Last week, American pop culture had one of those bizarre hiccups that somehow manages to dominate headlines despite its triviality. Greg Gutfeld — Fox News’s late-night wannabe, right-wing provocateur, and self-proclaimed comedian — appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Cue the outrage cycle. Cue the think pieces. Cue the questions about why Jimmy Fallon would sit across from someone who has, for years, trafficked in inflammatory commentary without offering even a whisper of accountability.

But as easy as it is to rail against Fallon’s soft-gloved handling of his guest, the more insidious story lurks beneath: the way media outlets, both mainstream and fringe, continue to accept Fox News’s framing of Greg Gutfeld as a dominant player in the so-called “late-night wars.”

Let’s set the record straight. Greg Gutfeld is not in the late-night wars. He doesn’t even qualify for the battlefield.

The Phantom of Late Night

At first glance, it’s understandable why casual observers might buy the myth. Gutfeld! carries the trappings of late night: a host cracking jokes (or attempting to), a rotating panel of media and political figures, a live studio audience, and the occasional celebrity appearance. For anyone squinting from a distance, it might resemble Politically Incorrect or even a bargain-bin version of The Daily Show.

But here’s the crucial distinction: in the TV industry, “late night” is not about aesthetics — it’s about airtime. The late-night block officially begins once prime time ends, at 11 p.m. ET. This is when Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, and Meyers come out to play.

And what time does Gutfeld! air? Since July 2023, it has planted its flag firmly at 10 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. PT. That’s prime time, not late night. By definition, Greg Gutfeld is competing with scripted dramas, reality competitions, and the tail end of Sean Hannity’s nightly sermon — not with the Jimmys.

So why does the illusion persist? Because Fox News wants it to.

A Manufactured Rivalry

Fox News thrives on confrontation, especially cultural ones. Framing Gutfeld as a late-night warrior taking down liberal icons like Colbert and Fallon is a neat rhetorical trick — a way of “owning the libs” while also crowning another “No. 1” hit in its growing arsenal.

And truthfully, Gutfeld does pull impressive numbers. In the second quarter of 2025, Gutfeld! averaged around 3 million viewers a night. That’s double or triple anything on MSNBC (other than Rachel Maddow’s show), six times CNN’s numbers, and often higher than entertainment programming on Fox’s own broadcast network. In fact, Gutfeld even managed to edge past Hannity, his 9 p.m. lead-in, a rare feat in the Fox ecosystem.

But let’s not confuse ratings success with cultural dominance. High viewership doesn’t make Gutfeld! a late-night program — it makes it a prime-time juggernaut dressed up in late-night drag.

Why the Distinction Matters

For one thing, late night has long been about cultural influence as much as ratings. Fallon, Colbert, and Kimmel compete not just for eyeballs but for the viral clip of the morning after — the sketch, the interview, the joke that defines a news cycle. That’s a space Gutfeld rarely enters. His comedy, steeped in partisan barbs, appeals to an ideologically narrow audience. Fox viewers adore him, but beyond the conservative bubble, his presence barely registers in mainstream entertainment culture.

More importantly, pretending Gutfeld belongs in the late-night ecosystem distorts the reality of what he actually is: a political commentator playing dress-up as a comedian, whose platform exists less to lampoon power than to amplify a particular partisan worldview. To call him a rival to Fallon or Colbert isn’t just inaccurate — it’s a fundamental category error.

The Ghost of Red Eye

Part of the confusion stems from Gutfeld’s past. Back in 2007, he did helm a true late-night program: Red Eye, a quirky, semi-comedic Fox News experiment that aired at 3 a.m. ET. Later, The Greg Gutfeld Show occupied the 11 p.m. slot, giving him at least one foot in the late-night pond. For a while, you could squint and argue he was a fringe player.

But those days are over. By shifting Gutfeld! to 10 p.m., Fox ended the debate. Whether he admits it or not, Greg Gutfeld left late night behind.

The Illusion of Victory

Still, the illusion serves a purpose. To Gutfeld’s fans, the idea that he’s clobbering Colbert is not about Nielsen metrics — it’s about cultural revenge. It’s about turning the tables on Hollywood, the media, and the left-leaning comedy establishment. It’s a story that Fox News can sell: their renegade comic is not only surviving in hostile territory, he’s winning.

But here’s the truth: Gutfeld is not beating Colbert. He’s not even competing with him. They’re not playing the same game, in the same arena, or even at the same time. The “war” is imaginary — a PR mirage designed to elevate Gutfeld’s brand and flatter his viewers.

Prime Time in Late-Night Drag

The irony is that Gutfeld doesn’t need the illusion to be successful. By prime-time standards, his show is a hit. Three million nightly viewers in 2025 is no small feat in a fragmented media landscape. Fox News should be celebrating that achievement on its own terms.

But instead, the network insists on painting him as the new king of late night. It’s as if they’re embarrassed to admit the obvious: that Gutfeld is a primetime star, not a late-night legend.

And perhaps that’s the final punchline. Greg Gutfeld’s greatest joke is not the ones he tells on air but the collective sleight of hand convincing America that he’s part of a battle he left long ago.