GOP cheers passage of Trump’s Medicaid-cutting bill

Summary

Summary of "GOP Cheers Passage of Trump’s Medicaid-Cutting Bill"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
• Host/Author: Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC
• Episode: GOP Cheers Passage of Trump’s Medicaid-Cutting Bill
• Release Date: July 4, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Lawrence delves into the controversial passage of President Donald Trump's Medicaid-cutting bill by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Drawing upon his extensive political experience, O’Donnell provides a comprehensive analysis of the bill's implications, the motivations behind Republican votes, and the broader impact on American healthcare and economy.

The Passage of the Medicaid-Cutting Bill

The House of Representatives narrowly approved President Trump's budget bill with a vote of 218 to 214, resulting in the largest Medicaid cuts in U.S. history. These cuts are projected to leave 17 million Americans without health care, close rural hospitals, devastate nursing homes, and reduce nutrition assistance for poor children. Additionally, the bill is expected to add trillions to the national debt.

Notable Quote:

Chris Hayes [07:16]: "Republicans knew all of that and they still voted for that bill."

Republican Votes and Internal Criticism

Despite knowing the detrimental effects of the bill, many Republicans voted in favor. Members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Andy Harris, Keith Self, and Chip Roy, openly criticized the bill’s provisions before ultimately supporting its passage. They cited concerns over increasing the deficit, closing hospitals, and harming rural America.

Notable Quotes:

Andy Harris [02:14]: "Winning is caving. Well, if winning is caving, then I guess we caved."

Chip Roy [04:05]: "I think this is a travesty."

Ralph Norman [04:25]: "The spending provisions in this thing are massive and will blow up the deficit. We can't keep mortgaging our future."

Impact on Constituents: Voices from the Ground

Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Cook from Wisconsin's Third District and former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius provided firsthand accounts of how the bill would adversely affect communities. Cook highlighted the closure of hospitals in rural areas and the resultant lack of access to essential healthcare services. Sebelius emphasized the historic nature of the Medicaid cuts and their devastating impact on families, rural hospitals, and overall public health.

Notable Quotes:

Rebecca Cook [10:35]: "People are going to die because of the passage of this bill."

Kathleen Sebelius [14:34]: "This is the largest cut in health care that we have ever seen in the United States of America."

Democratic Response: Hakeem Jeffries' Historic Speech

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered a record-breaking floor speech of 8 hours and 45 minutes, denouncing the bill as the "one big ugly bill." He meticulously detailed the bill's detrimental effects, likening it to a "crime scene" and emphasizing its moral bankruptcy. Jeffries vowed that Democrats would continue to fight against such legislation to protect the American people.

Notable Quotes:

Hakeem Jeffries [39:39]: "Republicans are trying to jam a budget down the throats of the American people that will close hospitals, close nursing homes, and detonate the ability of millions of people to access home care. That's shameful."

Hakeem Jeffries [45:34]: "We're going to press on until victory is won."

President Trump's Assertion of Power

In the aftermath of the bill's passage, President Trump declared, "I think I have more power now." This statement, perceived as a reflection of his influence over the Republican Party, was critiqued by both political analysts and opposition figures as emblematic of his continued dominance despite internal dissent.

Notable Quotes:

Donald Trump [06:38]: "I think I have more power now."

Chris Hayes [06:45]: "Awful modest of them."

Economic and Social Implications

The Medicaid cuts are not isolated in their impact. They intersect with other economic policies, including SNAP benefits reductions and impending tariffs affecting American farmers. The confluence of these policies is expected to exacerbate economic disparities, particularly in rural communities, leading to increased mortality rates and decreased quality of life.

Notable Quote:

Ali Velshi [11:12]: "People are going to die because of the passage of this bill."

Conclusion

Lawrence O’Donnell’s in-depth analysis underscores the bipartisan awareness and concern over the Medicaid-cutting bill's repercussions. While Republicans have lauded its passage, the internal conflicts and the bill's severe impact on millions highlight the deep divisions within American politics. As the nation grapples with these changes, the episode calls for heightened civic engagement and representation that truly reflects the needs of the populace.

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This summary encapsulates the critical discussions and viewpoints presented in the episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the Medicaid-cutting bill's passage, its ramifications, and the political dynamics surrounding it.

Transcript

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[Ali Velshi]

Now it's time for the Last Word.

[Chris Hayes]

With Ellie Vilshi hosting.

[Ali Velshi]

Good evening Ali.

[Chris Hayes]

What an excellent show. Thank you my friend. I appreciate that. I hope you get a little bit of a break this weekend. You too. Hardest working man in the business. I hope you do too.

[Ali Velshi]

At some point.

[Chris Hayes]

At some point. Thanks. Nice. Have a great week and we'll see you next week.

[Ali Velshi]

Sounds good.

[Chris Hayes]

Thanks, Jeff. Well, Republicans knew it was bad. They said so on the record, into microphones at closed door meetings. Republicans knew that the bill would hurt millions of Americans. They knew it would slash Medicaid, leaving 17 million people without health care. They knew it would close rural hospitals. They knew it would devastate nursing homes. They knew it would cut nutrition assistance for poor children. They knew it would add trillions of to the national debt. And they voted for it anyway. Why did you change? Andy Harris said, because we got a package that I think would have turned out better than what we would have gotten. The reporter says, but is that caving? Harris says winning is caving. Well, if winning is caving, then I guess we caved. That was Maryland Republican congressman and chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Andy Harris. Just two days ago he said the reconciliation bill was, quote, not ready for prime time. Yesterday, Texas Congressman Keith Self, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said, quote, house leadership wants to cram this broken bill down our throats by rushing it to the floor while in the middle of discussions, completely disregarding their promises End quote. Another Freedom Caucus member, the Texas Congressman Chip Roy, said of the bill, quote, I think this is a travesty. He said that. Two days ago, Congressman Ralph Norman wrote, quote, let's be honest, the spending provisions in this thing are massive and will blow up the deficit. We can't keep mortgaging our future, end quote. Yesterday, the Freedom Caucus circulated a three page memo detailing the bill's failures. This is all Republicans. I haven't mentioned a single Democrat yet. What changed the text of the legislation didn't change what happened between then and 2:30pm today. When Andy Harris and the rest of the House Freedom Caucus voted for this bill, they knew it would increase the deficit and they gave. They voted for it. The New York Times reports, quote, in the days leading up to the House passage of Republican sweeping policy bill carrying President Trump's agenda, members of the ultra conservative House Freedom Caucus were unsparing in their criticism of the measure. Representative Chip Roy, Republican of Texas and one of the most vocal fiscal hawks in Congress, fired off a series of posts outlining what he said were the seemingly endless list of problems with the bill. Quote, increases deficits and violates the terms of the budget deal, he wrote. Representative Keith Self of Texas called it morally and fiscally bankrupt. In the end, all of them voted for the bill, while those who switched their positions to embrace it alluded to deals they had cut with Mr. Trump to address their concerns. It was not clear what, if any, commitments had been made or whether any would be fulfilled, end quote. The Republican controlled House of Representatives voted 218 to 214 to approve Donald Trump's budget bill. Republicans cheered its passage. On this vote, the yeas are 218. The nays are 214. The motion is adopted. 17 million Americans getting thrown off their health care. SNAP benefits going away USA only two Republicans, Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, joined the Democrats to vote against the bill. 218 Republicans did not. They caved at the expense of their constituents. They all knew it wasn't a good bill. But Donald Trump was able to offer something that most Presidents can't. The New York Times reports, quote, A conga line of angsty Republican lawmakers filed through the West Wing on Wednesday, hemming and hawing about the big domestic policy bill that President Trump wants them to pass. By Friday. They walked out with signed merchandise photos in the Oval Office. And by some accounts, a newfound appreciation for the bill targets all of a blunt force charm offensive waged with precision by the president. Mr. Trump knows how to make lowly lawmakers feel special. He sends them handwritten attaboys. He takes their phone calls at all hours of the day, even interrupting high level West Wing meetings so as not to miss them. He brings them to Ultimate Fighting championship fights, sits them ringside with his entourage. He invites them into the social world at Mar a Lago. All of which can feel incredibly heady for small time members of Congress. Republicans caved to give Donald Trump the win he demanded. Yesterday, the Wisconsin Congressman Derek Van Orden pushed back on that notion. Quote, the President of the United States didn't give us an assignment. We're not a bunch of little bitches around here, okay? I'm a member of Congress. I represent almost 800,000 Wisconsinites. We're not a bunch of little bitches around here. Those are his words, not mine. 152,902 people rely on Medicaid for health coverage in Congressman Van Orden's district. Derek Van Orden voted against the interests of about 21% of his constituents living in Wisconsin's third congressional district. Today. Donald Trump said this about the hold that he has on Republicans in his second term.

[Donald Trump]

I think I have more power now.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

I do.

[Donald Trump]

You know, I could say, oh, gee, I don't know. I think I probably do.

[Chris Hayes]

Awful modest of them. You can thank the United States Supreme Court and Republicans who roll over for Trump for that statement. Using the only power the minority has, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries rose to speak at 4:53am today. He kept speaking for 8 hours and 45 minutes, forcing the vote on the Republican bill out of the shadow of the night and into daytime news coverage. In doing so, Leader Jeffries broke the record for the longest House speech. And he made sure that voters and historians knew exactly what this bill does.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

Republicans are trying to take a chainsaw to Social Security, a chainsaw to Medicare, a chainsaw to Medicaid, a chainsaw to the health care of the American people, a chainsaw to nutritional assistance from for hungry children, a chainsaw to farm country, and a chainsaw to vulnerable Americans. The policies unleashed by the Trump administration have been so chaotic, so all over the place, so much uncertainty has been created that the economy is being run off track. And nothing has been done to lower the high cost of living. In fact, not a single thing in Donald Trump's one big ugly bill will meaningfully make life more affordable for everyday Americans. And that's just one of several reasons why House Democrats are a hell no on this legislation. We were a hell no last week. A Hell no this week, a hell no yesterday, a hell no today.

[Chris Hayes]

Republicans knew all of that and they still voted for that bill. And tomorrow, July 4th, Donald Trump will sign the largest Medicaid cuts in history into law. Joining us now, Rebecca Cook, Democratic congressional candidate in Wisconsin's third District. Rebecca, good to see you again. Wildly relevant to talk to you because you can talk in grand terms about the numbers and the things that are being cut, but you're on the ground in Wisconsin third, where your member of Congress voted for this bill with the full knowledge of the damage it would do. To the extent, by the way, he wrote a letter to your governor asking the governor to protect state hospitals, hospitals in your state from the cuts that this bill will impose upon them.

[Ali Velshi]

That's exactly right. Derek Van Orden knew what this bill was going to do to working families across the state of Wisconsin, across this district, across the country, and he did it anyway. He's clearly very behavioral, Holden, to party bosses, to people like Donald Trump, to the ultra rich, but not to working families across Wisconsin, Wisconsin 3. And it's clear that he lacks a spine to be able to represent us out in D.C. what, what?

[Chris Hayes]

Because he didn't show up at town hall meetings like many of his colleagues? What will get through to them? Because like, like we said, the numbers in your district of people who get their health care from Medicaid are enormous. But regardless, lots of people are affected, particularly in rural areas. If you lose a hospital, it's not simply people on Medicaid who lose health services. It's kind of everyone in the area.

[Ali Velshi]

No, that's exactly right. And you know, I, part of why I stepped up to run for Congress is to increase healthcare access and affordability. And while I've been running, we've had two major hospitals close in my hometown of Eau Claire, which has been really dramatic, and people's ability to be able to get the care that they need and, and that has a ripple effect. And with the passing of this legislation, we're going to see more rural hospitals closed. We're going to see the access to care get even worse. And I think it's really shortsighted on Republicans part to what's going to really happen to people's lives. I mean, people are going to die because of the passage of this bill.

[Chris Hayes]

Let's just draw some attention to the area you're in. You've got this issue with rural hospitals. You've got the issue with snap payments being cut, which, again, don't just affect the recipient. It's Very little money that people get on SNAP to start with. But the food from there affects farmers. The tariffs that are going to again go into effect on July 9, I suppose affect farmers in America. So you're getting it from all sides in Wisconsin. Your urban centers are getting it, your health care is getting it, your SNAP beneficiaries are getting it and your farmers.

[Ali Velshi]

Are getting it right. And we're all bearing that at the brunt of benefits, billionaires and Derek Van Orden cut a deal with billionaire special interests. Billionaires are getting tax breaks so that kids can go to school hungry. Billionaires are getting tax breaks so that folks can go without health care coverage. Billionaires are getting tax breaks so that Republicans can close rural hospitals. And you have to ask yourself, what motivated Derek Van Orden to want to go to Congress? He's not representing us. I'm somebody that grew up in this district. I'm somebody that grew up on a dairy farm here, that we didn't have health insurance. Most of the time growing up, we just didn't have it at all. And a lot of times my mom was taking jobs off the farm to be able to make that work, work. And so, you know, it's really concerning about what that's going to look like as we move forward. And this is, you know, tomorrow is day one. And I think that it's important for us, all of us now coming together to think about what can we do to change this. And I think it's really focused on electoral wins and thinking about who are we sending to Congress to represent us. And it's not people like Derek Van Orden that we want to be there.

[Chris Hayes]

Do you think this will have the knock on effect? Because Jen Psaki was just talking to somebody who had sort of heard Joni Ernst say, well, we're all going to die anyway. And he's now running against her in the election. Do you think it'll serve to get people who, generally speaking don't think of themselves as potential members of Congress to actually run and represent the interests of actual Americans who need these services.

[Ali Velshi]

As far as like running for Congress or running for office? Yeah, I think we need more working class voices to step off the sidelines. I think we have far too many elites or people that, that come from political backgrounds that don't understand what it's like to live fail policy. And that's something that I certainly have. I grew up on a dairy farm here in Wisconsin. I've run a small business for a lot of years and I'm waitressing while I'm running for Congress. And I think that we need more of those types of voices representing us out in D.C. they're going to fight like how to expand opportunities for middle class families. And a lot of times it just takes those experiences and those lived experiences to bring to the table, to legislate in a way that actually makes a difference.

[Chris Hayes]

Nice to see you again, Rebecca. Thanks always for joining us when we ask you to Appreciate it. Rebecca Cook is a Democratic congressional candidate in Wisconsin's third District. Joining us now is Kathleen Sebelius, the former Health and Human Services secretary during the Obama administration, former governor of Kansas. Secretary Sebelius, you oversaw the largest expansion of Medicaid in the country, which took us in some direction toward being like most other developed countries where there's some form of access for everybody to health care. Today we have taken such a drastic step in the other direction.

[Kathleen Sebelius]

Well, Ally, that's right. It's heartbreaking for the families who felt that they were finally safe and secure. The Affordable Care act is now 15 years old. Medicaid was passed into law 60 years ago this year. Big anniversaries for both. And I think there are lots of people who felt that those laws were safe and secure, that they could rely on affordable health care, that they wouldn't go into medical debt if they or their families got sick. They could afford their medications, they could pay their doctors, they could go to wellness checks. And this is the largest cut in health care that we have ever seen in the United States of America. And it's frankly shocking that the Republicans voted for it and know exactly what's going to happen to their states.

[Chris Hayes]

But that's the thing they do know. And many of them articulated it in the last couple of weeks. Some wrote letters, some tweeted. They all knew and yet they cast the vote in order to do it. Why do you, I mean, you've been a governor, you've been in politics. What has happened in this country? What's going on?

[Kathleen Sebelius]

Well, I think unfortunately what we see is a Republican Party that has been totally taken over by the Donald Trump MAGA movement. And I'm not at all sure the president has any idea what's in this bill. He continues to say we're not going to touch Medicaid benefits. Well, about 17 million people, between the changes they're making in the Affordable Care act and the changes that they're making in Medicaid, 17 million Americans will lose their health coverage. That's massive. And as you said earlier and Rebecca said articulately about Wisconsin. I also live in a state of Kansas where we've seen rural hospitals close already. This is the most devastating cut to rural America where the number of individuals relying on Medicaid is actually higher than in urban centers. Hospitals depend on federally qualified health centers, are likely to go out of business or have great struggles. They have the same rules as hospitals in that people who come through the door, they take and treat. And again, people think that those health centers are safe and secure. This bill makes them on very, very shaky ground. Ali and what we need is people like Rebecca not only to rise up and run for Congress, but we need the same voices that helped to pass this law 15 years ago to stand up and speak out. Moms whose kids have special needs who now are terrified that those services will go away. People in nursing homes. Medicaid is the largest pair of nursing homes throughout the country. 40% of the births are paid for by Medicaid, more in rural areas. And what we know is in rural areas, we already have a mortality penalty. Working age men and women are dying in rural America more than they did in 1979. There are lots of underlying conditions, but you close hospitals, you close health centers, you drive away doctors, and it's a.

[Chris Hayes]

Much more terrifying regardless of whether you're on, you receive any Medicaid.

[Kathleen Sebelius]

You bet.

[Chris Hayes]

The hospital closes, the doctors go away. There's a need for doctors in this country. Nurses, EMTs, they'll get work elsewhere. You'll lose your health care.

[Kathleen Sebelius]

Well, and people won't be able to have, I mean, having a baby right now if you live in rural America is more and more difficult because obese centers are closing. This will make it 50 times harder. So grandparents who want to gather over the 4th of July with their grandkids and raise them in the same communities, those days may be quickly ending because nobody's going to live in a town if you can't get to the hospital, if you can't have a baby in the hospital. It's already very dangerous for women across this country to try and have babies in remote and isolated areas. And this bill makes it far worse.

[Chris Hayes]

Secretary, good to see you again. Thank you for being with former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, former governor of Kansas. All right, coming up, Donald Trump campaigned on draining the swamp with this new monster bill of tax cuts for the rich at the expense of the poor. He's made Washington, D.C. swampier than ever. That's next with Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. With a home equity investment from Hometap, you get access to your home equity in cash without monthly payments to use for whatever you'd like, from paying off debt to making renovations or handling emergency expenses. Receive your funds in just a few weeks, start pursuing your financial goals and start getting more out of life. See if you pre qualify for an [e-mail] subject to eligibility. Terms and conditions apply. That's hometap.com we all belong outside.

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[Hakeem Jeffries]

And this one big ugly bill represents a massive giveaway to special interest in this country. And we reject special interest because our job here in the United States of America, Mr. Speaker, is to protect the public interest at all times. Today, tomorrow, always and forever. Extraordinary to me, Mr. Speaker, that you got folks in this town talking about draining the swamp. Guess what? You are the swamp. You are the swamp. You are the swamp. We've never seen anything like this. The type of corruption that has been unleashed on the American people and has.

[Chris Hayes]

Poisoned Mr. Speaker, this bill, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. That was just a small fraction of his record setting floor speech. He was, of course, referencing Donald Trump's campaign slogan, drain the swamp, which has been picked up by MAGA Republicans. Trump claimed he wanted to rid Washington of corruption the swamp. But like most things with Trump, sounds like a projection. Sure seems like he has no problem playing in the swamp himself. The New York Times reports on the Trump Organization's enrichment scheme after Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination last summer, quote Mr. Trump, along with his two eldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr. Refocused the family business, forming a series of partnerships, especially in cryptocurrency with investors who were willing to bank on his victory. Once Mr. Trump won the presidency in November, that approach kicked into Overdrive his family business, announced numerous new deals that would financially benefit Mr. Trump directly, even as he made policy decisions that affected those industries or that involved countries in which the United States had political interests. Most glaringly, Mr. Trump is now both a partner in several crypto ventures and as president, crypto's chief policy regulator. And he signaled that he wants his administration to have a hands off approach to digital currencies, end quote. The Times cites Donald Trump's mounting losses in civil court as a catalyst. Quote, an analysis by the New York Times of thousands of pages of internal Trump Organization documents filed in one of the legal actions against him suggests a more urgent motivation for Mr. Trump's behavior, a need rather than simply a desire for easy money to keep his empire intact, end quote. Just this past week, Donald Trump posted this on his social media site, an ad for Trump cologne and perfume retailing for $249 a bottle. We haven't mentioned the golden sneakers, the pricey watches, the new cell phone, the gold one, or the digital trading cards. We've never seen a president of the United States so brazenly attempt to profit off of his role as commander in chief before. Which is why the passage of the signature budget bill, characterized by the Atlantic as, quote, the largest upward transfer of wealth in American history, end quote, seems emblematic of Donald Trump's presidency. My next guest, the Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, is going out to Republican House districts to make sure Americans know what's in this bill. Joining me now, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California. He's a member of the Oversight and Armed Services Committee. Congressman, good to see you again. Thank you for being with us tonight.

[Donald Trump]

Great to be on.

[Chris Hayes]

Congressman, let's talk about this. This particular bill, unpopular. It's polling very. It's unpopular. Republicans know it's unpopular. They've argued about it, whether it's because it increases the, the debt by more than they would like or the deficit or, or because it cuts rural spending or health care spending or Medicaid. But it's still passed. Talk to me about this because you're going out there, you're going to talk to people in red districts and are you gonna tell them something they don't know, or do they know how bad this is?

[Donald Trump]

I've got two names for you. Thomas Massie and Senator Tillis. And that explains why this bill passed. It passed because of fear. Because the reality is when you cross Donald Trump, when you say anything against him, Donald Trump unleashes his entire political apparatus and says, I'm gonna spend $20 million against you and get you out. That's what he did to Thomas Massie when Massie opposed him on this bill and the war in Iran. And Tillis, who knew that this bill would doom his chances in North Carolina as soon as he said something, basically was forced into retirement. So I don't think that the full scope of these cuts are known to people in these districts because of course, their own members aren't talking about them. They don't know that their premiums are going to go up, even private insurance, because hospitals are going to be charging private insurance more to make up for the Medicaid cuts. They don't know that anyone who's on the Affordable Care act is going to have a premium increase. They don't know that some of the hospital services are going to be cut. And I think it's important for Democrats to get out there not to tell, but to show, to talk to people who are going to have higher premiums, who are losing health care and to uplift those stories.

[Chris Hayes]

So let's talk about the math here. This is a 4 plus trillion dollar tax cut that Republicans would have, you think is not really an addition to the deficit because they don't apparently like doing that at the expense. And even the Medicaid cuts don't even come close to making up for that, that tax cut. But it is an upward transfer of wealth. Then we've got the conversation I was just having about Donald Trump selling everything under the sun to everybody. And then we've got the deregulation, not just of crypto, which you're very, you understand very well, but just generally speaking, deregulation. This is one big grift, but it's also one big gift to the billionaires in this country.

[Donald Trump]

It is, I mean, it's the first bill in modern history that actually makes working class folks and poor folks, low income folks, poorer and takes that money and gives it to the billionaires in my district who don't need it, who actually should be taxed more, not taxed less. I mean, the Bush tax cuts and Trump's first tax cuts, they were just disproportionate. They gave more tax cuts to the wealthy and very meager tax cuts to the working class. This is worse. This makes the work, this takes away from the working class and the low income Americans and gives that money to the richest Americans. It is so brazen. It is just terrible, terrible policy. And it's going to hurt most Ali our kids because they're the ones who are going to be for in families who are in a poverty trap, who aren't getting health care, aren't getting food security. Whatever you think about the parents, it's the kids that are going to suffer and it's this country that's going to suffer as a result.

[Chris Hayes]

So given the dissatisfaction around this bill amongst Republicans and Democrats and by the way, amongst the people who are going to be hit by this, who are also going to be disproportionately Republicans, why does Donald Trump make a statement like he did today to say I'm more powerful than I was before. I've got more power over these members of Congress. There doesn't even seem to be any sort of sense that justice will come as a result of this. Tell me how this plays out to you.

[Donald Trump]

Well, he is more powerful. I mean, it's amazing. It was an artificial deadline July 4th. There was no reason to do it. And he gets every Republican so fearful of him to be in line. Now, what's sad about Donald Trump, I mean, just from a sense of as an American, you're a second term president and you're selling fragrance like, I mean, I rather you try to be on Mount Rushmore. Isn't that what second term presidents usually do? They want to care about history. They want to, you're leading the greatest nation in the history of humanity and you're considered concerned about fragrance sales. It's the tackiness, it's the pettiness of it that is the most disturbing. More than the corruption, it's the lack of the understanding of the awesome responsibility of leading the greatest nation in the world. And you have a entire comatose Republican Party that like minions are following him. And you know, the biggest loser in all of this is actually JD Vance because the cuts actually go most into effect some before the midterms, but most into effect in 2027 and 2028. Donald Trump may not face the consequences, but this basically has killed J.D. vance's aspirations for, for higher office. And I think it was shocking to me that he went along casting the decisive vote.

[Chris Hayes]

Ro Khanna, good to see you. Let's stay in touch as you're talking to people across the country and see what you're hearing. Congressman Ro Khanna, appreciate it. All right. Coming up, Donald Trump is being called out by Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal for his weakness in dealing with Vladimir Putin's illegal, murderous invasion of Ukraine. I'll discuss what we learned today about Donald Trump's latest very long phone call with Vladimir Putin next. Next with former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul.

[Narrator]

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[Chris Hayes]

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[Ali Velshi]

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The Best People with Nicole Wallace listen now. For early access ad free listening and bonus content, subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts Today, Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for roughly an hour.

[Donald Trump]

We had a call. It was a pretty long call. We talked about a lot of things and including Iran and we also talked about, as you know, the war with.

[Chris Hayes]

Ukraine and I'm not happy about that. I'm not happy about that.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

Did you find any progress with him.

[Chris Hayes]

On a deal with Ukraine? Do you feel like you made any part of this?

[Donald Trump]

No, I didn't make any progress with.

[Chris Hayes]

Him today at all. Unusually self aware comment from Donald Trump. After the call, Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov released this statement. There was a detailed discussion of the situation surrounding Iran and the state of affairs in the Middle east in general. The Russian side emphasized it was crucial to settle any and all contentious issues, differences and conflicts exclusively via political and diplomatic means. The conversation between the two presidents has, as always, shown that they are on the same page. The two presidents will naturally continue communicating and we'll have another conversation soon. End quote. Trump and Putin are on the same page, says Putin's adviser Axios Reports. Ushakov also told reporters. Trump stressed during the call that he wants to end the war between Russia and Ukraine swiftly. Putin told Trump that Russia is not going to give up on its goals in Ukraine, Ushakov said, adding that Russia sees its peace talks with Ukraine as a bilateral issue that the US shouldn't be actively involved in. So Trump wants to end the war swiftly. Putin says it's not going to give up on its goals and that the US shouldn't be actively involved. This call happened just two days after the Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, blocked the delivery of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, missiles already approved and paid for under the Biden administration. Now, these air defense systems are vital to Ukraine's ability to defend itself. Ukraine's deputy foreign minister says the delay, quote, would only encourage the aggressor to continue the war in terror rather than to seek peace, end quote. The aggressor, in case this has become confusing in the Trump administration, is Russia. Putin is already acting on that advantage. The Kremlin has intensified airstrikes on Ukraine, and the Wall Street Journal reports that Russia has massed 50,000 troops near the Ukrainian border city of Sumy, where they outnumber the Ukrainians roughly 3 to 1, according to soldiers who are fighting there. The New York Times reports that Trump has issued no new sanctions against Russia related to the full scale invasion of Ukraine. In some cases, the administration has eased restrictions. The result has created an opening for new dummy companies to funnel funds and critical components to Russia, including computer chips and military equipment that would otherwise be cut off to the Kremlin. Donald Trump is letting Russia rebuild. He's withholding critical aid to Ukraine. He's easing sanctions. He's holding pointless calls with Putin in which Trump has not been able to persuade Putin of anything. It all adds up to a glaring green light from Donald Trump to Russia's dictator, basically saying the United States is not going to stand in your way. Trump has undermined our allies and betrayed the principles that once defined American leadership in the world. Joining me now is Michael McFaul, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014. He's an MSNBC international affairs analyst. Ambassador, good to see you again. I was actually kind of impressed that Donald Trump said to the reporters he got nothing done in this call because the rest of us have been watching the show unfold for a while, realizing that Donald Trump is getting nothing done with Vladimir Putin except giving him permission to continue his aggression in Ukraine.

[Michael McFaul]

Well, I agree. If you're looking for some good news amongst a lot of Bad news with respect to this horrific invasion and attacking of civilians today. And it just escalated since we've been in the last couple hours here. That's it. But then what does he do with that?

[Chris Hayes]

Yeah, okay.

[Michael McFaul]

He now has diagnosed the problem. Putin's not listening to him. Putin's not even.

[Chris Hayes]

He.

[Michael McFaul]

This amazing thing that Mr. Ushakov said, somebody I used to deal with closely, that we don't want you to be involved in any negotiations now. Well, that is, that is just saying you are weak, President Trump. We don't care what you want to do. So now what is the President going to do about it? Because we look weak. This incredibly poor decision by the Department of Defense to not deliver these Patriot systems, like you said, already paid for, approved by the US Congress, that is a signal of weakness. And what I don't understand about a guy that seems so obsessed with looking tough, with looking strong, is why does President Trump allow Putin to make him look so weak?

[Chris Hayes]

You know, in my, in my tours in Ukraine, we would see interceptions of Russian missiles coming in and the intercepting anti, anti missile, you know, the interceptions. It's one of the few reasons why Russia doesn't have air control over Ukraine. And it's really important because if that were to not be the case, it would be very hard for the Ukrainians to continue to mount a legitimate defense. You're exactly right.

[Michael McFaul]

And this is the one weapon system, the Patriots, that's what we're talking about in the interceptors that are depleted now. It's the one system that they need us, the United States, to have. They've done a lot of creative things, as you know, with drones making all kinds of weapons productions, buying weapons now, getting weapons from the Europeans. The Europeans now provide in the aggregate more military assistance to Ukraine than we do. But when we're talking about missile defenses and particularly the Patriot system, that's what they need us for. And that's what, tragically, the Trump administration, with no explanation, by the way, no talking to the Congress about it, decided to pause two days ago.

[Chris Hayes]

I want to bring up something Reuters was reporting about Vladimir Putin's discussion with Emmanuel Macron, the first time those two have talked in nearly three years. But it's important on Ukraine. Putin reiterated his position in Macron that the war was a direct consequence of the West's policy, which he said had ignored Russia's security interests over the past few years. Any possible peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine should have a comprehensive and long term character and be based on new territorial realities. The Kremlin quoted Putin as saying, this was the argument used at the beginning of the war, that this war is your fault, that you NATO, even though Ukraine's not a member of NATO, you pushed up against our borders, you pushed us back, you hemmed us in. Vladimir Putin is stuck on that, is never going to be unstuck on that.

[Michael McFaul]

That tragically. That's right. And let's just be crystal clear. There was no threat to Russia when Putin decided to invade Ukraine. No threat? Absolutely no. No NATO country has ever attacked the Soviet Union or Russia. And as you just underscored, Ukraine was not a member of NATO when they were invaded. But that phrase, new territorial realities, that, that means that he wants to take parts of Ukraine. That is an imperial design that he somehow wants the west to recognize. And I know that President Macron will never do that. I hope President Trump also will never do that.

[Chris Hayes]

Ambassador, good to see you as always. Thank you for being with us. The former United States Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul. All right, coming up, the Democrats defiance to Donald Trump's disaster budget bill was given a clear and strong voice today by a record breaking floor speech by the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries. We'll show you some of the best moments from that speech when we come back. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries set the record overnight for the longest House floor speech in American history in opposition to Donald Trump's budget bill that Republicans ended up passing today. He used his time to highlight the devastating cuts in the bill and the stories of some of the everyday Americans who will be hurt by it. It was his way of showing that Democrats have not and will not stop fighting for the American people.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

I rise today in strong opposition to Donald Trump's one big ugly bill, this disgusting abomination, the GOP tax scam that guts Medicaid, rips food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans, and rewards billionaires with massive tax breaks. Republicans have once again, which has been the case, Mr. Speaker, through every step of this journey, tried to jam this bill through the House of Representatives under cover of darkness. But I'm here today to make it clear that I'm going to take my time and ensure that the American people fully understand how damaging this bill will be to their quality of life. How can you prepare to celebrate legislation that will undermine the quality of life of everyday Americans? It's not just a hypothetical, is not just hyperbole, it's not just hype. It will happen. Everyday Americans will be hurt by the one big ugly bill. Because that debate was so limited. I feel the obligation, Mr. Speaker, to stand on this House floor and take my sweet time to tell the stories of the American people. And that's exactly what I intend to do. Take my sweet time on behalf of the American people. Republicans are trying to jam a budget down the throats of the American people that will close hospitals, close nursing homes, and detonate the ability of millions of people to access home care. That's shameful. It's not the type of leadership that this country needs right now, but that's what we're getting. Chaos, cruelty and corruption. Budgets are moral documents. And in our view, Mr. Speaker, budgets should be designed to lift people up. This reckless Republican budget that we are debating right now on the floor of the House of Representatives tears people down. This reckless Republican budget is an immoral document. People will die, tens of thousands perhaps, year after year after year as a result of the Republican assault on the health care of the American people. I'm sad. I never thought that I'd be on the House floor saying that this is a crime scene and House Democrats want no part of it. How is it, Mr. Speaker, that so many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle had principled opposition just a few hours ago and now seem prepared to fold on the floor of the House of Representatives? Don't you have some responsibility, Mr. Speaker, to say to the American people what happened, what deals were cut, what occurred in the back room? It will all come out one way or the other. Not a single thing. And Donald Trump's one big, ugly bill will meaningfully make life more affordable for everyday Americans. And that's just one of several reasons why House Democrats are a hell no on this legislation. We were a hell no last week, a hell no this week, a hell no yesterday, a hell no today, and will continue to be a hell no on this effort to hurt the American people. So as I take my seat, I just want to say to the American people that no matter what the outcome is on this singular day, we're going to press on. We're going to press on. For our children press on. For our seniors press on. For our veterans press on. For our unions press on. For our farmers press on. For our dreamers press on. For working class Americans press on. For the middle class press on. For all who aspire to be part of the middle class, press on. For the poor, press on. For the sick, press on. For the afflicted press on. For the least press on. For the lost, press on. For the left behind, press on.

[Kathleen Sebelius]

For the rule of law.

[Hakeem Jeffries]

Press on for the American way of life. Press on for democracy. We're going to press on until victory is won. I yield back.

[Chris Hayes]

Longest war speech in congressional history. Tonight's Last Word is next. I hope you have a very happy 4th of July. I'll see you at the usual time Saturday, 10am Eastern for Velshi, right here on MSNBC. That is tonight's last Word. Stay connected with the MSNBC app bringing you breaking news and analysis anytime any. All the stories that we're covering are live and happening as we speak. Watch your favorite shows live. What's happening right now is a hostile takeover of the US Government. Read live blogs and in depth essays and listen to coverage as it unfolds. Go beyond the what to understand the why. Download the app [e-mail] apparently.