To mark the anniversary of Donald Trump’s presidential victory, John Oliver on Sunday took a step back from the daily chaos coming from the White House to examine the three significant ways the Trump presidency has attacked the basic norms of democracy: delegitimizing the media, practicing “whataboutism” (example: his reaction to Charlottesville), and trolling.
“While there is nothing new about any of these techniques, they are now coming out of the Oval Office,” Oliver said. “Which not only legitimatizes them, it risks them spreading. That sadly is happening.”
Despite the fatigue so many Americans are experiencing, the Last Week Tonight host urges viewers to remain vigilant of these techniques and speak out. By doing so, Americans can continue notching small but important victories, such as blocking Trump’s Muslim ban and stalling the Republican effort to repeal Obamacare.
“Despite Trump’s few real policy accomplishments to date, he has consistently achieved one thing, and that is making his enemies unhappy,” he said. “And for many Trump supporters, that itself counts as a major victory.”
