John Oliver criticized President Donald Trump's plans for a new ballroom and his conflicting remarks on the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool upgrades during Sunday's 'Last Week Tonight'.
Trump's Ballroom Ambitions
Oliver highlighted a social media post by Trump from his trip to China, where Trump noted, “China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.! It is under construction ahead of schedule and will be the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the U.S.A.” Oliver mocked Trump's focus on infrastructure, calling it a 'sweeping makeover' of Washington D.C., which includes two massive flagpoles, a Presidential Walk of Fame, and other renovations.
“What if an ancient Egyptian pharaoh owned an Airbnb?” Oliver joked.
Costly Upgrades and Foul Language
Trump defended these upgrades, stating, “This place was not properly taken care of.” Despite his wife's advice to act presidential and avoid foul language, Trump remarked, “I would have said it was a shithouse, but I don’t want to say that.” Oliver retorted, “Simply not cursing wouldn’t make Trump a fitting president in the same way that a white coat wouldn’t make [Philadelphia Flyers mascot] Gritty a practicing oncologist.”
Spiraling Costs of the Ballroom
Initially estimated at $200 million, the ballroom's cost has ballooned to $400 million. Trump claimed the increase was due to the ballroom being 'twice the size' following 'deep-rooted studies'. When pressed on the cost by a reporter, Trump snapped, “I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. You are not a smart person.” Oliver commented, “Even by his standards, that was bad.”
Reflecting Pool Contradictions
Oliver addressed the reflecting pool's repair costs, which soared from $2 million to $13 million. Trump mentioned calling “three guys who I know worked on my swimming pools,” a remark Oliver mocked, suggesting it sounded more like a “post-divorce girls’ weekend for Deborah.” Despite Trump's claims of knowing the contractors, the project was awarded as a no-bid contract to a company he later said he didn’t know.
Oliver concluded, “If you are a president who’d rather focus on ballroom construction and pool maintenance than running a country, then you are not a smart fucking person.”
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-week-tonight-john-oliver-trump-ballroom-reflecting-pool-1236598394/
