'You're blaming video games?' Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, and Stephen Colbert shoot down the GOP's latest mass shooting scapegoat.


Jimmy Fallon began Monday's Tonight Show with some sober words about the back-to-back mass shootings that killed at least 31 people in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend.
He slipped a few related jokes into his monologue. "Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tripped at his house and broke his shoulder. On the bright side, it will be harder for him to shrug off gun control," Fallon deadpanned. "July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. Right now, Democrats are blaming global warming while Republicans are blaming video games."
Stephen Colbert's Late Show elaborated on that last joke.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Daily Show's Trevor Noah explored various proffered theories on what causes mass shootings: "Is it the internet? Is it video games? Is it Trump? Is it mental illness? You know what's sad and frustrating about America is that after every mass shooting, lawmakers want to identify the one thing that causes all mass shootings, and if they can't agree on what that thing is, nothing gets done. But the truth is, when it comes to any individual shooting, the cause could be any one of those factors if not more. But there's one thing that every mass shooting has in common: Whatever motivated it has to be combined with a gun."
"We know there's a clear correlation between the number of guns we have in this country and the number of gun-related deaths we have in this country," Seth Meyers said at Late Night. Republicans "have to pretend this is some sort of unsolvable problem because they're beholden to powerful lobbies like gun manufacturers and the NRA," but "blaming video games? You do know that other countries have video games, too, right? Japan has a huge gaming culture and very few gun deaths. If video games were so influential, they should make one about Congress and call it 'F#@!ing Do Something.'" Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Scottish hospitality shines at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Sleep well at these lovely inns across Scotland
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Scientists invent a solid carbon-negative building material
Under the radar Building CO2 into the buildings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published