Ahead of Indigenous Peoples Day, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver mocked Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade who can’t help but discuss his love of Christopher Columbus any chance he gets while on the air.
The popular HBO late-night series aired clips of Kilmeade praising the Italian explorer for discovering the Americas, an area that was already inhabited by natives.
“If you read one reputable book on Columbus, and still don’t think we should have a Columbus Day, you’re not paying attention,” he said in one such clip.
President Joe Biden declared October 11 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day—the same day as Columbus Day— with a proclamation last week in support of Native Americans that was met with resistance.
He said, “Today, we also acknowledge the painful history of wrongs and atrocities that many European explorers inflicted on Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities,” Biden wrote. “It is a measure of our greatness as a Nation that we do not seek to bury these shameful episodes of our past — that we face them honestly, we bring them to the light, and we do all we can to address them.”
Adding, “For Native Americans, western exploration ushered in a wave of devastation: violence perpetrated against Native communities, displacement and theft of Tribal homelands, the introduction and spread of disease, and more. On this day, we recognize this painful past and recommit ourselves to investing in Native communities, upholding our solemn and sacred commitments to Tribal sovereignty, and pursuing a brighter future centered on dignity, respect, justice, and opportunity for all people.”
New episodes of Last Week With John Oliver air Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.