John Oliver Gives Full Episode to Alleged Nazi Links Among Republican Candidates
John Oliver returned to the desk of Last Week Tonight on Sunday, 25 October, after a two-week absence, and devoted the whole episode to what he called a worrying pattern of apparent affinity for Nazis in the Republican Party. The broadcast came nine days before the 3 November midterm elections, when voters choose members of Congress. Variety reported on the episode.
Last Week Tonight is a weekly comedy show on HBO that mixes satire with long segments on news stories. Oliver's segment ran through a list of Republican figures, several of them candidates, whose past remarks or posts he said raised concerns.
One example was Peter Oberacker, a Republican candidate for New York's 19th congressional district. In 2015, he posted a Veterans Day photo on Facebook of his late grandfather in full Wehrmacht uniform. The Wehrmacht was the German armed forces during the Second World War, and the grandfather died fighting for Nazi Germany. Oberacker later said the photo was the only one he had of his grandfather.
Brandon Herrera, the Republican nominee for Texas's 23rd congressional district, was also featured. A 2022 YouTube video he posted called the MP-40, a German submachine gun from the war, "Hitler's street sweeper." The clip then showed him and a friend goose-stepping, a high-kicking march, to a Nazi marching song.
Oliver also cited Paul Ingrassia, whom President Donald Trump nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel, a federal watchdog agency. Ingrassia withdrew his nomination after leaked group chat messages showed him writing, "I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it."
The segment included a warning from Karl Rove, the longtime Republican strategist. Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival, Rove said his party was being taken over by "bigots" such as Bo French, a candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, the state body that oversees the oil and gas industry.
Oliver further pointed to Republican Congressman Paul Gosar, who gave the keynote speech at the America First Political Action Conference in 2021. That event was linked to Nick Fuentes, whom Oliver described as a neo-Nazi. The episode also discussed a podcast interview between Tucker Carlson and Fuentes.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has won 32 Emmy Awards, according to the show's HBO page. The programme is credited to Oliver, Tim Carvell, Liz Stanton, Jon Thoday and James Taylor as executive producers.
For viewers following the midterms, the episode put a set of individual candidacies and past statements into one place.
