – Jimmy Fallon (02:23)
• “For Trump, knocking down walls is easy. It's building them that's hard.” – Jimmy Fallon (04:37)

Interview: Jacob Elordi

(06:46–13:56)

Euphoria & Secrecy

• Jacob gives a cryptic teaser for the next season of "Euphoria," stating:
  • “I think a good phrase, I guess, for my season is white fritillaries. Do with that what you will.” (08:11)

"Frankenstein" Transformation

• Discusses starring as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein":

  • All effects were practical, with makeup sessions of up to 11 hours—allowing Jacob to deeply immerse in the role.
  • He describes preparing physically and emotionally, referencing Butoh (a Japanese dance of death) for movement inspiration.

• On working with del Toro:

  • “To this day, that's why he's like, he's the greatest filmmaker alive.” (12:23)
  • “When you meet an artist of that magnitude... you just have to let them know how important their work is.” (12:39)

Film's Themes

• Elordi describes "Frankenstein" as “a film about being human and about how we're all misunderstood and how we misunderstand ourselves... The hope is with the film at the end, we can all maybe understand each other a little bit better.” (13:06–13:31)

Review Highlights

• Fallon reads glowing reviews for Elordi’s performance, including:
  • "Jacob Elordi delivers career best performance in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein" – Newsweek
  • "Jacob Elordi is the soul of a gorgeous Guillermo del Toro monster movie." – Indiewire

Interview: Charlie Puth

(14:22–19:17)

New Single & Personal News

• Charlie promotes his single "Changes" and, in a heartfelt moment, announces he and his wife are expecting their first child in March:
  • “Yeah, we'll be. We're expecting a baby in March.” (15:17)

Musical Craft & Album

• Describes "Changes" as Peter Gabriel and Bruce Hornsby-inspired, especially highlighting the use of a Yamaha CP70 keyboard:

  • “It's a hybrid of an acoustic piano, an electric piano made by Yamaha, and it's severely underused in music.” (17:04)

• The upcoming album Whatever's Clever (out March 6) is, paradoxically, “not clever,” but authentic and emotionally open:

  • “It was kind of a cathartic way to say goodbye to a former way of thinking... Really songs for me.” (17:46–18:17)

‘Professor Puth’ and Music Teaching

• Puth discusses his TikTok series "Professor Puth," encouraging everyone to make music regardless of skill:
  • “You have a voice... If you don't know how to play an instrument, your voice is your instrument.” (18:51–19:17)

Interview: Allen Iverson

(19:42–27:34)

On Michael Jordan & NBA Return

• Reflects on playing against Michael Jordan:
  • “All I wanted to do was watch Mike... That was my hero. He was the reason why everybody know who Allen Iverson is today.” (20:31)
  • Recalls being starstruck: “He had this aura, like this orange force field around him... When I'm around him, I'm still starstruck.” (21:28–22:08)

Relationship With Philly

• Discusses his bond with Philadelphia:
  • “There's no relationship, you know, player to fans like Allen Iverson in the city of Philadelphia, man.” (23:21–23:54)
• On feeling at home: “I grew up with those people... I became a man there.” (24:02)

Upbringing and Path to Basketball

• Credits his mother for introducing him to basketball despite his initial focus on football, calling it a legendary turning point in his life.

New Memoir & Documentary

• Talks “Misunderstood,” his memoir, and new Prime Video docuseries—sharing his aim to be an “open book”:
  • “My gift is being an open book... to inspire, to help people, to save lives... I want to share them, you know what I mean? So people don't make the same mistakes that I made.” (26:21)
  • “It's confirmation that the devil is a sucker ... He's able to make people believe that their dreams can't come true. And he's never been able to mess with me.” (26:58–27:31)

Notable Moment

• Jimmy reveals Iverson’s mom gave him her own playing card backstage—prompting laughs and adding a touching, personal moment. (25:45–25:52)

Key Timestamps

• NBA/Trump Monologue: 01:11–06:10
• Jacob Elordi Interview: 06:46–13:56
• Charlie Puth Interview: 14:22–19:17
• Allen Iverson Interview: 19:42–27:34

Notable Quotes

• "For Trump, knocking down walls is easy. It's building them that's hard." – Jimmy Fallon (04:37)
• “White fritillaries. Do with that what you will.” – Jacob Elordi on Euphoria, (08:11)
• “I want all of you to make music... If you don't know how to play an instrument, your voice is your instrument.” – Charlie Puth, (18:51–19:17)
• “He had this aura, like this orange force field around him... When I'm around him, I'm still starstruck.” – Allen Iverson on Michael Jordan, (21:28–22:08)
• "My gift is being an open book... to inspire, to help people, to save lives." – Allen Iverson, (26:21)

Tone & Style

High-energy, humorous, upbeat, and candid exchanges. Jimmy Fallon’s warmth as a host draws out both comedic moments and heartfelt confessions, while celebrity guests offer glimpses into their creative process and personal lives.

Episode Takeaways

• Jimmy’s monologue skewers the intersection of politics and pop culture, especially Trump’s presidency and its theatrics.
• Jacob Elordi’s dedication to his craft shines in detailed behind-the-scenes anecdotes.
• Charlie Puth opens up about music, fatherhood, and his desire to encourage broader creativity.
• Allen Iverson’s humility, candor, and bond with Philly are at the heart of his memoir and documentary.