John Oliver’s Satirical Take on Trump’s Tariff Proposals
In the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver turned his sharp wit towards President Donald Trump, critically examining his controversial proposal to impose a minimum of 10 percent tariffs on goods imported from every nation that engages in trade with the United States.
Revisiting Trump’s assertion that this would herald “the golden age of America,”Oliver quipped, “If by ‘golden age’ you mean the final decade before an elderly person’s demise, then yes, we seem to be very much in a golden age right now. Thank you.”
Visual Aids and Mockery
In his analysis, Oliver showcased a clip of Trump brandishing a diminutive chart as part of his visual aids, which had previously been parodied during the cold open of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Trump humorously remarked on the chart’s small size, attributing its inadequacy to windy conditions that rendered his larger visual impossible to manage.
Oliver slyly remarked, “That’s quite thoughtful, and it suggests that all potential misfortunes were anticipated while unveiling their economic plan aimed at crippling the economy. However, if wind was a concern, it’s worth mentioning that the White House does have an indoor area.”
Criticism of the Chart’s Data
Further delving into the controversy, Oliver pointed out that the chart’s legitimacy had come under scrutiny. He stated, “Regrettably, that chart is absurd for several reasons. It relies on a dubious estimation of tariffs imposed on the U.S. by foreign nations, with a financial journalist eventually uncovering that it merely represented our exports minus imports divided by total imports—a method so flawed it resembles trying to calculate your home’s square footage by manipulating unrelated figures.”
He elaborated on the White House’s subsequent release of a more complex equation, which was found to be just as nonsensical. “Despite claiming a more intricate methodology, they revealed symbols for exports and imports alongside arbitrary variables that effectively canceled each other out, reaffirming that it’s the same illogical equation everyone criticized initially.”
Surprising Countries Affected
Oliver continued, emphasizing the ridiculousness of the tariff strategy, which even targeted the remote Heard and McDonald Islands—uninhabited territories near Antarctica known for their penguin populations. “Oh my God. Imagine if you could return to 2015 and inform your younger self that ‘President Trump will initiate a trade war with a remote island of penguins.’ You’d understandably have many questions, such as, ‘What are you talking about?'”
The Stock Market’s Reaction
In the wake of Trump’s tariff announcement, the stock market experienced a significant downturn. Oliver played a clip from a Restoration Hardware earnings call, during which CEO Gary Friedman reacted to the plummeting stock prices. “What’s our stock now?” Friedman could be heard saying. “I guess the stock fell based on our reported numbers, and then it got slammed due to, uh, oh really? Oh shit. OK.”
With a chuckle, Oliver summarized the sentiment perfectly, stating, “Those five words encapsulate the essence of navigating life under this Trump presidency: ‘Oh really? Oh shit. OK.'”
In Closing, HBO’s Comparison
Towards the end of the segment, Oliver lightheartedly acknowledged the season finale of another HBO show, The White Lotus, and humorously dubbed HBO the “incest network,”making reference to a recurring theme that runs across multiple series including Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.