John Oliver simply doesn't understand why Brett Kavanaugh is 'the hill that conservatives are willing to die on'
Sunday's Last Week Tonight is basically "one long recap of one very long week, and one event in particular," John Oliver said, ruefully: Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Oliver started with Christine Blasey Ford, who testified credibly about what she called Kavanaugh's attempted rape in high school. "That is Fox News calling Ford's testimony a 'disaster for the Republicans' — and not like one of those Puerto Rico disasters," Oliver said. "One they might actually care about." But just when it looked like curtains for Kavanaugh, he hit back, with weirdly placed emotion: "I hate to say it, but I'm starting to think that men might be too emotional for the Supreme Court."
And "when pressed on his drinking, Kavanugh became either dismissive or outright hostile, and it was at those moments that you got a real sense of who this man actually is," Oliver said. His "surly tone" was not that "of a man who hopes to one day have the honor of serving on the Supreme Court but the tone of someone who feels entitled to be on it and, frankly, can't believe that you're being such a dick about this."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Oliver went through Kavanaugh's troubling pattern of "misrepresenting the truth" and his staunch refusal to endorse an independent investigation to clear his name. Even if you think Kavanaugh is innocent or the allegations unprovable, the "judgment and temperament" he showed this week should be disqualifying, Oliver said. We're "all basically calloused to people talking" like "unhinged partisans," he added, "but we are supposed to have at least nine people left in America who do not talk that way."
"This brings me to the most basic question that remains: Why?" Oliver said. "Why this particular a--hole? Why is he the hill that conservatives are willing to die on?" He has some thoughts. There is NSFW language throughout. Watch below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 8, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - pardon me, consumer gloom, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 inexcusably funny cartoons about Hunter Biden's pardon
Cartoons Artists take on nomination qualification, absolute turkey, and more
By The Week US Published
-
What Donald Trump owes the Christian Right
The Explainer Conservative Christians played an important role in Trump’s re-election, and he has promised them great political influence
By The Week UK Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published