The new season began the way the old one ended: taking on President Trump.

The theme of the episode was “Trump vs. the world,” spurred in part by Trump’s statement last month about “shithole” countries.

Oliver skewered the administration’s inability to sell a positive US brand across the world, referring to the theory of “soft power” — as one definition says, it’s “a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of economic or cultural influence.”

“You need allies to get anything done,” Oliver said.

He also said the US, which Trump said during the campaign and afterward was a laughingstock on the world stage, is subject to more ridicule now.


“Somehow the world’s most objectively laughable human has become a comedy graveyard, where laughter goes to die,” Oliver said.

See more in the clip above.

Sean Smyth can be reached at sean.smyth@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @smythsays.