John Oliver says Trump's response to Covid-19 diagnosis was 'appalling in hindsight'

‘Republicans seem to be handling this outbreak with a mixture of denialism and hubris’

John Oliver has spoken out in the wake of Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus diagnosis, describing the US president’s actions as “absolutely appalling in hindsight”.

News of Trump’s Covid-19 test broke last Friday (2 September), with the president undergoing treatment at the Walter Reed hospital over the weekend.

Oliver discussed Trump’s handling of the virus on his HBO topical comedy series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

“It was news that felt both shocking and utterly inevitable,” he said, highlighting a moment from the recent debate between Trump and presidential candidate Joe Biden.

During the debate, Trump criticised Biden’s tendency to wear a protective face mask, in accordance with coronavirus safety guidelines.

“I put a mask on when I think I need it,” Trump said. I don’t wear masks like [Biden]. Every time you see him he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.” 

After showing the clip of the debate, Oliver voiced his disbelief at the president’s remarks.

“What are you doing?” he asked. "Biden wears a mask in situations where it’s dangerous not to. I can only imagine what Trump would be like standing next to a beekeeper: 'I don't wear a beekeeper suit like him. Every time you see him, he's wearing a beekeeper suit. Not me because I'm smart and strong. This whole bee thing is a hoax anyway.'”

He then addressed Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s Covid-19 diagnoses.

“Obviously, the president having the coronavirus is a very big deal,” he said. “So far, the White House has handled the situation terribly.

“So many of the decisions that Trump and those around him made this week look absolutely appalling in hindsight…from his family refusing to wear masks at Tuesday’s debate to failure to notify anyone on the Biden team that they may have been exposed to the fact that the fundraiser he attended just before he tested positive was a f***ing buffet.”

Oliver continued: “The frustrating thing is Republicans seem to be handling this outbreak the way they handled the whole pandemic — with a mixture of denialism, hubris and treating it more as a PR crisis than one of public health which has had huge knock-on effects.”