Jimmy Fallon is in hot water with some of his audience.

The “Tonight” show host angered his largely progressive viewership by referring to trans actor Hunter Schafer as “bud” during a Nov. 17 interview about the actor’s latest role in the newly released prequel to “The Hunger Games.”

Schafer explained to Fallon he previously dressed up as a character in the franchise when he was a child.

“For Halloween, I was obsessed with how the capitol people were in costume and made my own costume,” Schafer stated.

“Oh bud, it’s unbelievable!” Fallon replied.

“This is really cool, now you’re in ‘Hunger Games’ — as a capitol person!”

The comments quickly drew reaction from some of the show’s viewers, one of whom pointed out that the word is “unquestionably male-coded.”

Another complained that the transgender community is sick of being subjected to such “microaggressions.”

However, not all the reaction was so critical.

Some fans leapt to the host’s defense, pointing out that he regularly refers to his guests as “bud,” regardless of their gender.

The controversy caps off a difficult few months for Fallon, who was recently forced to apologize following a Rolling Stone report about his creation of a toxic work environment.

“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends,” Fallon said during a Zoom meeting in September, according to Variety.

“I feel so bad I can’t even tell you,” he continued. “I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.