Trump's 'response' to Puerto Rico backlash baffles John Oliver—here's why
Last Week Tonight host John Oliver has slammed former US President Donald Trump for his handling of the recent backlash from Puerto Ricans. The controversy arose from roast comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's set at Trump's Madison Square Garden campaign event, where he called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean." To salvage this (apparently), Trump posted a video of the Cuban group Los Tres de la Habana performing The Trump Song in 2020.
Oliver highlighted Trump's questionable damage control strategy
Oliver highlighted Trump's bizarre damage control tactic on his show. He aired the video Trump had posted, of the Cuban band singing, "Oh my god, I will vote. I will vote for Donald Trump." Oliver said, "He posted that without comment. And if it was meant as an apology to Puerto Ricans, it's worth noting that is a Cuban band."
'Although, I do admit that is a very catchy song...'
Despite the serious tone of his critique, Oliver couldn't help but add some humor to his commentary. He admitted The Trump Song was catchy and humorously interpreted its lyrics as a sudden realization of support for Trump. "Although, I do admit that is a very catchy song, and I do appreciate that the lyrics are, 'Oh my god, I will vote for Trump,'" he said. "Which sounds like someone realizing in real time that they're an absolute dip—."
Meanwhile, VP Harris delivered a powerful speech post-rally
In the wake of Trump's rally, Vice President Kamala Harris made a strong closing argument last week outside the White House. An estimated 75,000 people were present. She focused on unity and progress rather than political point-scoring, saying: "I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to make your life better." "I'm not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress...And unlike Donald Trump, I don't believe people who disagree with me are the enemy."
FCC's equal time rule led to Trump's free ad slot
Following Harris's surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was inundated with complaints about equal time. Consequently, NBC was obligated to give Trump 90 seconds of free advertising during its Sunday NASCAR coverage. The decision was in accordance with the FCC's equal time rule, which guarantees that all candidates for public office have an equal opportunity to communicate their messages on broadcast stations.
