John Oliver Celebrates Midterm Results and Targets Elon Musk on Last Week Tonight

John Oliver returned to his "Last Week Tonight" desk on Sunday to celebrate the midterm election results. He highlighted major wins for the party, including Texas turning blue and a total of 22 state trifectas. The host also noted historic victories such as Chris Pappas becoming the first openly-gay man elected to the U.S. Senate, Deb Haaland of New Mexico as the first Native American woman elected governor, and Keisha Lance Bottoms as Georgia's first Black woman governor.

Reactions and Losses

Oliver applauded Abdul El-Sayed for winning in Michigan despite facing severe backlash. He also criticized Haley Stevens for imploding her political career by backing GOP candidate Mike Rogers over her primary rival El-Sayed, and celebrated the defeat of Susan Collins. Additionally, Oliver took aim at Elon Musk, stating that the tech billionaire wasted nearly $500 million during the midterm cycle. This included $200 million spent in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Senator-elect James Talarico in Texas. Oliver also remarked on Musk ending the production of Cybertrucks.

Context

Late-night satirical comedy shows frequently use midterm election results as material for political commentary and critique. Such programs often mix political analysis with humor to discuss campaign spending and election outcomes in the United States.