Jimmy Fallon had Donald Trump on “The Tonight Show” Thursday night, and all some people could talk about afterward was a head rub. Toward the end of the interview, Fallon asked the Republican presidential nominee if he could mess up his famous head of hair on live TV, leading to raucous applause and the sort of bite-sized video that both the creators and consumers of internet media eat up.

Before the rub, Fallon did sneak in a few subtle quips, like asking Trump if he knew what a coin was, or suggesting that he still has time to drop out if he decides he no longer wants to become president. But by and large, Fallon’s interview was an extended on-air puff piece, filled with the same sort of polite give-and-take a late-night host reserves for an actor on an obligatory promotional tour.

Throughout the interview, Fallon was predictably non-confrontational and willing to work with whatever Trump gave him. When Trump made a joke about fearing what people might do to his hamburgers if they know it’s him before he orders, Fallon leaned back in his chair and let out a disproportionately large laugh relative to the funniness of the joke. Was it really that funny? No, it was not.

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Perhaps we shouldn’t expect more from Fallon. As some noted after the interview, he is a comedian, not a journalist. His job first and foremost is to entertain his audience, not to expose the truth. And Fallon, in particular, has never shown an interest in making enemies. He mostly loves to laugh.

But at their best, late-night hosts have been able to toe a difficult line between comedy and responsibility. No one did this better than David Letterman, who repeatedly exposed truth while on the air, as when he noted during an interview with Trump that some of his clothes were made in China, the country Trump has made his reputation on criticizing. It was entertaining, but it was also important, and Letterman knew how to be both simultaneously.

Fallon is not Letterman, and he never will be, nor does he seem to want to be. But that doesn’t mean he should be let off the hook for humanizing a well-documented xenophobic, racist and misogynistic serial liar, which is exactly what he did on Thursday. Seth Meyers, by comparison, has instituted a Trump ban on his “Late Night” show to avoid just such a promotional appearance.

Trump is an unprecedented candidate who has befuddled professional journalists, let alone fellow entertainers. He is smooth on television and in interviews, able to wiggle out of any question that doesn’t appeal to him. So on the one hand, maybe Fallon just knew he wasn’t going to be able to catch him in a pinch. But on the other, that was a softball interview even by softball standards, and Fallon deserves some flack today.

In his defense, Jimmy Fallon just pulled in a 35 share among white supremacists 18-49. — Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) September 16, 2016

Jimmy Fallon blew it tonight. Late night comedians used be the court jesters of culture. Humanizing a xenophobe is not okay. #FallonTonight — Ateeya Manzoor (@Ateeya) September 16, 2016

I don't fault Jimmy Fallon for not being a journalist. I do fault him for his willingness to serve as hell's court jester. — Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) September 16, 2016

Fallon interviewing Hitler: "Let's talk about your book!" — Megan Amram (@meganamram) September 16, 2016

FYI if u rub donald trump's hair like this u will be given $1M but also a minority you know or don't know will die pic.twitter.com/gzHkLFLOKL — Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) September 16, 2016

Trump: Savage dark-skinned illegals, roaming the streets in search of murder and mayhem



Fallon: What? WHAT? Haha, wow! — ☕netw3rk (@netw3rk) September 16, 2016

TRUMP: We're gonna deport everyone



FALLON: (cracking up)



TRUMP: Anyone against me will pay



FALLON: (bursts out laughing) Ya got me! — Drew Magary (@drewmagary) September 16, 2016

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.