John Oliver Slams Gov. DeSantis for Alleged Racist Impression of Hakeem Jeffries

Comedian John Oliver tore into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday for doing what he alleged was a racist impression of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “Holy s***,” Oliver said of the impression during an episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight. “I never thought I’d see blackface without the makeup, but it seems there’s a first time for everything. I don’t have a ton to say about that really except, A: f*** you.” Blackface was a key feature in minstrel shows, a form of musical theatre in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries in which mostly white performers used dark stage makeup on their faces and exaggerated behavior to mock Black people using racist, demeaning stereotypes. Oliver’s comments were in reference to a speech in April from DeSantis, in which the Republican governor imitated Jeffries, among the most prominent Black political leaders in the country. On the clip aired on Last Week Tonight, DeSantis appeared to imitate Jeffries by lowering his pitch, waving a finger and adopting his accent. “We gonna do maximum warfare against Republicans, Florida Republicans, you F around you gonna find out,” DeSantis said as Jeffries. The comedian’s remarks came in the middle of an episode about the ongoing Trump-led effort by Republicans to carry out a rare mid-decade redistricting process to increase the number of GOP-leaning congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Critics allege the effort, which includes new Florida maps that could add up to four GOP seats, will disenfranchise minority voters and roll back protections built after decades of Jim Crow segregation and efforts to keep Black voters away from the polls. Redistricting fights now span 10 states and impact two out of every five U.S. residents. The Independent has requested comment from Jeffries and DeSantis. The House leader has been the target of stereotype-based mockery before from a prominent Republican. Last year, Trump posted a deepfake clip of Jeffries wearing a sombrero and handlebar mustache as he stood alongside Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. In the spoof video, the pair make disparaging comments about the Democratic Party and immigrants. At the time, Jeffries said the clip was “disgusting.” “Bigotry will get you nowhere,” he told MS NOW’s Lawrence O’Donnell. Earlier this year, the president shared a video on social media depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.

The Independent has requested comment from Jeffries and DeSantis.