Comedian and television host John Oliver took a humorous swipe at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent remarks during his Sunday episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight. Pelosi, a Democratic representative from California, had commented on the TikTok bill, stating,
“This is not an attempt to ban TikTok. It’s an attempt to make TikTok better. Tic-tac-toe, a winner. A winner.”
Accompanying her words, Pelosi gestured a diagonal win, alluding to the game of tic-tac-toe.
Earlier in the week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to divest its stake or face a ban on the app within the United States. Concerns over the company’s ties with the Chinese government prompted this action, deemed a national security threat due to the potential for China to access the personal information of US citizens. However, the bill is still pending approval from the Senate.
In response to Pelosi’s remarks, Oliver quipped,
“I’m intrigued. Is it a requirement for Congress members to be some of the most eccentric individuals to ever exist?”
Meanwhile, Oliver, known for his frequent mockery of Britain’s royal family, briefly addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. In the Sunday episode, Oliver made a subtle reference to the royal family, stating at the start of the show,
“An individual’s Adobe free trial ended in a rather public fashion.”
Previously, Oliver had discussed the Photoshop-related debate on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. When asked for his opinion, he humorously remarked,
“There’s a possibility she passed away 18 months ago. They could be orchestrating a Weekend at Bernie’s scenario here.”