Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Trump's Handling of COVID and William Barr

November 2, 2020 9:35 AM - Season 4, Episode 28

This week, from the white void, two main stories tonight, focusing of two different aspects of the Trump presidency. #1: the Coronavirus. Bewilderingly, a lot of US Americans seem to think Trump has handled it the best he could. LWT identifies three crucial areas he definitely didn't: Preparation, Coordination and Communication. First main story, on YouTube (21m) #2: Trump's Attorney General William Barr, hailed as a responsible figure when brought on, but quickly revealed himself to be a kind of ultra-toady. Second main story, on YouTube (19m) Other items-- And Now: Our Annual Look At What Happens When Local News and Halloween Collide, and, And Now: Public Officials Prepare Children For A COVID Halloween." Playing the show out is a clip of Attorney General Bill Barr playing the bagpipes.

The white void: "looks like the inside of a ghost's spooky rectum."

Wallace Shawn:
"Redistribute my assets, you glistening gnome!"
"Nationalize my health care, you soft boiled egg!"

F.37: "Panic Attackus" ELECTION DAY

posted by JHarris (4 comments total)

I am looking forward to when he's able to do stories that aren't unmitigated horror.
posted by Marticus at 1:32 PM on November 2, 2020 [7 favorites]

God me too.
posted by Carillon at 10:14 PM on November 2, 2020

When Trump handed out the pens... wow. Just. Fucking. Wow.
posted by essexjan at 7:00 AM on November 3, 2020 [4 favorites]

The replay of Trump immediately undercutting the mask recommendation with "voluntary, I don't think I'm going to do it" drew a growled "that fucker" from me; I will forever wonder how differently things might have gone had he instead gone with "and I of course will be wearing one".

And the pens, yes:

I know, after four years, it is hard for anything Trump does to shock you anymore. But it is worth making sure that that still does. That man was in the middle of talking about his peers’ PTSD and the president cut him off so he could offer everyone pens. Pens. He wasn’t even listening, he was just sitting there waiting for his turn to speak so he could do his pen thing. Is there anything more grim than that? I mean, I guess he could have not offered them pens. But would that have been worse? Better? It’s honestly difficult to say. It’s even more difficult to write a joke off of. “Oh, Trump must be great for you comedians, right?” Yeah, not really! This has been a fucking nightmare!

posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:30 AM on November 7, 2020 [1 favorite]