John Oliver ripped into NBC for “rewarding” President Donald Trump with a full hour of TV to himself after he pulled out of a debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden.
On the other hand, Oliver noted the network’s long history with Trump ― it was the home of his reality TV show, “The Apprentice” ― and said the stunt was “if nothing else, very much on-brand for them.”
The event sparked a few viral moments, including one in which a woman in the audience delivered an unexpected compliment to the president.
“I have to say you have a great smile,” said Paulette Dale, who later told local media she was voting for Biden. “You’re so handsome when you smile.”
Her comment left the host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” perplexed.
“Is he? Is he really?” Oliver asked, then added:
“I’m not quite so sure about that, unless by ‘handsome’ you mean ‘looks like someone dropped their dentures into a jack-o’-lantern on Nov. 14,’ in which case you are absolutely right: The man’s got a smile that can light up a cross.”
However, as Oliver noted, the disarming introduction then transitioned into a tough question about immigration policy, leading Oliver to call it “the perfect way” to handle Trump:
The rest of the show focused on Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the World Health Organization:
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