John Oliver named the person in the Trump administration who he believed is responsible for upping the ante in America’s war of words with China.
Oliver described Vice President JD Vance as “the most reckless player in the Trump administration’s messaging to China,” adding that it was because, “Vance, true to form, was even more of a d--k.”
In an April 3 interview with Fox & Friends, Vance weighed in on Trump’s controversial global tariff announcement and defended the president against his high rates against China : “We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture,” Vance said.
“Wow,” Oliver replied on Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight. “I know it is hard to take from someone with this accent, but you are really not supposed to use the word peasants anymore. That is incredibly insulting. Especially coming from a man, who, remember, is next in line to run the country if anything were to happen to Elon Musk.”
China not only condemned Vance, but as CNN reported, Chinese state media allowed Vance’s interview to play uncensored. The interview subsequently went viral. CNN cited a social media post from one angry user on April 8 that read, when translated: “Have you said thank you for the money we lent you?” That sarcastic remark referenced both how much of America’s debt is held by Chinese banks, as well as Vance’s comments during a tense White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February.
“Yeah that’s a pretty solid burn,” Oliver replied to the comment. “In a way, I guess it’s reassuring to know that despite our differences, the American and Chinese people can come together to agree that it is fun to dunk on this cursed Cabbage Patch b–--h.”
