news

"He is not normal. He is abnormal." John Oliver takes aim at Donald Trump.

British late night host John Oliver has called on Americans to do more than simply rage online about the presidential election of Donald Trump.

The 39-year-old launched the two-prong attack during this year’s final episode of his show, Last Week Tonight.

“For the last eight years, we’ve had a president we could assume would generally stand up for the rights of all Americans. But that is going to change now. So we’re going to have to actively stand up for one another,” he said.

“And it can’t just be sounding off on the internet or sharing think pieces or videos like this one that echo around your bubble. I’m talking about actual sacrifice to support people who are now under threat.”

John Oliver points out the surprise of current President Obama. Source: HBO.

The host didn't hold back with his criticism of the President-Elect and his perceived racial policies.

“America proved no grandpa is too racist to become the leader of the free world," he said.

Oliver then addressed the divided reactions that have emerged since results were announced.

“Many people are happy to see him [Trump] in office. Some are voters who think he’ll bring jobs back and shake up Washington. Others are happy simply because he isn’t Hillary Clinton. And others, of course, are Vladimir Putin and Scott Baio," he said.

“But for the rest of us, we are faced with the same questions as a guy who woke up the day after a Vegas bachelor party, deep in the desert, naked, tied to a cactus and a dead clown. Namely, how the f**k did we get here, and what the f**k do we do now? Donald Trump will be president, and respecting democracy means accepting that. Although there is one sentiment that I would argue takes that a little too far.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The comedian went on to explain the perceived shock behind the result by answering the question of "how did we get here?"

“Well clearly there are many possible answers to that question, including misleading forecasts that bred complacency, a flawed candidate who failed to appeal to white, rural, and working class voters, and — and this is worth repeating — deep racism and/or indifference to it. For those, including us, who were shocked by Tuesday, we’re going to be examining all of this for years," he said.

Hear Mia Freedman, Rosie Waterland, Jessie Stephens and others debriefing about the US election on a special Mamamia Out Loud bonus episode, here: Post continues after audio.

Oliver left audiences with a grave warning about the media and how optimistic forecasts unintentionally normalise the President-Elect.

“Optimism is nice, if you can swing it. But you’ve got to be careful, because it can feed into the normalisation of Donald Trump. Because he is not normal. He is abnormal,” he said.

“He’s a human, ‘what is wrong with this picture?’ He sticks out like a sore thumb, and frankly he even looks like a sore thumb. So giving him a chance in the sense of not speaking out immediately against the policies he’s proposed is dangerous. Because some of them are alarming.”

Read a prediction on how Trump's presidency will affect women here.