Maxine Dexter, a U.S. Representative from Oregon, gained attention last week for a comment made during a speech to federal workers. According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Dexter said, “I’ve been told I have 30 seconds, so I am going to tell you that we do have to — I don’t swear in public very well — we have to (unprintable) Trump.” The remark quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention online and in the media.
When asked for a response by The Oregonian/OregonLive, Dexter expressed no regrets about her language. She explained that her constituents in Oregon’s 3rd District expect her to speak candidly. “This isn’t a normal time, and we need to reflect the outrage and frustration that people are feeling,” Dexter said. “My only wish is that I had said it with more conviction.”
Her comments were featured again on Sunday during the season premiere of HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. The episode focused on the “total mayhem” that, according to Oliver, defined the first weeks of Trump’s 2025 administration. Oliver criticized Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans, but also addressed how Democrats are responding to the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the federal government.
Oliver highlighted Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s vocal criticism of the administration and noted that some other Democrats have tried to match her energy, even if it meant stepping out of their comfort zones. During the segment, viewers saw a clip of Dexter’s remark, with her admitting that she doesn’t usually swear in public before making her expletive-laced comment about Trump.
As the audience laughed, Oliver remarked, “There’s something genuinely charming about a non-curser deciding that this is the moment to start. It’s a pretty moving distillation of where we are right now that a reserved 52-year-old Oregonian is now flinging around that four-letter word.”
