John Oliver Responds to Pete Hegseth’s Praise for CNN’s David Ellison and the White House’s Iran War Videos
In his post-Oscars broadcast, John Oliver criticized Pete Hegseth for recent remarks regarding CNN’s coverage of the Iran conflict, as well as the White House’s pro-war videos that he likened to a middle school hype video.
"So cool, bro. I always wanted a government that made war propaganda like eighth-grade boys making a lacrosse team hype video," Oliver commented during the latest episode of Last Week Tonight.
He noted that Iran has been “trolling back,” citing an AI-generated Lego video that suggested the military actions are a distraction from the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, humorously dubbing the convicted sex offender “Llrey Epstein.”
Oliver continued, “The point should be that everyone in this White House needs parental controls on screen time,” after showcasing a video of a bowling ball, painted in the colors of the U.S. flag, hitting pins representing Iran.
“In bowling, no matter how many times you knock those pins down, they do return to their original positions, which feels pretty on-the-nose here,” he added, reflecting on the uncertain duration of the conflict in the SWANA region.
Addressing Hegseth’s assertion that “the sooner David Ellison takes over that network [CNN], the better,” Oliver remarked, “Wow! That is not good. ‘I can’t wait until the billionaire sympathetic to this administration takes over the news’ is a little like your mom saying, ‘When you were conceived, your dad came harder than ever before. He jizzed like a geyser.’ Even if you thought that was the case, your ability to make it through the day really depends on never hearing those words.”
In closing, before pivoting to a broader discussion about Vice President JD Vance, Oliver expressed concern over comments by former President Trump, who suggested the Iran conflict would end “when I feel it in my bones.” He stated, “That’s a pretty thoughtless way to approach a conflict that’s already killed so many. It’s not just disrespectful to the Iranian people and to U.S. service members affected; it’s disrespectful to the rest of us to assume childish memes and sugarcoated headlines will change what we can all see with our own eyes. Because, at this point, we don’t deserve deflections; we deserve explanations, accountability, and, if it is not too much trouble, the full release of the Llrey Epstein files.”
