John Oliver took a shot at who else? – Donald Trump in Sunday's opening segment Last week tonight.
But first, there's a lot of backstory to explain, for those who missed it, and it all has to do with McDonald's, which has been talked about a lot lately.
First of all, in recent days an E. coli outbreak has been linked to a dish on the fast food chain's menu. Quarter Pounders was initially believed to be responsible for at least one death and 75 other customers falling ill in 13 states. However, on Sunday, McDonald's said tests had ruled out beef patties as the cause. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it believes the source of the outbreak is flaked onions. Starting Sunday, McDonald's said it would put Quarter Pounders back on the menu but without the onions.
Meanwhile, last Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Trump stopped at a McDonald's in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He worked the fry station before answering questions through the drive-through window. The fast food chain said it does not support the candidates, but the venue's owner-manager, Derek Giacomantonio, reached out after learning of Trump's desire to visit a Pennsylvania restaurant.
“After learning of the former president's request, we came closer to the lens of one of our core values: We open our doors to all,” the company said. “McDonald's does not endorse candidates for elected office and that remains true in this race for the next president. We are not red or blue: we are golden.”
Trump's opponent, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, said several times during her campaign that she once worked at McDonald's. Harris accused her of lying, and McDonald's said it has no records for all positions dating back to the 1980s, but is proud of Harris' “fond memories working under the arches.”
On Sunday night, HBO's Oliver made a joke that tied all the news together in his opening segment.
“An E. coli outbreak was linked to McDonald's, but somehow it was still the second most revolting thing inside this week's,” he joked, showing a photo of Trump standing in the drive-through window -through.
Oliver spent the rest of his program focusing on immigration in not one but two main segments, outlining Trump's policies and urging voters to choose Harris in the upcoming election. It also took a look at the complicated history of using Lee Greenwood's “God Bless the USA” during citizenship ceremonies. It ended with a music video of Will Ferrell singing a patriotic song that Oliver says he will pay the government to start using in those ceremonies.