John Oliver says Trump uses one phrase when he has 'nothing' planned: 'People will be happy'
Speaking on DACA - an Obama-era policy that prevented the deportation of around 800,000 young immigrants living in the country illegally after being brought to the US as minors - Oliver contended that Trump's series of decisions on the issue is "not a plan," after he played a clip of candidate Trump discussing the issue in 2015.
"They have to go. We will work with them, they have to go," Trump told NBC's Chuck Todd of the DACA-sponsored "Dreamers" in 2015. "We will do it, and we will expedite it so people can come back in. … Chuck, it will work out so well, you'll be so happy. In four years you're going to interview me and you're going to say, 'What a great job you've done, President Trump.'"
"But that is not a plan," Oliver said in response. "Saying they have to go, but then they can maybe come back in, and ending sounding like he's trying to hypnotize Chuck Todd: 'It will work out so well, you'll be so happy, in four years you're going to say 'what a great job you've done, President Trump,' now when I snap my fingers you're going to wake up and wet your pants.'"
Oliver then seized on Trump's consistent use of the word "happy," saying that the word tends to mask when the president "has got nothing" planned in terms of policy.
"OK listen, because this is important: Any time Trump says he's going to make people happy, or that you're going to be happy in the future, that means he has got nothing and he's trying to end the conversation. Remember, that's how he shut down Chuck Todd on the plane. And he doesn't just do it with immigration, he does it with everything."
Oliver then ran through a montage of Trump's promises on issues including trade, infrastructure, Middle East policy, and replacing Obamacare - all of which included some variant on the phrase "people will be happy."
"OK. But in each of those cases, it's the way you get to that feeling that is important. Laying out a government policy that's just 'you'll be so happy' is like naming a restaurant 'You're Going to Be So Full.' OK, that's the goal, but how? What am I filling myself with?" Oliver asked.
"This guy is clearly out of his f---ing mind," he added.
Watch the segment below: