Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Video: John Oliver Debunks Trump's Mail-In Voting Scaremongering
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 1, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
HBO
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 1, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
John Oliver started off the latest episode of Last Week Tonight by addressing the policy brutality protests across the nation in the wake of the death of George Floyd. "There is clearly a lot to discuss here — how these protests are a response to a legacy of police misconduct both in Minneapolis and in the nation at large, and how that misconduct is in and of itself built on a legacy of white supremacy that prioritizes the comfort of white Americans over the safety of people of color," he said.
After criticizing Tucker Carlson's coverage of the protests and Donald Trump's predilection for using various "racist maxims of the 20th century," he pivoted to the main story of the evening: Trump's fearmongering attacks against mail-in voting, and why the country will need mail-in voting more than ever this November.
Oliver noted that mail-in voting has become a "favorite subject" of Trump's: "He's tweeted about it a ridiculous number of times over the last two months, and he brings it up constantly," said Oliver. "The thing is, voting by mail is a popular idea. Seventy percent of us are in favor of allowing any voter to vote by mail if they want to. And if this pandemic continues into the fall, as it almost certainly will, people will want to do exactly that."
He then discussed Wisconsin, where they attempted to hold their primary during the pandemic to disastrous results, and Tucker Carlson and Jeanine Pirro’s convoluted, bad faith arguments about mail-in voting fraud. “It’s a crime that is difficult, high risk and low reward,” he said of the relatively rare attempts at mail-in voting fraud. Oregon, for example, had over two million votes cast by mail in 2016, and only 54 cases were suspected of mail fraud.
Ultimately, Oliver suggests that if you're going to vote by mail, you should try to return your absentee ballot sooner rather than later, because it "will help flatten the curve of vote tabulating on election day.” And there are a lot of upsides to voting by mail besides just keeping yourself and poll workers safe during a crisis: “Not only will you be exercising your civic duty, you’ll also be making Tucker Carlson really fucking mad.”
Tagged
john oliver
television
tv
last week tonight
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
It's a busy month at the branches.
By
Alec Hamilton
Published Oct 4, 2026
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
An excellent and diverse month of concerts are in store for October.
By
Hank Shteamer
Arts & Entertainment
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
An excellent and diverse month of concerts are in store for October.
By
Hank Shteamer
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
October is spooky season at the movies in New York City
By
Emma Stefansky
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .