John Oliver Mocks Trump Lawyer's Claim That Mike Pence Could Overturn Election Results

On Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver took aim at the January 6 House Committee hearings, particularly the testimony of John Eastman, a lawyer who advised President Donald Trump that then-Vice President Mike Pence could overturn the November 2020 election.

The HBO host opened with a jab at Eastman's penchant for wearing cowboy hats and oversized tan blazers, joking, "If you are ever accused of a crime, and your lawyer shows up to court dressed like this, you are going to jail."

Oliver then showed a clip of former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann describing his reaction to Eastman's claim that Pence could overturn the election.

"I said, 'Hold on a second. I want to understand what you're saying. You're saying that you believe that the vice president, acting as president of the Senate, can be the sole decision maker as to ... who becomes the next president of the United States?'" Herschmann said. "And he said yes. And I said, 'Are you out of your effing mind?'"

To that, Oliver responded, "I will say, at this point, you can just say 'f*ck.' Democracy is hanging on by a thread, and you had a front-row seat. You said it then, you can say it now. Because what he was suggesting to you there was bonkers."

"The idea that a single person can decide the president is completely against the ideals of this country," he continued. "Which is why the Constitution starts with 'We the People' and not 'Mike.'"

Oliver also pointed out that over 100 Republican primary winners support Trump's claims of election fraud, including a few candidates for Secretary of State, which is "concerning," to say the least.

Last Week Tonight airs Sundays at at 11:00 PM ET on HBO. The late night show is also available to stream on HBO Max.

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Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.