Jimmy Fallon and other late-night hosts reflected on Joe Biden’s first day as president of the United States on Thursday night, comparing him to his predecessor and reacting to Biden’s first measures in office.
“Americans heard ‘198 pages’ and were like, ‘All right, we’ll wear the masks, we’ll wear the masks!’” Fallon quipped. “It might look boring to you, but for Dr Fauci, that’s Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Dr Fauci, the leading infectious-diseases expert in the US, has been a prominent presence throughout the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, he said during a press briefing that working with the Biden administration, as opposed to Trump’s, is a “liberating” experience.
“The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know and what the science is ... it is something of a liberating feeling,” Fauci told reporters.
Like Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel reflected on the first 24 hours of Biden’s presidency on Thursday.
“I have to say, it feels good to only have to worry about a deadly pandemic all day,” he quipped. “It is kind of sad how much of my life and brain space and energy I spent focused on this awful, selfish con man for the past five years.”
Trevor Noah played a clip in which Biden pledged to fire “on the spot” any White House employees treating colleagues with disrespect, “no ifs, ands, or buts”.
“Wow. That took a turn,” Noah said in response to Biden’s stern warning. “Welcome to a new era of kindness and respect. And if you’re not on board with that, I’ll rip your nipples off.”
