John Oliver didn’t mince words when he shared his reaction to Donald Trump’s 2024 U.S. election victory on Last Week Tonight. Joining the chorus of voices like Jon Stewart, Desi Lydic, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel, Oliver delivered a raw, unfiltered take on the outcome, capturing the frustration and anger felt by many.
Oliver acknowledged the complexity of processing such a moment in a powerful segment. “There’s no right reaction right now,” he began. “A lot of us are grieving, and grief comes in stages. For some, it’s denial or acceptance, but for me, it’s anger—and I’m stuck there.”
Oliver’s anger was multifaceted. He expressed outrage for marginalized communities, particularly transgender individuals facing heightened threats under a Trump administration. He condemned the looming possibility of mass deportations and criticized President Biden for not stepping aside sooner, allowing the election to become a contest between “two men older than credit cards themselves.”
He didn’t stop there. Oliver railed against the erosion of reproductive rights, mocking the hypocrisy of right-wing rhetoric like, “Your body, my choice.” He took aim at Elon Musk’s growing influence, questioning why a billionaire tech mogul is sitting in on high-stakes meetings with world leaders like Ukraine’s president. And he lamented the long-term damage Trump’s policies could inflict, from rolling back climate change initiatives to reshaping the Supreme Court with more conservative justices.
Perhaps most relatable was Oliver’s exasperation at the assumption that covering Trump makes his job easier. “Is your job so much easier with Trump as president?” he mimicked, before unleashing a blistering response: “No, it is not! No, it fucking isn’t! Fuck you so much! You don’t know what you’re talking about—fuck you quite a lot!”
Oliver’s rant was equal parts cathartic and sobering, a reminder of the high stakes and deep divisions shaping this political moment. His words resonated not just as comedy, but as a reflection of the collective frustration many are feeling as the country braces for another four years under Trump.
