“As we tape this show right now tonight, the Unite the Right II rally is winding down,” said John Oliver at the top of Sunday evening’s Last Week Tonight. “A massive dozens of white nationalists apparently gathered in D.C., where they were met by hundreds of counterprotesters calling them all assholes.”
While Oliver called the discrepancy “heartening,” he warned his HBO audience not to get too reassured, as the neo-Nazi gathering still represented “a visceral reminder of the problems we’re facing.”
The comedian then threw to a July Quinnipiac University poll revealing that 49 percent of Americans think President Donald Trump is a racist.
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“It is both shocking that it’s 49 percent, and it’s equally shocking that it’s only 49 percent—because it’s not like he’s been hiding it,” argued Oliver. “It’s been his brand for decades now. It’s like only 49 percent of people thinking Kermit is a frog. It’s in his name! Whether you like or hate that about him, you have to admit he’s fucking frog!”
Indeed, the first time Trump made national headlines was when the Department of Justice went after him and his father in a housing discrimination suit, with Trump’s company allegedly marking apartment applications from black families as “C” for “colored.” Then, of course, there was the way he kicked off his political career: a birther crusade against the first black president, Barack Obama. Oh, and this. And this. And this. And this.
“Today’s demonstration is just the culmination of a week in which America’s regular dog-whistle racism became uncomfortably loud. And perhaps there’s no better example of this than Fox News’ Laura Ingraham,” said Oliver.
Yes, last week Ingraham unleashed a rant on her Fox News program ostensibly against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—but she then extended it to the general browning of America. “In some parts of the country, it does seem like the America we know and love doesn’t exist anymore. Massive demographic changes have been foisted upon the American people—and they’re changes that none of us ever voted for and most of us don’t like,” said Ingraham, who added, “From Virginia to California, we see stark examples of how radically, in some ways, the country has changed. Now, much of this is related to both illegal and in some cases legal immigration that, of course, progressives love.”
“Wow. She just came right out and said it, in a scripted commentary, straight at the camera, knowing her mic was on,” offered a dumbfounded Oliver. “No ‘economic anxiety,’ no ‘some of them are good people,’ just ‘I don’t want people who don’t look like this here.’ You almost want to give her credit for honesty there, and then deduct twice as much credit because she’s just being honest about how racist she is.”
Ingraham tried to claim her anti-immigration rant had nothing to do with race, which, sure Jan. After all, it was endorsed by none other than former KKK grand wizard David Duke, who called it “one of the most important (truthful) monologues in the history of the MSM.”
“When the former head of the Klan likes what you’re doing, that should give you real pause,” said Oliver. “Let me put it this way: If immediately after this taping, Dr. Larry Nassar caught me in the hallway and said, ‘Hey, man, love the show!’ I’d think long and hard about what the fuck I just said.”
