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The Last Word with Lawrence ODonnell - Season 13 - Episode 08
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00:00Well, nine years ago, I asked the question on Twitter, if Trump gets dementia, how will we know?
00:07Donald Trump makes a public dementia diagnosis difficult because he is a pathological liar,
00:13having been caught telling over 30,000 lies and is forced for years of the presidency.
00:17He's also the most ignorant person in the history of the American presidency and
00:21usually operates at a level of public stupidity never seen in American political history.
00:26And so if you mix or together pathological lying with ignorance and relentless stupidity,
00:33you will sound like you are in neurological decline all the time, even if you're not.
00:39When you throw in a 79-year-old brain, then dementia is one of the very first things you think
00:44of
00:45when you see Donald Trump on Friday get up, get up from his chair in the middle of a White
00:49House meeting
00:49with oil executives to turn away from everyone in the room and gaze out a window which he imagined
00:57to be the entrance to a building that does not exist and then stand in that window talking to himself
01:07about what isn't outside that window.
01:13I got to look at this myself.
01:21Wow.
01:24What a view.
01:26This is the door to the ball.
01:31What a job.
01:34Unusual time to look.
01:38No, it's not the door to the ballroom.
01:40But he is right that it is an unusual time to look at his imaginary ballroom.
01:49And so everyone who has seen that, including the oil executives who were in that room,
01:54are left to wonder, is that dementia or is that just Trump?
01:58That's the person who was trying to convince the oil industry executives to rush down to Venezuela
02:02and start taking Venezuelan oil.
02:04And he convinced none of them to do that.
02:07And the evidence of Trump dementia during the meeting probably convinced most or all of them
02:12that Donald Trump can't be believed about anything.
02:18You'll make it back one way or the other.
02:20You're all going to do very well.
02:21I think really very well.
02:22Marco just gave me a note.
02:24Go back to Chevron.
02:27They want to discuss something.
02:28Go ahead.
02:29I'm going back to Chevron.
02:31Thank you, Marco.
02:32Is there a question, Mr. President?
02:35Yes.
02:35Go ahead, Marco.
02:36What are you saying here?
02:39Is that dementia or is that just Trump?
02:44Imagine just imagine what the White House press corps would have done with that
02:50if Joe Biden had done either one of those things that you just saw Donald Trump do.
02:59Donald Trump went to Detroit today to lie to the audience of rich people at the Detroit Economic Club
03:06telling them that prices are down after a year of inflation holding steady
03:10thanks to Donald Trump's tariffs and Donald Trump's other economic mismanagement.
03:17And so I think we can assume his lie about inflation to an audience that knows better today
03:22was just Donald Trump's typical pathological lying.
03:26He would have told that lie at his sharpest.
03:30That particular lie is not evidence of neurological decline in Donald Trump,
03:35but it is further proof that you cannot believe anything Donald Trump says about anything.
03:43Donald Trump droned through a lifeless teleprompter reading of a speech that appeared to be his
03:49first reading of the words that he was speaking to that audience.
03:53And at the end, Donald Trump decided in what could well be evidence of dementia
04:01that the Detroit Economic Club really wanted to see him dance in his 79-year-old way
04:09to America's gay national anthem YMCA by the village people,
04:15which was blaring away in the nightclubs that Donald Trump frequented when that song came out
04:21in 1978 when he was 32 years old.
04:28The United States is winning again, and we're rapidly making America and the great state of Michigan
04:34greater and more prosperous than ever before.
04:36I want to again thank the Detroit Economic Club.
04:39You do a fantastic job.
04:41So respected.
04:41God bless you, and God bless America.
04:44Thank you very much, everybody.
04:57Young man, there's no need to feel down.
05:01I said young man, pick yourself off the ground.
05:05I said young man, cause you're in a new town.
05:08There's no need to be unhappy.
05:27The man just walking off that stage and disappearing into those black curtains after trying and failing to dance thinks
05:35he is the acting president of Venezuela.
05:38He has publicly declared himself to be the acting president of Venezuela, and that is strong evidence of dementia.
05:44And it is a Trump pathological lie, and it is further proof that you cannot believe anything Donald Trump ever
05:52says about anything, and I mean anything.
05:57Donald Trump says she ran him over.
06:01The man who thinks he is the acting president of Venezuela said, quote, she ran him over.
06:08She didn't try to run him over.
06:09She ran him over.
06:12Those were Donald Trump's exact words when lying about Renee Good.
06:17Every video from every angle of the killing of Renee Good by one of Donald Trump's ICE agents shows that
06:25she did not run him over.
06:28And this angle proves that the ICE agent, Jonathan Ross, fired his last two shots at her when she posed
06:38no threat to him at all.
06:41He is clearly standing beside a car that is moving away from him.
06:47It is impossible for that car to hit that man now in that spot when he is firing that gun.
06:56That car cannot suddenly go sideways.
07:00The decision to fire those shots would have been made only if Jonathan Ross was convinced that the first shot
07:08he fired did not stop her.
07:12The fact is that most bullets fired by law enforcement officers in the line of duty miss their targets most
07:20of the time.
07:22But if Jonathan Ross's first shot hit Renee Good, then there was no reason to fire a second shot.
07:28And if the second shot hit Renee Good, then there was no reason to fire a third shot.
07:34And law enforcement officers are required to assess the situation after each shot that they fire to decide whether to
07:43fire another shot.
07:45It is not legal for them to just keep firing bullets as long as they have bullets.
07:52If the third shot hit Renee Good and killed her, that shot was fired when she posed no threat to
08:01Jonathan Ross or anyone else on that scene.
08:04As this disturbing video proves.
08:23What the f**k did you do?
08:34You. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. What's happening to her? What happened?
09:11Do you. You shot her. I tried to help. No. No. You shot someone.
09:24There was no apparent injury to Jonathan Ross on that video. You see him walking all the way down to
09:30the car,
09:30after he has fired the deadly shots,
09:33and you see him walking all the way back,
09:35no limping, nothing,
09:37no hint in any of his movement
09:40after the fact that he was injured in any way,
09:42not injured in the slightest,
09:43no hint of that in that video.
09:47It was mass resignation day
09:48in the Trump Justice Department today
09:51from Minnesota to Washington, D.C.,
09:53and Washington, six members of the Civil Rights Division
09:55of the Trump Justice Department quit.
09:57MS Now's Carol Lennig
09:59and Ken Delaney in report, quote,
10:01top leaders of the criminal section
10:02of the Civil Rights Division
10:03have left their jobs
10:04to register their frustration
10:06with the department
10:07after the Assistant Attorney General
10:08for Civil Rights, Harmeet Dillon,
10:11decided not to investigate
10:13the ICE officer's fatal shooting
10:15of Renee Good last week.
10:16The criminal section of the division
10:18would normally investigate
10:19any fatal shooting
10:20by a law enforcement officer
10:21and specializes in probing potential
10:24or alleged abuse of improper
10:26or improper use of force
10:28by law enforcement.
10:29So, the most experienced lawyers
10:31in dealing with incidents like this
10:33at the Trump Justice Department
10:35are not being allowed
10:37to participate in the investigation
10:39in any way.
10:40And in Minnesota today,
10:41another six attorneys
10:42have quit the Trump Justice Department
10:44in the U.S. Attorney's Office there.
10:46The Minnesota Star Tribune reports
10:48that, quote,
10:49a majority of the leadership team
10:50at the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office
10:52resigned on January 13
10:54over the direction
10:55of the Justice Department
10:57under the Trump administration.
10:58Among those who resigned
10:59was Joe Thompson,
11:01the lead federal prosecutor
11:02and public voice
11:03on uncovering rampant fraud
11:06in Minnesota.
11:08Joe Thompson is a 12-year veteran
11:10of the U.S. Attorney's Office
11:11in Minnesota
11:12and has been leading
11:13the fraud investigation
11:14in Minnesota
11:14that Donald Trump claims
11:16is the reason
11:16he sent thousands
11:18of federal agents
11:19to Minnesota
11:20in what our first guest
11:21tonight calls an invasion.
11:24The Minnesota Star Tribune
11:25reports, quote,
11:26the departures
11:27of several prosecutors
11:28stemmed from directives
11:30from top federal officials
11:31to staff members
11:32after the killing
11:33of Renee Good
11:33by ICE agent Jonathan Ross,
11:35according to sources
11:36familiar with the decision.
11:37That included blocking
11:39the Minnesota Bureau
11:40of Criminal Apprehension
11:41from the investigation
11:42into the shooting
11:43and a request
11:44from the Justice Department
11:46to investigate Good's widow
11:48for possible federal charges.
11:50Governor Tim Walz,
11:52whose state government
11:53has been the focus
11:55of Joe Thompson's
11:56fraud investigation,
11:58said, quote,
11:59Joe is a principled
12:00public servant
12:01who spent more than a decade
12:02achieving justice
12:03for Minnesotans.
12:04This is a huge loss
12:06for our state.
12:08Minneapolis Police Chief
12:09Brian O'Harris said,
12:10quote,
12:10when you lose the leader
12:11responsible for making
12:12the fraud cases,
12:14it tells you this isn't
12:15really about prosecuting fraud.
12:18Minnesota Attorney General
12:19Keith Ellison has now
12:20turned Kristi Noem
12:22into a defendant
12:23in the case of
12:24Minnesota versus Noem.
12:26The Attorney General,
12:27along with the cities
12:28of Minneapolis and St. Paul,
12:30are suing the Department
12:31of Homeland Security
12:32to stop what Attorney
12:33General Ellison calls
12:34the Trump invasion
12:35of Minnesota.
12:38The deployment of thousands
12:40of armed mass DHS agents
12:42to Minnesota
12:43has done our state
12:44serious harm.
12:46This is, in essence,
12:48a federal invasion
12:49of the Twin Cities
12:50and Minnesota,
12:51and it must stop.
12:54Leading off our discussion
12:56tonight is Minnesota
12:56Attorney General
12:57Keith Ellison.
12:58I want to begin,
13:00General Ellison,
13:00with your reaction
13:01to what you saw
13:03in the U.S. Attorney's
13:04Office today
13:05in Minnesota
13:06and the Civil Rights
13:07Division in Washington.
13:08Well, the first thing
13:10is that we still have
13:12the precious life
13:14of Renee Nicole Good
13:16that needs to be investigated.
13:20And if the most experienced
13:22federal lawyers
13:23are not going to be involved
13:25because Harmeet Dillon
13:28and Todd Blanche
13:30and Pam Bondi
13:32have said they wouldn't be,
13:33and if they're still denying
13:35state investigators
13:37access to the file,
13:39then how is
13:40Ms. Good's case
13:42ever going to be investigated?
13:44The feds won't do it
13:45and they're denying
13:46the state access
13:47to the file.
13:48So that is deeply
13:49concerning.
13:51Now, look,
13:53it turns out
13:53that prosecutors
13:56have ethics,
13:57principles,
13:58morals,
13:59and there's,
14:00and the Trump administration
14:02has crossed the line
14:03with them,
14:03so they had to walk.
14:05This is what
14:06any principled person
14:08would do
14:08when they were confronted
14:10with a moral quandary
14:11that they simply
14:12could not engage in.
14:14They had to walk
14:15and I commend them for it.
14:17I can tell you
14:18that for the difficulties
14:20that we're having
14:21with the federal government
14:22in Washington,
14:23we work quite cooperatively
14:25with federal officials
14:27in Minnesota,
14:28whether they're
14:30at the U.S. Attorney's Office
14:31or whether they're
14:32at ATF
14:33or even the FBI.
14:35The calls
14:36to basically
14:37shut down
14:38this investigation
14:39are coming
14:40from Washington,
14:41not Minnesota,
14:41and it sounds like
14:43even people
14:44in Washington
14:44are saying,
14:45we are here
14:47to investigate cases
14:48exactly like this one.
14:49If you will not
14:50allow us to be involved
14:51in this case,
14:52we cannot remain here.
14:53And I am saddened
14:55by it,
14:56but it really speaks
14:58to the fact
14:58that the federal government
15:00is covering up
15:00a death investigation.
15:03And that's pretty sad.
15:06So in a shooting
15:07like this,
15:07the three most important
15:11evidence sources
15:12are, of course,
15:13the body
15:14and the autopsy report
15:15that is produced
15:16from that,
15:17secondly,
15:18the gun,
15:18and thirdly,
15:19the car.
15:20The FBI
15:21has the gun,
15:22the FBI
15:23has the car,
15:24as I understand it,
15:25but the county,
15:26state of Minnesota,
15:27the county,
15:28has the body
15:29and is in charge
15:30of the autopsy report.
15:31Will we see
15:32the autopsy report?
15:35You know,
15:36let me tell you,
15:36all bets are off
15:38nowadays, Lawrence,
15:39but I think
15:39the answer is yes.
15:42But that's what
15:43I'm pushing for.
15:44That's what I believe
15:45should happen
15:46and will happen.
15:47I hope not to come
15:48to your show
15:49and say,
15:50I thought so
15:51in good faith,
15:52but the federal government
15:53did something
15:54to prevent it.
15:55But my understanding
15:56is yes,
15:57we will,
15:58that information
15:58will be forthcoming.
16:00But the shell casings,
16:01the gun,
16:03the car,
16:06whether or not
16:07there's been
16:07a toxicology test
16:11for Jonathan Ross,
16:15which is standard,
16:18those kind of things
16:19are in the possession
16:20of the federal government.
16:21And quite honestly,
16:23if we're doing things
16:24anywhere close
16:25to the right way,
16:26they have essentially
16:27declined prosecution
16:29at this point.
16:31So,
16:32so open up the file
16:34and hand it
16:34and let the state
16:35get access to it
16:36so that we can
16:37do our investigation.
16:38The state has a right
16:39to investigate
16:40this homicide.
16:42And now,
16:43the federal government
16:44has decided
16:45that they're not
16:45going to pursue it,
16:46so they should
16:47open up the file
16:48and hand the file over.
16:49And I think
16:50that's just logical.
16:51And I would wonder
16:52why they wouldn't
16:53do that
16:54since they've been crying.
16:55If there's a Minnesota
16:57grand jury investigation,
16:59would that create the,
17:01would that have the power
17:03to subpoena
17:05the gun
17:06from the federal government
17:07or subpoena the car
17:10and subpoena
17:11whatever is in possession,
17:13would any evidence
17:14that's actually in,
17:15physical evidence
17:16in possession
17:16of the FBI?
17:18I say yes.
17:20But understand this,
17:22Lawrence,
17:22that's probably
17:24going to be
17:24a thorny legal issue
17:27to sort through.
17:28Because logically,
17:29the federal government
17:30has declined the case
17:31at this point.
17:32They should hand over
17:33the file.
17:34But what if they don't?
17:36And there have been
17:36a lot of unorthodox,
17:38unprecedented things
17:39that have happened.
17:39If they don't,
17:40then we're going to
17:41have to get a judge
17:42to make them release it.
17:43And does a court
17:46have the authority
17:47under separation of powers
17:48to tell the executive branch
17:50to release information?
17:51I mean,
17:52it would be,
17:53I suspect we'd have
17:55a court battle over it,
17:56but my position would be
17:57that the state
17:58would be entitled to it.
18:00Minnesota Attorney General
18:01Keith Ellison,
18:02thank you very much
18:03for starting off
18:03our coverage tonight.
18:04Thank you, sir.
18:07Coming up,
18:07Donald Trump's
18:08so-called Bordazar,
18:09Tom Homan,
18:09finally faced the question,
18:11what happened
18:11to the $50,000 in cash
18:13FBI undercover agents
18:14gave him
18:15during the last
18:16Trump presidential campaign.
18:19That's next
18:20with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
18:25Investigative reporting
18:26by MS Dow's
18:27Karolinig and Ken Delanian
18:29broke the news
18:30in September of last year
18:32that Donald Trump's
18:33so-called Bordazar,
18:34Tom Homan,
18:35who serves in a position
18:36invented by Donald Trump
18:38that does not require
18:39Senate confirmation,
18:41was recorded
18:42on an FBI undercover video
18:44accepting $50,000
18:45in cash
18:47from undercover
18:48FBI agents
18:50in the last year,
18:51the year before
18:52Donald Trump
18:53became president.
18:54When that news broke,
18:56Tom Homan disappeared
18:58from Sunday morning TV
18:59where he might be asked
19:00a difficult question
19:01about the $50,000
19:03in cash,
19:03but this Sunday
19:04on Meet the Press
19:06at the end of an interview
19:08about other issues,
19:10Kristen Welker
19:10followed the money.
19:15As you know,
19:16in an undercover operation
19:17in 2024,
19:18the FBI recorded you
19:20accepting a bag
19:21which was determined
19:22to contain $50,000
19:23from agents
19:25posing as business executives
19:27who said you indicated
19:28you could help win
19:29government contracts
19:30in the second Trump administration.
19:31I want to stress
19:32there was an investigation
19:34it was closed last year.
19:35The Justice Department
19:36said it found
19:37quote,
19:37no credible evidence
19:38of any criminal wrongdoing.
19:40I do want to give you
19:41an opportunity
19:42to respond though,
19:43Mr. Homan.
19:44Where is that $50,000?
19:46Did you keep it
19:47or did you return it?
19:48I didn't take $50,000
19:49from anybody
19:50and that's the question
19:50for the FBI.
19:51I'm not going to give
19:52this story anymore,
19:54Bottom line,
19:54and I did nothing illegal.
19:56I did nothing
19:57and the FBI and DOJ
19:58reviewed this.
19:59No credible evidence
20:00that did anything
20:01because I didn't do
20:01anything illegal.
20:02But was there $50,000
20:04in the bag
20:05and did you return it?
20:06I'm not giving this
20:06story anymore here.
20:07This is an attack
20:09on my integrity
20:09and my professionalism.
20:11I'm not addressing it.
20:12That's a question
20:12of the FBI.
20:13Can you address
20:14given that it's
20:15been recorded,
20:16did you keep the money?
20:17Did you return the money?
20:18I did not keep
20:19any $50,000
20:20is ridiculous.
20:22The FBI has been
20:23clearing this.
20:23And it irritates me
20:25and this story
20:25keeps going on
20:26and on and on
20:27even though I've been
20:28found that there's
20:28nothing inappropriate.
20:29So I'm not going
20:30to ask any more
20:30of these questions.
20:31Did you return the money?
20:33I didn't have
20:33any money to return.
20:35I didn't take
20:35the $50,000,
20:37bottom line.
20:37Let me ask you,
20:38you're saying
20:39you did nothing unlawful.
20:40Would you be comfortable
20:41with the FBI
20:43releasing the recording?
20:45That's a decision
20:46to the FBI.
20:46It might be a decision
20:48for the FBI,
20:48but would you be
20:49comfortable if they
20:50released those reports?
20:50Again, I'm not getting
20:52ahead of the FBI
20:53in this investigation.
20:53But can you just say
20:55on a personal level,
20:56would you be comfortable
20:56releasing the recordings?
20:58I am not going to
20:59get ahead of the FBI.
21:00That's their decision.
21:01Okay.
21:01All right.
21:02Mr. Holman,
21:03thank you very much
21:04for being here.
21:08joining us now is Democratic
21:09Senator Sheldon White
21:10who is a member
21:11of the Senate Judiciary Committee
21:13and he has been waiting
21:14to hear those questions asked
21:15for several months now.
21:18Senator,
21:18let me begin
21:19with the question
21:20that Mr. Holman
21:22refused to answer.
21:23Would you be comfortable
21:25if the FBI
21:26releases those recordings?
21:29I mean,
21:32if he says
21:33he's done nothing wrong
21:34and it's totally,
21:36everything he did
21:37was totally appropriate,
21:38why would you not
21:40allow those
21:41recordings to be released?
21:43Why would that be
21:44inappropriate?
21:46And by the way,
21:47when the FBI
21:47delivers $50,000
21:49in an operation
21:51like this,
21:52there's a whole
21:54procedure
21:55of paperwork
21:56and reports
21:57that they have
21:58to go through
21:58to get access
21:59to that cash
22:01and they have
22:02to then report
22:03what became of it.
22:04Did they get it back?
22:06And so there's
22:07an actual
22:07federal record
22:08through the FBI
22:09about this $50,000
22:13and we can't
22:14get answers
22:15to those questions.
22:16We asked
22:17Attorney General Bondi
22:18about it.
22:18We've got a FOIA
22:20out about it.
22:21These are fairly
22:23standard records.
22:25And so,
22:26you know,
22:27when Homan said,
22:29you know,
22:29these questions,
22:30they just go on
22:31and on and on
22:32and on and on.
22:33Well, duh,
22:34the reason they keep
22:35going on and on
22:36and on is because
22:36you won't answer
22:37where's the $50,000.
22:41And between him
22:42and the FBI,
22:43they know
22:44where the $50,000 is.
22:46And yet,
22:46here we are
22:47months later
22:48and they still
22:49won't answer.
22:50So the great
22:52thing about
22:53Kristen Welker
22:54staying specifically
22:55on the $50,000
22:57is this gets
22:58the,
22:58this,
22:59she just established
23:00the best record
23:01yet of what
23:03Mr. Homan
23:04has to say
23:05about the $50,000.
23:06And he says,
23:07I didn't take
23:08$50,000
23:09from anyone.
23:10He also says,
23:11I didn't return
23:12$50,000.
23:14Well,
23:14one of those things
23:15is,
23:16one of those answers
23:17is provable
23:18on video.
23:19There is,
23:20there is reportedly
23:21a video
23:22of that guy
23:23sitting in a room
23:24with undercover FBI
23:26agents who are doing
23:27an undercover video.
23:28And on that video,
23:29we will see him
23:31take the $50,000
23:32or not take
23:34the $50,000.
23:35And if he can show
23:36a video of him
23:37not taking
23:39the $50,000,
23:40wouldn't they rush
23:41to get that video
23:42out there?
23:43Yeah.
23:44And there's highly
23:45likely to be
23:46an FBI 302
23:47also,
23:48the investigative
23:49form that they
23:50fill out
23:51after an interview
23:52or an episode
23:54like this
23:54where they come
23:55back to the office
23:56and they write
23:56down what took
23:58place.
23:58So they've got
23:58a contemporaneous
23:59record that the
24:01tape would then
24:03support.
24:03So there's a ton
24:05of evidence
24:05about what actually
24:06happened.
24:07And the MAGA DOJ
24:09just won't let it
24:10out because they
24:11don't want their
24:11guy to be embarrassed.
24:14And it's very
24:15clear this is
24:17one of the things,
24:18one of the reasons
24:18why Donald Trump
24:19had to invent a
24:20job that does
24:22not require Senate
24:23confirmation in
24:24order for him to
24:25be working in the
24:26federal government
24:27now.
24:28Yeah.
24:28And, you know,
24:29the thing that's
24:30kind of a riot,
24:31if you think about
24:32today's recent
24:34news and the
24:36subpoena to
24:37Jay Powell,
24:39Jeanine Pirro's
24:40explanation for
24:41that is because
24:42that they
24:43weren't getting
24:43answers,
24:44they weren't
24:45getting complete
24:45answers,
24:46they weren't
24:47getting timely
24:48answers,
24:49and so they had
24:50to resort to a
24:51subpoena.
24:52Well, false,
24:53incomplete,
24:54and untimely
24:55answers is sort
24:56of the hallmark
24:56of this
24:57administration.
24:58So the idea
24:59that they're
25:00aggravated by
25:01false, incomplete,
25:02or untimely
25:03answers, I mean,
25:04the irony is rich.
25:05And this guy is
25:07the perfect example
25:08of false, incomplete,
25:09or untimely
25:10answers.
25:11And clearly
25:12his game was
25:13he was going to
25:14stay off TV
25:15long enough for
25:16this to cool
25:16down, but
25:18Kristen Welker
25:19didn't see it that
25:20way, and the
25:21record is now
25:22lucky because of
25:23her persistence
25:24on that.
25:25And it comes
25:27down to a very
25:27simple, provable
25:29thing with the
25:30video.
25:30There's a video
25:31that will show
25:32him taking the
25:32money or not
25:33taking the money.
25:34And it seems to
25:35me, if the
25:36Democrats win the
25:36Senate next year,
25:38and you have
25:39more control
25:40over this
25:40Justice Department,
25:42you should, would
25:43you at that
25:43point have more
25:44power to get
25:45this video?
25:47Yes, and even
25:48more would come
25:49through the House
25:50Judiciary Committee
25:51because a House
25:53Judiciary subpoena
25:54doesn't need to go
25:56through a
25:57filibustable Senate
25:59for enforcement.
26:01Whereas, as we
26:02saw with our
26:03subpoenas to try
26:04to get to the
26:05bottom of Clarence
26:06Thomas' many
26:07scandals to
26:08Leonard Leo and
26:09other people, the
26:11Senate Republicans
26:12refused to
26:14allow the
26:15enforcement of
26:16the subpoena to
26:17proceed through
26:18the Senate floor.
26:19So we have an
26:21additional hurdle
26:22in the Senate
26:23at getting
26:23subpoenas
26:24enforced.
26:24The House
26:25can go right
26:27at it.
26:27And so one
26:28way or the
26:29other, whether
26:29it's a
26:30Chairman Raskin
26:31or potentially
26:32a Chairman
26:33White House
26:34in the Senate
26:35Judiciary
26:35Committee,
26:37this is going
26:37to come out
26:38sooner or
26:38later.
26:39But, you
26:40know, I think
26:40their hope is
26:41by then they're
26:41gone and, you
26:43know, getting
26:44paid by somebody
26:44else and that's
26:45the end of it.
26:46All they need
26:46to do is get
26:47through this
26:47moment.
26:48But I think
26:49it's going to
26:50come out and
26:53it just has
26:54to.
26:56Chairman to be
26:57Sheldon Whitehouse,
26:58thank you very
26:58much for joining
26:59us tonight.
27:02And coming up,
27:03the Democrats
27:03now have a
27:04strong chance
27:05to win
27:06control of
27:07the United
27:07States Senate
27:07in this year's
27:08election and
27:09make Sheldon
27:10Whitehouse the
27:11Chairman of the
27:11Senate Judiciary
27:12Committee.
27:12And Donald
27:13Trump is now
27:14doing everything
27:15he can to
27:16help the
27:16Democrats.
27:17That's next
27:18with Georgia
27:19Senator John
27:19Ossoff, who
27:20is running
27:20for re-election
27:21this year.
27:26With the
27:26announcement
27:26yesterday of a
27:27strong Democratic
27:28candidate running
27:29for Senate in
27:30Alaska, the
27:30Democrats now
27:31have a much
27:32stronger chance
27:33of winning
27:34control of the
27:35United States
27:35Senate in
27:36November's
27:36election.
27:37And Donald
27:38Trump is doing
27:39everything he can
27:40to help the
27:41Democrats, as he
27:41did today in his
27:42speech to rich
27:43people at the
27:45Detroit Economic
27:46Club, mocking
27:49affordability.
27:51In the coming
27:52weeks, I will be
27:53laying out even
27:54more plans to
27:55help bring back
27:57affordability.
27:57And again,
27:58remember, that's a
27:59fake word by
28:00Democrats.
28:01Prices were
28:02too high.
28:02They caused
28:03the high price.
28:04They never
28:04want to talk
28:05about affordability.
28:06They always
28:06go, this is an
28:08election about
28:08affordability.
28:10They say, they
28:11cost it.
28:12But they're good
28:13at that stuff.
28:16Donald Trump
28:16speechwriters write
28:18the mandatory line
28:19about affordability.
28:21They put it in the
28:22teleprompter, and
28:23when he sees the
28:24word, he has to
28:26stop reading the
28:27teleprompter to tell
28:28his audience that
28:29it's a fake word
28:31invented by
28:32Democrats, and
28:33then he says
28:33they're good at
28:35that.
28:36Democrats are
28:37now good at
28:38talking about the
28:38affordability issue
28:39throughout the
28:41country, and here
28:41is what the new
28:42Democratic candidate
28:43for Senate in
28:44Alaska, former
28:44Congresswoman Mary
28:46Peltola, said about
28:48it in her
28:48announcement video.
28:51It's not just that
28:52politicians in D.C.
28:54don't care that
28:55we're paying $17 a
28:56gallon for milk in
28:57rural Alaska.
28:58They don't even
29:00believe us.
29:02The Atlanta
29:02Journal-Constitution
29:03reports, quote,
29:05this time last year,
29:06U.S.
29:06Senator John
29:06Ossoff was
29:07considered to be the
29:08Democratic Party's
29:09likeliest casualty on
29:11the 2026 Senate map.
29:12Now, Georgia
29:13Democrats increasingly
29:14are confident of the
29:16first-term lawmakers'
29:17midterm chances, and
29:20Republicans are the
29:20ones sounding
29:21pessimistic.
29:22A growing chorus of
29:24prominent Republicans
29:25is warning that
29:26without a course
29:26correction, the
29:28party risks
29:28disastrous midterm
29:31losses and another
29:32six years for
29:34Ossoff.
29:35Joining us now is
29:36Democratic Senator
29:37John Ossoff from
29:37Georgia.
29:38He's a member of the
29:39Senate Appropriations
29:39Committee, the
29:40Senate Intelligence
29:40Committee, the
29:41Senate Rules
29:42Committee.
29:42He's running for
29:43re-election this
29:44year.
29:45Senator Ossoff, you
29:47your candidacy now
29:49is suffering from
29:51what I know
29:51candidates like you
29:52worry about, and
29:53that is other
29:54people's confidence
29:56that you are going
29:57to win.
29:58But I think you
30:00have to recognize
30:01what we are seeing
30:02nationwide here on
30:05the issues, what
30:05we've seen in the
30:07elections this year,
30:08and now when we see
30:10a strong Democratic
30:11candidate emerging in
30:12Alaska, not only is
30:15there some confidence
30:16confidence that you're
30:16going to win, but
30:17there is a building
30:19possibility toward
30:20confidence that the
30:21Democrats could win
30:23back the Senate.
30:25Lawrence, thank you
30:27for having me, and
30:28here's how to look at
30:29it.
30:29We have huge
30:31momentum because
30:32this president and
30:34his agenda and his
30:36enablers in Congress
30:38are massively
30:40unpopular.
30:41They have been
30:42stripping the country
30:43bare and selling the
30:45spare parts to
30:46enrich themselves and
30:49their wealthy donors.
30:50People are hurting.
30:51People are hurting
30:52because their health
30:53insurance premiums are
30:54skyrocketing.
30:55People are hurting
30:56because wage growth
30:57has stalled.
30:58People are hurting
30:59because the tariffs
31:00are a disaster.
31:01People are hurting
31:01because prices keep
31:03getting higher and
31:04higher.
31:05But complacency and
31:08overconfidence are our
31:11enemies.
31:12We cannot, just
31:13because we had some
31:14good results in
31:15Virginia and New
31:17Jersey, take
31:18anything for granted.
31:20Remember, I'm the
31:20only Democratic
31:21senator defending a
31:23seat in a state that
31:24the president won.
31:25They will spend
31:26hundreds of millions
31:27of dollars.
31:28They will use every
31:29dirty trick in the
31:31book.
31:31And so if you are
31:33furious at the
31:34weekly Watergate and
31:35the daily desecration
31:37of our nation's
31:38highest ideals, I need
31:40your help, here's
31:40something you can do
31:41right now that makes
31:42a difference.
31:43Go to electjohn.com,
31:46electjohn.com, and
31:47help me win this
31:49Senate race in
31:49Georgia.
31:50The Atlanta Journal
31:53Constitution is
31:53reporting 190,000
31:56enrollees in the
31:59Affordable Care Act
32:00in Georgia alone
32:03apparently have lost
32:04their health insurance
32:05at this point in the
32:08year because of the
32:10Republican refusal to
32:13extend the subsidies
32:14that those people were
32:14enjoying and that
32:16enabled them to even
32:17afford health insurance.
32:20And this is exactly
32:22what was predicted
32:24and just the beginning.
32:27You know, this is
32:29folks in Georgia and
32:31across the country who
32:33don't have health
32:33insurance anymore.
32:34Some of them in the
32:36middle of a cancer fight.
32:37Some of them fighting
32:39diabetes.
32:40Some of them already
32:41with surgery scheduled.
32:43I'm hearing from my
32:44constituents who are in
32:45this position every
32:46single day.
32:47Their premiums have
32:48gone up 100, 200 percent
32:51and folks just can't
32:53afford it.
32:54It is avoidable human
32:56suffering and illness
32:58and even death that's
33:00being imposed upon the
33:02country by Republican
33:05politicians and the
33:06White House here in
33:07Washington.
33:08And by the way, all
33:09three of my opponents
33:12oppose extending these
33:14ACA tax credits.
33:16Now, my prediction, as
33:17the pain grows, as the
33:19suffering becomes
33:21clearer and clearer, all
33:23three of my opponents
33:24will reverse their
33:26opposition to extending
33:27these tax credits.
33:28And a lot of
33:29Republicans in Congress
33:30will change their tune
33:31too.
33:32But too late to prevent
33:34so much of the harm
33:35that's already been
33:36done.
33:37We've seen that in the
33:38House of Representatives
33:38where Republicans who
33:39voted to inflict this
33:41harm are now trying,
33:42some of them, now trying
33:43to vote their way out
33:44of that problem.
33:47What is your reaction
33:48when you see Donald
33:49Trump stumble over the
33:51word affordability every
33:52single time the speech
33:53writers put it in the
33:54teleprompter for him,
33:55every single time?
33:56He has to say it's a
33:58fake word that you
33:59Democrats got together
34:00and invented some fake
34:02word to describe what
34:04Americans are facing now.
34:06He doesn't care what
34:08working class and middle
34:10class Americans are going
34:12through, and he doesn't
34:13know.
34:13There are some folks in
34:14the White House who
34:15recognize this as a
34:15political liability form
34:17and are trying to get him
34:17to at least pay lip
34:19service to it.
34:20But what does Donald
34:20Trump care about above
34:21all?
34:22Donald Trump cares about
34:23retribution.
34:25Donald Trump cares about
34:26harassing and persecuting
34:29and punishing the people
34:30he believes to be his
34:32enemies and using the
34:34powers of state in order
34:36to manipulate people,
34:37whether it's Jay Powell
34:38or members of the Senate
34:39he doesn't like or others
34:41who he views as his
34:42adversaries.
34:43Senator John Ossoff,
34:45thank you very much for
34:46joining us tonight.
34:48Coming up, the pressure
34:50Congressman O'Connor is
34:51putting on the Trump
34:52Justice Department about
34:54the Epstein files is
34:56working.
34:57Today, a federal judge is
34:58demanding answers from the
35:00Trump Justice Department.
35:01Congressman Connett joins us
35:02next.
35:06As of tonight, the Donald
35:08Trump-controlled Justice
35:09Department has released less
35:10than 1% of the Epstein
35:12files.
35:12The department was required
35:14to release by law 25 days
35:17ago.
35:18Today, U.S. District
35:20Judge Paul Engelmeyer, who
35:21presided over the criminal
35:23cases against Jeffrey Epstein
35:25and Ghislaine Maxwell, ordered
35:27the Trump Justice Department to
35:28explain by Friday why they have
35:31released so little of the
35:33Epstein material.
35:34The order also directs the
35:35Trump Justice Department to
35:36respond to Congressman Roe
35:38O'Connor and Congressman
35:39Thomas Massey, who are asking
35:40the judge to appoint a special
35:42master or an independent
35:44monitor to oversee the release
35:46of the entire Epstein files.
35:48Former President Bill Clinton
35:49and former Secretary of State
35:50Hillary Clinton have refused to
35:52comply with subpoenas to testify
35:54to the House Oversight Committee.
35:55The New York Times is reporting
35:57that committee chairman,
35:58Republican James Comer, quote,
36:00said he would take steps to
36:02hold them in contempt of
36:04Congress.
36:05Joining us now is Democratic
36:06Congressman Roe O'Connor in
36:07California.
36:07He's a member of the House
36:09Oversight Committee.
36:10Congressman Conner, thank you
36:11very much for joining us
36:12tonight.
36:12You have gotten the judge's
36:14attention and he wants answers
36:16by Friday.
36:18What are you expecting to hear
36:19from the Trump Justice
36:20Department?
36:21Well, we were very pleased
36:23that Judge Engelmeyer issued
36:26the order today, just two days
36:28after we sent the letter.
36:29He was very clear.
36:31He expects the Department of
36:33Justice to explain why they are
36:35hiding the documents they are
36:37and what their plan is to be in
36:40compliance with the Epstein
36:41Transparency Act.
36:42He's also seriously considering
36:44appointing a special master who
36:46would review all the documents.
36:47And he's asked the Department of
36:49Justice to brief that issue.
36:51He's asked Thomas Massey and I to
36:53brief that issue, which we will
36:54be doing.
36:55And our brief will be due in the
36:56next couple of weeks.
36:58And the speed of a judge's
37:00response in a situation like this
37:02indicates that this judge thinks
37:05this is a very valid point, at
37:07least.
37:07It doesn't tell us which way he's
37:08going to go, but it certainly
37:09tells us that he thinks this is
37:11valid and important.
37:13Absolutely, Lawrence.
37:14Look, he could have just ignored
37:15this.
37:16He's under no obligation to
37:18respond.
37:19He could have sat on it.
37:21He, within 24 hours, says, I'm
37:24going to seriously consider this.
37:26I want to hear the arguments.
37:27I want to make sure that the
37:29Epstein Transparency Act is being
37:31complied with.
37:31Department of Justice, tell me
37:33what your plan is.
37:34Tell me whether this is a good
37:35idea or not.
37:36And he's even graciously given
37:38Representative Massey and I the
37:40opportunity to make our case.
37:42So, so far, he's conducted
37:43himself with great integrity and
37:45fairness.
37:46And I do believe that he can
37:49really help solve this issue.
37:51He can appoint someone who
37:53finally gets the files out and he
37:55can also direct the type of files
37:57we need out, like the Section 302
37:59statements where the survivors have
38:02named other rich and powerful men
38:04who abused them.
38:06Should Bill and Hillary Clinton
38:08comply with the subpoenas to your
38:10committee?
38:12Well, they should come before the
38:13committee, but their point was, in
38:15my view, a fair one.
38:17And what they're saying is, one,
38:18they want to testify publicly, not
38:20behind closed doors.
38:22And two, there are all these other
38:23people that we should be calling,
38:25people who are directly implicated
38:28with Epstein, that we should be
38:30calling Pam Bondi before the
38:31committee who hasn't complied with
38:33the laws.
38:33I mean, Bill Clinton was president in
38:351992, and there are other relevant
38:38people.
38:38So my understanding is that they're
38:40open to coming.
38:41They should come.
38:42But this cannot become a witch hunt
38:45for the Clintons.
38:46It needs to be about the survivors
38:48and justice.
38:49What are these next steps for you in
38:52the committee, in terms of the
38:54investigation the committee is
38:56conducting?
38:57Well, we just got the state
39:01accountant and lawyers subpoena.
39:03That was a big deal.
39:05I want to credit the ranking
39:06member Garcia and the entire
39:08committee for doing that.
39:09And so they will be coming before
39:11the committee.
39:12We're still getting documents from
39:14the Epstein estate.
39:15And the committee is going to
39:17continue to put pressure on the
39:18Justice Department.
39:19I heard the earlier segment about
39:21Chair Whitehouse when we take back
39:24the Senate.
39:24Well, we're going to have Chair
39:25Garcia when we take back the
39:27House.
39:27And those people in the Justice
39:28Department who are not complying
39:31are going to face a new oversight
39:34committee.
39:35And so it is very, very important
39:37for people at the Justice Department
39:38to understand they have a legal
39:40obligation to comply.
39:42And this is going to be a huge
39:43priority for the Oversight Committee
39:44when we're in the majority.
39:47Congressman Roe Connoe, thank you
39:48very much for joining us tonight.
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