John Oliver Slams Republicans Using Fearmongering Tactics to Refuse Syrian Refugees


On Sunday, John Oliver weighed in on the mounting refusal by many Republican governors to take in Syrian refugees in the wake of the deadly Paris attacks earlier this month.

“It is absolutely fair to be concerned about safety in the wake of these attacks, and it’s fair to wonder who we’re letting in or what kind of screening process in place,” Oliver said. “Unfortunately, many of the people talking about it this week don’t seem to have the first idea of what we’re doing.”

After displaying a montage of GOP politicians using baseless scare tactics to question the rigor of the current vetting process, the Last Week Tonight host deftly walked viewers through the intensive system all Syrian refugees must go through in order to be accepted into the United States.

“This is the most rigorous vetting anyone has to face before entering this country,” he said. “No terrorist in their right mind would choose this path when the visa process requires far less effort. But nevertheless, the House still voted on Thursday to add a few more steps.”

Oliver then singled out former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for the fearmongering approach he’s used to justify blocking refugees resettlement.

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