In the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver made fun of how President Donald Trump is handling the ongoing US war with Iran. He also commented on how it is affecting gas prices in the US. Oliver pointed out how the Trump administration sent mixed signals. For example, officials went from saying the conflict was “very complete… pretty much” to ramping up strikes under the silly name “Operation Epic Fury.”
Oliver called “Operation Epic Fury” “definitely the stupidest name I’ve ever heard.” He linked it to more general criticisms of Trump’s erratic reasons for going to war. These reasons went from national security to nuclear threats and regime change. Moreover, he talked about how Trump acted dumb about US strikes. This included one that might have hit an Iranian girls’ school. At the same time, Iranian media said the war was a distraction from problems at home. The segment also made fun of advisors who didn’t care about gas prices. In fact, one high-ranking official said they “couldn’t care less” about Americans’ wallets.
The comedian said that the war in Iran was directly responsible for rising oil prices. He pointed out that Trump was worried about price spikes. At the same time, Trump was saying “practically nothing left to target.” Trump also downplayed effects like “America runs on Dunkin’.” Late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon made fun of Trump for lying about prices. Meanwhile, the war dragged on and the economy felt the effects around the world.
The summary of Oliver’s style, which mixes sharp analysis with absurdity, is a good example of how the war is still going on without a clear end. The conflict started weeks ago from Mar-a-Lago’s makeshift situation room. Fans liked the takedown for showing how ridiculous some policies are. However, some pointed out that previous episodes had Iran in them during USAID cuts and leadership deaths, like Ali Khamenei’s.
