British comedian John Oliver thinks President Donald Trump could be in for a second term, calling those who think America is halfway through his presidency optimistic.
The comedian made the comments on Monday night's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
"We just passed the midterm point in Trump's hopefully first and only term." Colbert told Oliver. "Some people are saying 'ah, the end is in sight.'"
"I definitely don't have that kind of optimism," Oliver responded. "To say we're halfway through his presidency I think is to ignore the concept of a second term possibility."
"We are two to six years away from the end of his presidency," he quipped, before the audience interrupted his next comment with a loud "boo."
"Oh wow, so [there are some] big Trump 2024 fans in here?" he joked, before saying to Colbert, "You're pulling a different crowd."
Oliver compared the end of a two-term Trump presidency to the finish line of a marathon, saying "We can try and stumble over [it], be covered in a silver cape and have someone say, 'you really shouldn't have done that.'"
"Which is to stay alive until January 21, 2025?" Colbert added.
"I think that's what we all have to do," Oliver joked. "All of us, especially Ruth Bader GInsburg."
Ginsburg's health has been in the headlines following her December cancer surgery. Although she has worked from home during her recovery, the justice has been the subject of conspiracy theories that claim she is far sicker than reported. Some commentators have even speculated Ginsburg's death is being covered up—rumors that persist in spite of her attendance at a concert in Washington, D.C. on February 4.
If the Supreme Court Justice, 85, died or stepped down from her post before Trump's presidency is up, he could replace her with a conservative-leaning judge—tipping the balance of the court further towards the right. At present, conservatives hold a 5-4 majority on the nine-justice bench.
Beyond America, Oliver and Colbert dicussed the biggest issue facing Oliver's native U.K.—the country's impending exit from the European Union (EU).
"We're talking about generational damage that could be done here," Oliver said, before blasting the uncertainty of a "no-deal Brexit"—where the U.K. leaves the EU without a regulatory and trade agreement or a period of transition to iron out the details.
Oliver compared the impact of Brexit and Trump's presidency in an interview with The Guardian published Sunday. "Brexit is a different level. You do constitutionally know how this [Trump] is going to end: it will either be in two years or six years. Now, the ramifications of what happens in that time, that's up for debate," he said.
"Also, at some point, the fact [Trump is] 72 will kick in. He can't beat death, even though I wouldn't be surprised if he outlived everybody out of pure spite," the comedian continued. "But Brexit—who knows where that ends? Maybe it's a great idea. There's absolutely nothing to suggest that would be the case."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Katherine Hignett is a reporter based in London. She currently covers current affairs, health and science. Prior to joining Newsweek ... Read more
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