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

James Raskin alleged that federal agents were responsible for two of Minneapolis' three 2026 homicides and questioned DHS transparency
37 minutes ago
The inquiry will assess whether Rep Tony Gonzales violated House conduct rules following allegations tied to a former district office employee
1 hour ago
An interim review found that senior officials knew of credible fraud concerns by 2019 yet agencies continued payments
1 hour ago
Republican Cornyn and Paxton failed to secure a majority, forcing a May 26 runoff that could shape the party's strategy and general election prospects
2 hours ago
Defense chief says air superiority near as Operation Epic Fury cuts missile capacity
2 hours ago
Pete Hegseth credited the Israel Defense Forces as 'devastatingly capable', adding that the two allies were controlling the pace of the operation
2 hours ago
Illinois Gov JB Pritzker says he never met Jeffrey Epstein or flew on his plane, calling Clinton’s deposition comment mistaken
9 hours ago
Mike Pence said he 'could not be more proud' of President Donald Trump’s decision to authorize direct strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities
9 hours ago
Senator Mark Kelly questioned how the escalating conflict with Iran helps families already struggling with high costs of living
10 hours ago
Clinton spent over six hours answering questions from the House Oversight Committee, showing brief amusement at a photo from Epstein’s files
11 hours ago