John Oliver’s focus on the Nov. 3 midterm elections took a detour into documentary discussion on Sunday’s “Last Week Tonight.” While examining Republican candidates’ efforts to distance themselves from Donald Trump, the HBO host brought up “You Can See Everything,” the Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim documentary featuring Elizabeth Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans.
The connection came through an interview with Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate candidate in Michigan. Appearing on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Rogers was asked by Kristen Welker whether voting for him amounted to supporting Trump’s agenda. Rogers responded that he was having trouble with his earpiece. Oliver treated that response as an attempt to avoid answering the question, then shifted his attention to Holmes and Evans.
Oliver compared the exchange to his experience watching the documentary, describing three hours spent reacting to the pair. With a photograph of Holmes, a convicted scam artist, and Evans on screen, he called them “two complete lunatics.” The reference grew out of his criticism of Rogers’ response rather than a separate discussion devoted to the film.
The documentary has also become a recurring subject among the people making “Last Week Tonight,” according to Oliver. He invited anyone interested in discussing it to contact members of his staff and said their interest had disrupted work on the program. In his telling, the film had become enough of a fixation to interfere with the team’s workflow.
Before that aside, Oliver examined the contrast between Trump’s effort to make the midterms about himself and Republican candidates’ reluctance to emphasize their ties to him amid his low approval ratings. Trump has repeatedly suggested that a Republican vote is a vote for him. Oliver cited a recent New Yorker report saying more than 99% of GOP advertising spending was going toward spots that did not mention Trump.
The host also discussed a pledge Trump led at a recent midterm convention. The pledge praised Trump as the greatest American president and described his love for supporters as leaving him unable to breathe. Trump also told the audience that failing to vote would send them to hell. Oliver mocked both the wording of the pledge and the threatened consequence of not voting.
The election discussion continued a focus Oliver had established the previous week, when much of “Last Week Tonight” examined ties between MAGA midterm candidates and neo-Nazis. Sunday’s installment returned to campaign politics while giving the Holmes and Evans documentary a place in the host’s commentary.
