Late night talk show hosts followed the lead of the U.S. military by taking shots at the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina over the weekend.

"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" couldn't resist the temptation to take target practice on the balloon -- and an airline that has become synonymous with ill-fated flights.

"The balloon floated all the way from Montana to South Carolina," Fallon quipped. "Somehow it got across the country faster than someone traveling on Southwest."

Fallon also pointed out the irony of an F-22 jet vs. a balloon. "Instead of a medal, the pilot who popped the balloon got to pick any stuffed animal on the top shelf -- I'll take SpongeBob ... no, I'll take Bluey."

"Late Night with Seth Meyers" explored the political side of the balloon incident.

"President Biden tomorrow is set to deliver his state of the union address," Meyers said, "and it isn't a good sign that the best he can say is the state of our union is balloon-free."

"The Late Late Show with James Corden" took Balloon-gate to a more personal level.

"On the bright side, when your kid's birthday balloon pops and they're upset you can say, 'No, that was a Chinese spy balloon, Timmy. The Chinese can't spy on us anymore. You're a patriot!'"