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HBO’s John Oliver on Sunday spotlighted the behavior of a GOP mayoral candidate in Franklin, Tennessee, as being “entirely emblematic of Republican politics, from the local level all the way up to the top.”
Real estate agent and town alderman Gabrielle Hanson has “branded herself as a hardcore MAGA candidate,” noted the “Last Week Tonight” host.
Hanson has attempted to shut down Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, reportedly received support from a white nationalist group and allegedly been busted lying about a social media photo and foreseeing a school shooting, Oliver said.
“In a world that made sense, this woman would obviously have withdrawn from this mayoral race in shame,” he added in a video shared online by Raw Story.
But “there’s a real chance she could still win this election,” said Oliver. “Because while her numerous scandals are clearly almost cartoonish in their extremity, her behavior is entirely emblematic of Republican politics, from the local level all the way up to the top.”
“If we learned anything this week, it’s that far-right Republicans maintain a vice-like grip on the party,” he added, referencing the ousting of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the House speaker position.
For his main story, Oliver focused on homeschooling ― and managed a dig at former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson.