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The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
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The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

Author: Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC

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Drawing upon his experience as a former chief of staff on the Senate Finance Committee and as an Emmy-winning executive producer and writer of ‘The West Wing,’ Lawrence O’Donnell examines the compelling and impactful political stories of the day. Join him every weeknight.
1043 Episodes
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Tonight on The Last Word: A federal appeals court deals a huge blow to Donald Trump on tariffs. Also, Trump is blasted for his “illegal” tactic to cut foreign aid. Plus, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff refuses to blame Russia as the aggressor against Ukraine. And Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst won’t seek reelection in 2026. Laurence Tribe, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Norm Ornstein, David Rothkopf, Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek, and Ben Wikler join Ali Velshi.
Tonight on The Last Word: Sen. Angela Alsobrooks calls on RFK Jr. to resign. Also, former CDC Director Susan Monarez is fired after refusing to sign off on vaccine changes. Plus, Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook sues Donald Trump over his effort to fire her. And a whistleblower complaint alleges DOGE copied Social Security data to an unsecured server. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Dr. Nirav Shah, Andrew Weissmann, Gene Sperling, and Martin O’Malley join Ali Velshi.
Tonight on The Last Word: RFK Jr.’s anti-science policy triggers CDC resignations. Also, two children are dead and 17 people are injured in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school. Plus, a Trump-appointed federal judge excoriates the Trump Justice Department in a scathing new ruling. And an Iowa Democrat flips a long-held GOP state Senate seat. Dr. Ashish Jha, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Maxwell Frost, J. Michael Luttig, and Iowa state Senator-elect Catelin Drey join Ali Velshi.
Tonight on The Last Word: A recent poll finds 37 percent of Americans approve of Donald Trump’s economy. Also, Trump is accused of using the Justice Department to target his foes. Plus, Ohio is set to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. And Israeli strikes on a Gaza hospital kill five journalists. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Michael Hiltzik, Rep. Emilia Sykes, and Noga Tarnopolsky join Ali Velshi.
Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump threatens to send troops to more Democratic-led cities. Also, a federal judge blocks the Justice Department from deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia. And the House Oversight Committee issues a subpoena for the Epstein birthday book. Radley Balko, Jason Stanley, Gene Sperling, Andrew Weissmann, Garrett Gaff, and Rep. Robert Garcia join Ali Velshi.
Tonight on The Last Word, the House Oversight Committee has received 33,000 pages of the Epstein files. Plus, Trump’s Justice Department also released audio of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s July interview with Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. And the FBI searches the home and office of ex-Trump aide John Bolton.
Tonight on the Last Word, Democrats move to counter Republican gerrymandering and Trump’s redistricting plot. Plus Black and Hispanic Texas voters are at risk of losing representation as that state advances a gerrymandered congressional map. And Trump sends VP Vance out to sell his increasingly unpopular economic policy and budget bill - that and more with Leah Litman, Rep. Gwen Moore, Jennifer Rubin, Andrew Weissmann and Jason Stanley.
Tonight on The Last Word: The DOJ is set to begin releasing Epstein files to Congress on Friday. Plus a Judge calls out Trump’s DOJ’s “Diversion on the Epstien case.” And Trump has the attorney general he’s always wanted -  that and more with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, and Yale Business Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld.
Tonight on The Last Word: Oversight Cmte. Dem Rep. Garica says fmr. Trump AG Bill Barr says the DOJ can release the Epstein files now. Also, the Justice Department is investigating NY Atty. Gen. Letitia James, who previously prosecuted the Trump Org. Plus, Sherrod Brown is running in the Ohio special election to fill the remainder of JD Vance’s term in the Senate. And Donald Trump’s economic failures are costing Americans. Rep. Robert Garcia, Andrew Weissmann, and former Sen. Sherrod Brown join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump backs away from his demand for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Also, the House Oversight Committee questions former Attorney General Barr about the Jeffrey Epstein case. And coffee prices are up because of Trump’s tariffs. Rep. Adam Smith, Rep. Robert Garcia, and Rep. Ro Khanna join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet as the fighting continues in Ukraine. Also, the Justice Department rescinds an order to take over the Washington, D.C. police. And Rep. Ro Khanna plans to introduce a bill to repeal tariffs on coffee. Timothy Snyder, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (ret.), Amb. Michael McFaul, Ben Rhodes, Lisa Rubin, and Rep. Ro Khanna join Ali Velshi.
Tonight on The Last Word: California Gov. Gavin Newsom fights back against the Texas redistricting scheme. Also, AARP finds 96 percent of voters say social security is “important.” Plus, Donald Trump breaks his “day one” vow to lower costs as prices rise since his election win. Trump deflects again from his failed campaign promise to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. And ethics questions are raised over Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s assets. Rep. Eric Swalwell, Sen. Ed Markey, Jared Bernstein, David Rothkopf, and Alan Rappeport join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee question the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer. Also, Donald Trump refers to Saint Petersburg by its Soviet-era name. And The New Yorker reports the Trump family has made an estimated $3.4 billion off his presidency so far. Rep. Jamie Raskin, Amb. Wendy Sherman, and David Kirkpatrick join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump is trying to distract from the Epstein scandal. Also, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says Trump’s Justice Department “doesn’t care about truth or law.” And Trump lashes out at criticism of his tariff chaos. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Paul Krugman join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: A federal judge rejects the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts in Ghislaine Maxwell’s case. And the Congressional Budget Office reports Donald Trump’s tax law boosts income for the rich while leaving the poorest Americans with less. Rep. Daniel Goldman, Andrew Weissmann, and Rep. Brendan Boyle join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: Texas Republicans’ attempt to remove Democrats goes to the state Supreme Court. Also, the Justice Department requests for the unsealing of the grand jury exhibits and transcripts in the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases. Plus, nearly two million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits. And the Supreme Court is poised to come for the Voting Rights Act. Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Heather Long, Conor Lamb, and Melissa Murray join Jonathan Capehart.
Tonight on The Last Word: Trump officials met at the White House and discussed Jeffrey Epstein. Also, The New York Times reports Donald Trump delayed a Medicare change after receiving a $5 million donation. And Trump adopts Project 2025’s warped view of U.S history. Lisa Rubin, Ken Vogel, and David Blight join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats introduce a resolution opposing clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell. Also, Donald Trump sets off a congressional redistricting battle. And new reporting finds Elon Musk gave $15 million to support Trump and Republicans amid their public feud. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, and Joe Miller join Lawrence O’Donnell.
August 5, 2025, 10pm; Tonight on The Last Word: The House Oversight Committee issues subpoenas for Epstein documents. And Donald Trump defends firing a labor official after a weak jobs report. Rep. Ro Khanna, Andrew Weissmann, and Paul Krugman join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Tonight on The Last Word: Ghislaine Maxwell is moved to a lower-security prison after meeting with the Trump Justice Department. And Texas Democrats flee the state to block a gerrymandered GOP map. Andrew Weissmann, Texas Rep. Mihaela Plesa, and Texas Rep. Erin Zwiener join Lawrence O’Donnell.
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Comments (215)

Chris S

From Google's AI Overview: +4 "Elon Musk's companies, particularly Tesla, have received significant subsidies and incentives from the state of California, primarily through programs aimed at promoting zero-emission vehicles and clean energy. These subsidies have been instrumental in supporting Tesla's growth and success in the state." Without California's support, Elon Musk would not be where he is today.

Jun 12th
Reply

Robert Crossno

Our Honda dealer is already charging more for the parts we will need for the work to be done on our car two weeks from now.

Apr 26th
Reply (1)

Glen LeBarr

Trump is a coward and a disgrace

Mar 1st
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SHorton

what do we do about it?

Feb 5th
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Damien gaming Zen

. hope

Jan 11th
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Douglas Sellers

Lawrence I usually have little disagreement with you but you sure overlooked the destructive power of water. I'm from Asheville NC and true we had wind in our hurricane but it was the flooding water that killed over a 100 people statewide and destroyed homes as completely as the fires in California. The overall damage may be greater in California but the death toll will be much less. And there is some ability to fight a fire but nothing to do about a raging flood.

Jan 10th
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Glen LeBarr

of course he will

Dec 17th
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Alisia Barbour

Diaper Don stepped away from the advice given to him by his debate prep team. Anyone, if having watched closely, could see the moment he ticked when she mentioned crowd size.

Sep 13th
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Jon Hendrick

.

Sep 6th
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Alisia Barbour

Ali, you're crushing it, even outside of your own show!

Aug 17th
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SHorton

Thank you 😊

Jul 10th
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Alisia Barbour

Most people take afternoon naps.

Jul 4th
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Alisia Barbour

Lawrence, Lawrence, Lawrence, you are more awesome than you know, 😆.

Jul 4th
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T Bowers

I heard opening comments from the physician as nothing more than "respectfully TONED" accusatory comments. They were not the idiotic variety of B6 but the undercurrent was accusatory. Continued CLOWN hearings R simply a waste of time & tax payer funds. Repubs have proven over & over that they R exceedingly SLOW on the uptake. they seem 2 believe they will FINALLY get what they WANT if they have18 hearings on the same subject w/o any results!! PATHETIC!!

Jun 4th
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Ed Potter

Thank you, Lawrence. I was puzzled by several things about Trump's payment and repayment scheme. If Cohen and Weisselberg came up with the plan, why did he retaliate by prosecuting Cohen? Is this what led to the search of Cohen's office? How did the press find out about Stormy Daniels? Adam Weissman's explanation regarding the $130,000 line item explains a lot! But for his offices scrupulous examination of those books it might have remained hidden.

May 15th
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Dianna Baldwin

SCOTUS appears to favor Trump. Recent behaviors seem to intend to support his ability to be elected President. What does the deciding majority of SCOTUS have to gain during a Trump/Putin administration? What would be the role of a court in a dictatorship? Trump has forced us to create laws related to a President's behavior where general decency has previously made them unnecessay.

Apr 26th
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ID21816987

I love Lawrence presentations. He has command of English language and he is just the only one who dares to call Trump and co what they really are. As for me, Trump is a BINO( Billionaire In Name Only)

Mar 22nd
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Vinnie Krieger

When SCUTUS considers these questions, simply change Trump's name for Biden and see how they will look at it.

Feb 29th
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David Neal Swingle

Wishful thinking.

Feb 24th
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Joan Panzella

For me, this totally ties it together with the Zeitgeist of it all. It's Keith O's pro-democracy righteous rage rant on YouTube. He's plainly aware-and as usual, weaves his unique position in the media landscape with his equally unique, caring, snarky, curmudgeonly wordsmith eloquence on the current state of affairs. His rant, specifically went where most fear to tread, and IMHO, it's *always* in his attempts to defibrillate goodness and all that radiates from it. http://tinyurl.com/4tz5ee6b

Feb 9th
Reply