HBO host John Oliver began Sunday's "Last Week Tonight" addressing the Unite the Right rally in Washington, DC on Sunday that resulted in "a massive, dozens" of neo-Nazi and white supremacist protesters.
Oliver explained that the dozens of protesters were met by hundreds ready to "call them assh*les." While the humiliation of the right may have been entertaining, Oliver noted that it is among the only bright things in the fight against racism this week.
Just a year after Charlottesville, a new poll revealed that 49 percent of Americans think that President Donald Trump is a racist.
"Every time I look at those numbers it just stuns me," CNN's John King said last week.
"Yeah, because it is stunning," Oliver agreed. "Because it is both shocking that it is 49 percent and it is equally shocking that it's only 49 percent. Because it's not like he's been hiding it. It's been his brand for decades."
Trump has a history of attacking people of color going back to the Central Park Five case, in which he continues to claim five black teens were responsible for raping a white woman. Trump enthusastically attacked former President Barack Obama with a racist birther campaign; and when given an opportunity to denounce the racists in Charlottesville, he said that there were "very fine people on both sides."
"It's like if only 49 percent of people think Kermit is a frog," Oliver continued. "It's in his name! Whether you like or hate that about him, you have to admit he's a f*cking frog."
Oliver then turned to Fox News host Laura Ingraham's racist commentary about the demographic shift in America changing because of illegal and legal immigration.
"Wow," Oliver said, shocked. "She just came right out with and said it in a scripted commentary, straight out to camera, knowing her mic was one. No economic anxiety. No 'some of them are good people.' Just 'I don't want people who don't look like this here.' You almost want to give her credit for honesty there and then deduct twice as much credit because she's too honest about how racist she is."
Ingraham later said that her comments had nothing to do with race.
Watch the Oliver opener below:
