Last Night on Late Night

John Oliver Slams Trump’s Budget, Lightens Mood with Dancing Zebras

Think of the zebras as your spoonful of sugar.

Ah, yes, the federal budget and zebras—a match made in . . . heaven? One might think it would be hard to thoroughly review a president’s proposed federal budget and present a video of a person dancing in a zebra suit in the same cohesive episode of news satire. But to any longtime fan of John Oliver, the idea probably wouldn’t sound too far-fetched—especially after Sunday’s episode, when the Last Week Tonight host did just that.

After reviewing Donald Trump’s latest foibles, Oliver focused his long take on the Trump administration’s proposed federal budget, which even some Republicans hate. The worst part? The program slashes funding to many programs that Trump supporters rely on, especially those living in rural areas. “If anything resembling this budget passes,” Oliver pointed out, “many of Trump’s own voters will likely wind up getting burned.”

Which brings us to the zebras. In these trying times, it’s advisable to take comic relief wherever you can find it—and luckily, late night has been providing laughs in abundance. Oliver’s latest contribution, however, might prove to be the gift that keeps on giving. After giggling his way through an explanation of Bolivia’s growing coalition of volunteers clad in zebra suits, who educate civilians about traffic laws, Oliver introduced his latest exorbitant use of HBO’s resources: he and his team recorded 23 minutes of a zebra dancing and gesticulating before a green screen so that viewers could add some levity to whatever draconian news clip they like. The video has been posted on Last Week Tonight’s YouTube channel in full, so viewers with video-editing expertise can do whatever they like with it.

Adding the zebra to news clips “doesn’t change anything,” Oliver admitted, “but it is easier to watch.”

Oliver offered some sample edits, including Trump’s inauguration and Manchester by the Sea—but the sky is truly the limit. Is it a silly idea? Of course. But, as with many of Oliver’s viral gimmicks, that’s exactly the point. Oliver himself said it best as he concluded: ”I think it’s pretty clear, with things in America the way they are now, we need these zebras like never before.”