Last Week Tonight host John Oliver affirmed HBO’s decision to renew his program for another three seasons when he tackled the escalating fight between Donald Trump and the NFL on Sunday. “Putting aside the free speech implications” of the president’s volatile comments at a Friday night rally in Alabama, the former The Daily Show correspondent wondered, “How is kneeling in front of a flag more disrespectful to it that grinding it against your gnarled, old boner?” The audience’s uproarious laughter notwithstanding, Oliver pushed the point to the extreme with a rather apt comparison to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“Even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell denounced the president’s comments,” said the host. “When you have lost the moral high ground to Roger fucking Goodell, something is horribly wrong.” Of course, while Goodell’s organization (and affiliated groups) did release public statements regarding Trump’s rally comments, many have called into question the severity of their condemnations. (The initial statement didn’t even mention Trump by name.) Even so, the commissioner’s controversial (in)actions regarding major league issues like concussions and alleged domestic abuse haven’t painted the brightest portrait of his character. Hence Oliver’s comparison.
He then concluded the short bit with a few shots at Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro, who railed against the players and team staff members who protested during Sunday’s anthems. “America’s been incredibly good to every one of you,” she exclaimed during the clip shown. “Shame on you. Shame on all of you!” In response, Oliver quipped, “By the way, Jeanine? There’s a flag behind you. Have some f*cking respect.”