Fallon: New Star Wars Character Rey Hired by Jeb Bush Since She ‘Tries to Salvage’ Wrecks

December 4th, 2015 8:28 AM

Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon chose to weave the 2016 election and the promotion of upcoming guest Daisy Ridley from Star Wars: The Force Awakens into his opening monologue late Thursday by joking that Ridley’s character had been hired by the Jeb Bush campaign in “an interesting coincidence” since “she plays a character who tries to salvage massive wreckages.”

After reminding the audience that “Daisy Ridley from the new Star Wars movie is here tonight,” Fallon explained that “everyone's talking about her role and in the movie, she plays a character who tries to salvage massive wreckages.”

Fallon then quipped that this is why, in “just an interesting coincidence,” her character (named Rey) has “been hired by Jeb Bush's campaign.”

Staying on the subject of Bush, Fallon admitted that “[t]hing haven’t been going too great” for him even though “he’s not giving up” with him hearing a news report “that his campaign has spent the most money on TV ads at $30 million.” It was at that point the NBC late-night comic dropped the punchline: “I don't want to say Jeb's run too many ads, but his new Secret Service code name is Geico.”

Following a gooey joke about Hillary Clinton’s Instagram page deciding to follow HGTV’s page in hopes of her winning the White House, Fallon closed out the political jokes for the monologue with these lines about former President Bill Clinton and possible Instagram habits he’d have: 

Actually, Hillary went on kind of an Instagram binge and followed a bunch of celebrities like Beyonce, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga. When asked if he follows any women on Instagram, Bill Clinton was like, “all of them.” [LAUGHER AND APPLAUSE] “When your girlfriend posts a photo, I'm the guy who writes, nice.” [LAUGHTER]

The relevant portion of the transcript from NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on December 3 can be found below.

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
December 3, 2015
11:36 p.m. Eastern

JIMMY FALLON: Daisy Ridley from the new Star Wars movie is here tonight. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] Yeah, everyone's talking about her role and in the movie, she plays a character who tries to salvage massive wreckages. Yeah, which explains why he's been hired by Jeb Bush's campaign. It’s just an interesting coincidence. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE] Things haven't been going too great for Jeb Bush, but he's not giving up. In fact, I read that his campaign has spent the most money on TV ads at $30 million. I don't want to say Jeb's run too many ads, but his new Secret Service code name is Geico. [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE] They're good ads. 

STEVE RIGGINS: Yeah, they're great. 

FALLON: Over on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton recently started following a bunch of new people and organizations on Instagram, including the home improvement channel, HGTV. When asked why, Hillary was like, “Oh, I'm getting a new house soon.” [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] “Granite countertops, outdoor space.” Actually, Hillary went on kind of an Instagram binge and followed a bunch of celebrities like Beyonce, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga. When asked if he follows any women on Instagram, Bill Clinton was like, “all of them.” [LAUGHER AND APPLAUSE] “When your girlfriend posts a photo, I'm the guy who writes, nice.” [LAUGHTER]