Patton Oswalt Highlights The Scary Truth About Donald Trump And Harvey Weinstein

Patton Oswalt is currently promoting his new Netlfix special, “Annihilation,” which tackles, in part, the unrelenting terribleness of the Donald Trump-centric news these days.

Just this month, several media outlets surfaced horrifying reports of sexual harassment allegations waged against producer Harvey Weinstein that ring eerily similar to the accusations that surrounded Trump during the 2016 election. In a phone conversation with HuffPost, Oswalt commented on the connection he sees between the two men.

“You know, how weird must it be to be a woman and hear all the stuff about Harvey Weinstein this week,” Oswalt said. “Then you flash back to last year and go, we literally heard this exact same shit about our president and we elected him anyway.”

More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual assault. In 2005, he famously bragged to “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush about groping women. “When you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump said off-camera.

“How surreal and terrifying must that be if you’re a woman in this country,” Oswalt continued. “How must that feel?”

Oswalt made it clear that he cannot begin to relate to or understand how recent events have affected women and other victims.

“Especially as a straight white male, I can be upset by Trump but I’m not being directly attacked and mocked by him,” he said. “By the president! I’ll never know what that feels like.”

Later in our conversation, Oswalt reiterated the sentiment. “It would be beyond insulting for me to go, ’Man, I totally get ― no ― I don’t, I actually don’t,” he said. “I’m admitting, I cannot imagine that depth of despair and anger. I just can’t. It’s just beyond me, how people can function.”

On Oct. 7, Oswalt used his Twitter account to speak about the matter to his 4.25 million followers: “Hey #MAGA douches: I believe the women speaking up against Harvey Weinstein. And your guy is still a rapist & a predator. kbye!”

That same day, the president claimed he wasn’t “surprised” by the allegations coming out about Weinstein. “I’ve known Harvey Weinstein for a long time, Trump told reporters outside the White House. “I’m not at all surprised to see it.”

In 2004, in a discussion with The New York Times about the success of his show “The Apprentice,” Trump said:

“Harvey Weinstein calls ― he’s a friend of mine; you know, he’s the head of Miramax ― and he says, ‘Donald, you know you’re the biggest star in Hollywood.’”

And you know what Trump thinks you’re allowed to do when you’re a star.

This is an excerpt from a forthcoming interview with Oswalt about “Annihilation.” The special premieres Oct. 17 on Netflix.