As expected, The Tonight Show’s Jay Leno conducted a probing, but fair, interview with President Barack Obama Tuesday night.

What Obama might not have foreseen, though, was a haymaker of a punchline Leno uncorked in his monologue moments before the embattled president graced the stage.

President Obama has sent John McCain to Cairo to help solve the political problems that brought the Egyptian government to a halt. I got an idea. How about solving the problems that brought our government to a halt.

The duo’s eventual chat touched on a number of serious subjects, from America’s strained relations with Russia to Edward Snowden. Leno even graciously set up Obama to discuss his “bromance” with Sen. John McCain, obviously an exchange hammered out during the pre-interview process.