John Oliver’s bizarre anti-Trump dog and pony show hit another low point this past Sunday on his HBO program, “Last Week Tonight.” Our left-wing chum warned that under the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a broad agenda for civil service reform theorized for a second Trump term, the ex-President could somehow morph into a George Wallace clone.
Project 2025, at almost 900 pages, has been demonized by progressive detractors as a chilling conservative ‘How To’ manual for a potential returning Trump presidency. Oliver suggests Trump aims to morph 50,000 civil service roles into patronage appointments, essentially increasing the numbers of dedicated followers within government ranks. Try as he might to stoke the fear of ruthless efficiency under a claimed second Trump term, this scary speculation seems far-fetched at best.
Oliver’s case against Trump was as direct as they come: Voting for Trump, in any capacity, was painted as dangerous. He argues while a Biden presidency poses its problems, it is scrambled eggs next to the perceived hot grease of a Trump re-run. Oliver’s self-appointed mission? To convince viewers that the status quo is better than the change a theoretical Trump return might bring.
Weaving tales of fright, Oliver insists Project 2025 presents a toxic mix of powerful government elitism and narrow executive power. He compares it to the archaic views yelled out from platforms by the likes of George Wallace and Pat Buchanan. According to Oliver, an eager president like Trump would be predisposed to using such a playbook, were he given a second chance.
Oliver yearns for an opposition party that can articulate a spirited defense of our country’s ideals while living up to them consistently. Understandably, he wants more than just a non-Trump presidency and the death of two unnamed Supreme Court justices. He’s nervous about the future and isn’t mincing words.
Oliver cautions undecided voters against tempting fate with the belief that we survived Trump’s first term and could handle a second. He insinuates that an encore Trump act could eclipse his first run in potential damage.
The idea that Trump plans to turn 50,000 civil service positions political is conjecture. Predicting such an outcome is like buying a lottery ticket at this point. As for the risks of a second Trump term ushering in some kind of renewed Wallace-era segregation, that seems as likely as Oliver becoming the torchbearer for conservative values overnight.
Plainly put, Oliver’s antics this Sunday fed into the same narrative of fear he frequently criticizes when coming from the other side of the aisle. Stripping the hyperbole away from Oliver’s remarks reveals a biased and unsubstantiated provision of proof. One must wonder, as Oliver might question, can we possibly survive more of the same?
