John Oliver hilariously explains why Comey's Senate testimony was so 'damaging' for Trump
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On Sunday's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver dissected the latest developments in the ongoing Russia investigation, or as Oliver calls it, "Stupid Watergate — something with all the potential national shame of Watergate brought to you by people too stupid to grasp the concept of shame." The biggest news was, of course, former FBI Director James Comey's testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Oliver cherry-picked some of the most surreal bits from the hearing, such as when Comey explained that he took copious notes about his meetings with President Trump because he was worried Trump would lie about the interactions later. But the most amazing moments, Oliver says, came from the things Comey couldn't say.
For example, Comey said the FBI knew of facts that would have made Attorney General Jeff Sessions' involvement in the Russia investigation (from which he's now recused himself) "problematic" but that he couldn't talk about said facts in an open setting.
"Now that sounds like a big deal," Oliver said, making use of a very colorful analogy about turtle sex to hammer his point home.
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Despite Trump's proclamation of "total and complete vindication," the hearing was bad news for him, and even Fox News couldn't put a positive spin on it. And Paul Ryan's explanation for Trump's behavior was downright "pathetic." Watch below, but beware NSFW language. Jessica Hullinger
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.
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