John Oliver mocks Trump for 'turning Christian' after ex-POTUS slams Paris Olympics opening ceremony

The 'Last Week Tonight' host was shading Trump over his remark that Kamala Harris 'turned Black' for political reasons
PUBLISHED AUG 5, 2024
John Oliver mocked Trump over his reaction to the Olympics opening ceremony (LastWeekTonight/Getty images)
John Oliver mocked Trump over his reaction to the Olympics opening ceremony (LastWeekTonight/Getty images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: On Sunday’s episode of 'Last Week Tonight', John Oliver turned his attention to the latest political and cultural events, with Donald Trump once again providing a wealth of material.

The comedian opened the show by examining Trump’s recent “disastrous appearance” before the National Association of Black Journalists, where Trump made contriversial statements about Vice President Kamala Harris’ ethnicity.

Trump’s misguided remarks on Kamala Harris leaves John Oliver scratching his head

According to Deadline, Trump said at the NABJ convention, “She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black.”

Reacting to this, Oliver remarked, “I mean this in the most disparaging way as possible: That went about as well as could be expected. Putting Trump in front of a Black audience and asking him to speak on race was never going to get more elevated than, ‘The lady said she was both Indian and Black, that is cheating!'”

(Getty Images)
John Oliver mocked Trump's remarks, noting they went as expected and were nothing more than confused and insensitive (Getty Images)

Oliver also commented on the complexities of Harris’s background — her father is Black and her mother is Indian — and humorously speculated about the thoughts of JD Vance, who has three biracial children.

Oliver joked, “I cannot imagine what JD Vance, a man with three biracial children was thinking while watching Trump there. Although, you know what? He was probably thinking, ‘Look at that luscious upholstery. Do you think those cushions come all the way off?'”

Paris Olympics opening ceremony sparks controversy

The conversation then shifted to the recent Olympic opening ceremony, which had caused controversy for its perceived resemblance to Leonardo da Vinci’s 'The Last Supper' with drag queens. In reality, the performance was inspired by Greek mythology.

John Oliver sparked a wave of admiration among netizens after slamming ‘bloodthirsty’ Israel-Hamas rhetoric at the start of HBO‘s “Last Week Tonight”. (HBO)
Oliver noted Trump’s sudden concern for religion, calling it odd given his recent shift to Christianity (HBO)

Trump had criticized the ceremony as “a disgrace,” which led Oliver to reflect on Trump’s seemingly newfound interest in religious matters.

“It’s always strange to watch Trump act like he cares about religions. Because to echo something I heard someone say recently, 'I didn’t know he was a Christian until a number of years ago when he happened to turn Christian. All of a sudden, he made a turn and became a Christian person.'”

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

President poked fun at the length of the previous meeting as he moved to keep the latest Cabinet session brief
1 hour ago
Procedural vote failed amid sharp disputes over DHS funding with several federal agencies facing a shutdown deadline early Saturday
2 hours ago
The president accused the Federal Reserve chair of harming the US economy and national security after the central bank declined to cut interest rates
5 hours ago
Four-term senator enters the race at a volatile moment, promising stability as immigration enforcement and public safety dominate debate
6 hours ago
Darius Reeves said ICE used restraint under Barack Obama, but masks and raids abandoned planning and eroded public trust
13 hours ago
Treasury Sec Bessent called Trump Accounts transformative, aiming to boost financial literacy and give American children early market access
13 hours ago
The Minnesota Democrat made the remarks during a news conference in Minneapolis just one day after an incident in which a man sprayed her with liquid
14 hours ago
JD Vance’s remark followed a clash between Tammy Duckworth and Marco Rubio over potential US military involvement in the Caribbean at a Senate hearing
14 hours ago
Karoline Leavitt called the program a major opportunity for families and encouraged parents to review enrollment details on the official website
15 hours ago
A man, identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, rushed the stage during Ilhan Omar’s speech and sprayed a foul-smelling liquid at her
15 hours ago