Topic analysis

John Oliver on New College’s Maga takeover: ‘More about political posturing than students’ lives’

On a 2026 episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver criticized the 2023 conservative takeover of Florida's public New College led by Governor Ron DeSantis, which installed allies including Christopher Rufo and Richard Corcoran on its governing board. Oliver detailed that the so-called anti-woke education overhaul has led to mass faculty departures, eliminated gender studies programs, inflated administrative costs, lowered admissions standards, and prioritized political posturing over student well-being, with the project positioned as a national conservative education model.