Podcast Summary: The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell

Episode: "In newly public emails Epstein says 'of course' Trump 'knew about the girls'"
Air Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC

Overview

This gripping episode centers on the explosive release of Jeffrey Epstein’s emails, which directly reference Donald Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. Lawrence O’Donnell leverages his political experience and in-depth reporting to walk listeners through the significance of the emails, Congress’s sudden drive toward transparency, and what the revelations may mean for Trump’s presidency and American politics. Featuring analysis and insights from Congressman Ro Khanna, legal expert Andrew Weissmann, and investigative journalist Barry Levine, the episode is marked by a tone of urgency, incredulity, and indignation at previous failures by federal authorities to follow up on leads.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role of The Last Word in Releasing the Emails

[03:33]

• O’Donnell recounts how the idea for Congress to subpoena Epstein’s estate originated from attorney Brad Edwards on this very program.
• Ro Khanna, having appeared the same night, promised on-air to push for the subpoena, resulting in the release of crucial emails.
• O’Donnell gives credit to his booking producer Amy Schuster and the survivors’ lawyers, noting the unique impact of this live exchange on real-world congressional action:

  “The only reason these emails are out is Lawrence had the survivor's lawyers on who gave me the tip to subpoena the estate.” (O’Donnell quoting Ro Khanna’s tweet, [01:33])

The Emails: What Epstein Said About Trump

[12:45]

• Key emails show Epstein writing that Trump “knew about the girls” and spent hours at Epstein’s house with a victim.

• O’Donnell notes a 2011 email where Epstein refers to Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked,” referencing Trump’s silence and apparent protection from exposure.

• Epstein’s correspondence with Maxwell suggests both knew Trump had exposure to victims:

  Jeffrey Epstein: “Of course he knew about the girls.” ([16:29]) Ghislaine Maxwell: “I have been thinking about that.” ([17:44])

• An email to Michael Wolff (2019) further states:

  “Trump…knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.” ([44:32])

Congressional Maneuvering and GOP Fracture

[08:26]

• O’Donnell describes the historical oddity of Democrats—in a GOP-controlled House—successfully pushing a subpoena targeting a sitting Republican president.
• Trump makes frantic attempts to halt the release, including pressuring Rep. Lauren Boebert to withdraw her support in a Situation Room meeting—she refuses, defying the White House and doubling down with a tweet:

  Lauren Boebert: “Together, we remain committed to ensuring transparency for the American people.” ([18:53])

• Trump responds by publicly attacking Republicans supporting the release, calling them “very bad or stupid.”

[18:38]

• Politico reports “dozens of Republicans” may vote to release the Epstein files, risking a major bipartisan defeat for Trump.

Legal & Investigative Perspectives

Congressman Ro Khanna

[19:58]

• Emphasizes that none of these developments would’ve happened without The Last Word’s coverage and guest lineup.

• Predicts a “huge deal” as growing numbers of Republicans break with Trump—likens it to the collapse of Nixon’s support:

  “You’re going to have a situation when Massie and my bill comes to the floor next week…you’re going to see 50, 60, maybe even more Republicans vote against him. That is a huge deal.” ([21:14])

• Calls for renewed investigation, especially focusing on what Maxwell knows and how many around Epstein (including Trump) passively enabled abuse:

  “Who does that if, you know, someone is raping junior high girls to just sit there and still be friends with them?” ([22:48])

Andrew Weissmann (Legal Analyst)

[29:56]

• Stresses the emails’ corroborative value, upending Trump’s denials:

  “What we have seen tonight and the documents are devastating in terms of the story that we had been told.” ([29:56])

• Criticizes the DOJ’s soft handling of Maxwell and the lack of probing into Trump’s connections—labels this as potentially corrupt and politically motivated.
• Advocates for a special counsel to ensure an independent investigation, citing DOJ and White House collaboration to suppress the Epstein files.
• Highlights Trump’s silence at a public bill signing as telling:

  “He walked away from them without taking a single question, knowing every single question would have been about Jeffrey Epstein’s emails…” ([39:33])

Barry Levine (Epstein Biographer)

[42:49]

• Contextualizes the 2011 email: written after Virginia Giuffre publicly named Prince Andrew as an abuser—Epstein wonders why Trump’s name hasn’t surfaced, noting Trump spent “hours” with the same victim.
• Explains the Mar-a-Lago angle: Maxwell recruited girls there, Trump supposedly intervened to stop further recruitment—yet Epstein claims Trump was aware:

  “That of course, has to do with the fact that Maxwell was recruiting girls from the spa at Mar A Lago…Donald Trump was finding out about this and put a stop to Maxwell continuing to recruit girls out of his spa.” ([44:58])

• Levine affirms Epstein remained a Mar-a-Lago member after a 2008 conviction, contradicting claims he was expelled.
• Summarizes:

  “...knowing for a fact from Jeffrey Epstein that Donald Trump likely knew about his conduct, knew about the sex trafficking that was taking place.” ([45:57])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Of course he knew about the girls.”
  — Jeffrey Epstein, in an email, as reported by multiple guests ([16:29], [44:32])

• “That dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.”
  — Jeffrey Epstein, to Ghislaine Maxwell ([12:45], [42:49])

• “Who does that if, you know, someone is raping junior high girls to just sit there and still be friends with them?”
  — Rep. Ro Khanna ([22:48])

• “The attorney general, accompanied by Donald Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer, now deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, failed in their mission to force Lauren Boebert to change her position.”
  — Lawrence O’Donnell ([27:11])

• “He walked away from them without taking a single question, knowing every single question would have been about Jeffrey Epstein’s emails…”
  — Lawrence O’Donnell, on Trump’s media silence ([39:33])

Important Timestamps

• [03:33–08:00]: O’Donnell tells the behind-the-scenes story of the subpoena, crediting his team and show for the tip that led to the email disclosures.
• [12:45–18:00]: Analysis of the emails’ content, the “dog that hasn’t barked” phrase, and the mounting pressure on House Republicans.
• [19:58–24:43]: Rep. Ro Khanna discusses congressional actions, bipartisan momentum, and analogies to Nixon’s collapse.
• [29:56–34:38]: Andrew Weissmann’s legal analysis, critique of DOJ conduct, and call for special counsel.
• [39:33–41:35]: Discussion of Trump’s silent press event and the interpreted meaning of such strategic silence.
• [42:49–46:34]: Barry Levine contextualizes emails in the Epstein investigation, underscores the references to Trump, and explains their significance.

Tone and Language

The episode remains serious, urgent, and deeply critical of those protecting Donald Trump from disclosure. O’Donnell’s style is passionate and precise, occasionally caustic regarding failures by law enforcement and the DOJ. Guests echo his forceful tone, at times incredulous over past inaction or evasions, underscoring the historic moment and the gravity of the revelations.

Takeaways

• The Last Word's reporting directly triggered a congressional investigation and subpoena, leading to highly incriminating revelations about Donald Trump’s awareness of Epstein’s crimes.
• Trump, the DOJ, and loyalists are engaged in an unprecedented campaign to prevent further disclosure, met with rare defiance from some Republicans.
• The newly released emails, especially from Epstein himself, directly contradict Trump’s decades of denials regarding Epstein’s sex crimes.
• There is bipartisan movement in Congress to force the release of Epstein files—potentially a major political blow for Trump.
• Legal experts and investigators now call for independent oversight, renewed questioning (especially of Ghislaine Maxwell), and full public transparency.
• The episode marks a watershed in media-driven accountability, hinting at further shocking disclosures to come.

For listeners who missed the episode, this recap captures the full scope of both the news and the high-stakes drama—placing today’s revelations in the larger context of American political and legal accountability.