John Oliver admits the joke he wanted to tell about Matt Gaetz was cut by lawyers

"Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver began his Sunday show after a special message about the attack on Israel and the retaliation on Gaza. The four-minute segment appeared prior to the opening title sequence and focused on the atrocities on both sides and the politicians who have refused to find peace for decades.

It was only after the show officially began that the comedy started and the HBO host lit into Congress for the ongoing dysfunction that even Rep. George Santos (R-NY) couldn't get behind. Oliver mocked the embattled Republican for claiming Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) refused to ask for his vote. When asked if he was snubbed, Santos swore he wasn't, but Oliver pointed out, his voice said he "absolutely was."

"Glimpse of chaos kept leaking into public view," Oliver said as one member was shown on video walking into the caucus in with a lasso. "And you know things are messy when a U.S. congresswoman walks down the hallway with some horse equipment and all anyone can say is, 'You know what, that's not important right now.'"

He then ridiculed Rep. Nancy Mace (R-NC) for walking into the caucus wearing a big red "A" on her shirt, "and offering an utterly incoherent explanation."

"I'm wearing the Scarlet Letter after the week that I just had last week," she told the press. "Being a woman up here and being demonized for my vote and my voice. I'm here to let the rest of the world know, and the country, know I'm on the side of the people. I'm not on the side of the establishment."

Like many others, Oliver couldn't help but point out that it's very clear Mace has never read or even heard about the Nathaniel Hawthorne book, "The Scarlet Letter."

"Wait, what do you think 'The Scarlet Letter' is about?" Oliver asked. "And nobody help her, let Nancy answer."

In fact, Mace likely hasn't even seen the Emma Stone film "Easy A," which depicts a high school girl who fakes her promiscuity to help gay and unattractive boys seem more desirable. In that movie, the main character is reading the book in her English class and it explains the plot of the novel as well as the letter "A" is meant to represent "adultress." Both the book and the film fight female stereotypes about purity and promiscuity. It doesn't seem Mace meant to convey either.

"Do you think Hester Prynne had to wear the letter 'A' because she girl-bossed too hard for puritanical New England?" he asked. "I'm just saying, read a book before you compare yourself to its protagonist. There's a reason that I wouldn't say I'm like Christian Gray because I also wear a suit. That's not what the book is about. And let's be honest, this suit wears me."

But then it came time to bash Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Oliver brought up some of the quotes from other members comparing the internal GOP battle to marriage counseling and another saying that the ordeal was like the show "House of Cards."

"I guess it's true in that it was kind of fun to watch at first but now I'm just exhausted by it," he said. "There's actually another way in which this drama is like 'House of Cards,' and it involves something one of its key protagonists Matt Gaetz has in common with Kevin Spacey. Sadly, my lawyers told me that I can't say what it is, but I can think it, and so can all of you.

He closed the segment by pointing out the unique way in which the disaster in Washington has carried down to the local level with brawls breaking out among state party Republicans in Michigan. And in Ohio, Democrats had to cross party lines to have a speaker of their state House.

Matt Gaetz was never charged with sex trafficking a minor and always maintained he didn't know she was an underage teen as she lied about her age.

See the clip below or at the link here.