← The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
Lawrence: It takes 'Trump-level stupidity' to beg for a $400M jet while advocating Medicaid cuts
00:42:31
Tonight on The Last Word: Trump arrives in Qatar after Saudi Arabia visit. Plus, Senate Democrats press Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Qatar jet gift to Trump. Also, there is growing opposition from the GOP on Trump’s budget. And John Ewing makes history as Omaha’s first black mayor. Ned Price, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and John Ewing Jr. join Lawrence O’Donnell.
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- [00:00]
Lawrence O'Donnell
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Ned Price
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Lawrence O'Donnell
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The Last Word with Lawrence O' Donnell starts right now. Hey Lawrence.
- [00:49]
Hey Jen. That's the perfect lead in to this hour because the winner of that election, John Ewing, mayor of new incoming mayor of Omaha, is going to join us. And I want to ask you about this because this is one of those off year elections. It's before the congressional elections and Washington always obsesses over these things. And no matter how many times you hear all politics is local, they still obsess over these things. Especially in this case where in a campaign for mayor, John Ewing's TV ad includes Donald Trump and Elon Musk. So this can be interpreted as more than the usual negative that it would be for a 12 year Republican incumbent mayor in Nebraska to lose to a Democrat.
- [01:41]
It's pretty significant. And first of all, I knew you were going to get the mayor. I woke up this morning and thought I'd love to talk to that mayor. And I maybe I had coffee too long and Lawrence o' Donnell already had the mayor. One of the other interesting things, which again you can't overread into these things to your point, is that the Republicans really ran an anti trans ad in the race. This is something that they tried to do, of course, and they did aggressively in 2024. It didn't work. That's the playbook they keep going back to. He ran. I can't wait to see your interview with him. A very good race went hard on kind of ineffectiveness of the mayor he was running against. But that didn't work. And that's one of their favorite playbook items. So that's also interesting.
- [02:23]
Well, we'll get the mayor elect's view of how they did does seem like a very big win for Democrats on that point, you made that the usual playbook against them didn't work, but the playbook of Trump tariffs and Elon Musk in the TV ads did work for the Democrat.
- [02:42]
Very interesting takeaways. You can still take away things even if you don't overread into them.
- [02:47]
Right?
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And exciting to see a new mayor of the city.
- [02:50]
We'll hear what the mayor elect has to say. Thanks, Jen.
- [02:53]
Thanks, Lawrence.
- [02:53]
Thank you. Well, since we last convened here 24 hours ago to examine Donald Trump's humiliation tour of Middle east dictatorships, Donald Trump has uncharacteristically for him, observed a 24 hour period of strict silence about his attempt to grab the single largest corrupt gift in the history of gifts, corrupt or otherwise. And by largest, I mean physically largest. Because Donald Trump is taking much larger financial gifts through his new cryptocurrency scam that he pretends is a business. The 13 year old 747800, which is the largest model of 747 that Donald Trump desperately wants to accept as a gift from the dictator of Qatar, is now only worth about $400 million as it sits at the San Antonio airport in Texas, abandoned by the dictator of Qatar because it's not good enough for him anymore, but it's good enough for Donald Trump. Donald Trump is currently the only person in the Middle east too stupid to understand how humiliated he is now by that 13 year old plane that's not good enough for a dictator, but is more than good enough for Donald Trump as president. Donald Trump already has access to the two best, most sophisticated 747s in the world that serve as Air Force One. But Donald Trump wants to spend billions of dollars converting a 13 year old 747, 800 to serve as air Force One. Maybe in the last year of his presidency, like around that time, that's how long it would take at least. And then he just plans to take it with him to use any way he wants after he leaves the White House. He took classified documents the last time he left. This time he wants to take a copy of Air Force One. As I have said here before, it's not going to happen. Donald's not going to get his toy, but he's too stupid to know that yet. Donald Trump will be the last one to realize that the dictator747 is never going to be converted to Air Force One. Donald Trump's desperate public attempt to take this biggest payoff in history is a perfect way of illuminating to voters who Donald Trump really is. This is better than anything the Democrats could say. So every day Donald Trump desperately campaigns to get the dictator's plane is another bad day for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The Republican opposition to the idea of turning a dictator's plane into Air Force One will be strong enough to stop it. The Republican supporting New York Post, owned by billionaire Trump supporter Rupert Murdoch, headlined its editorial, qatar's palace in the sky jet is not a free gift and Trump shouldn't accept it as one. The first line of that editorial says, what is President Trump thinking? He's bragging of winning a $400 million gift, a palace in the sky Boeing 7478 jet from Qatar that in effect, he'll eventually own personally. Own personally is in italics, because that's what the deal is really about. A lobbyist for the country and the dictator of Qatar now serving as Donald Trump's Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has said in writing that the scheme is legitimate because the dictator will actually just give the plane to the Defense Department, and then the Air Force will spend billions of American taxpayer doll with Boeing to try to convert that plane to be a usable Air Force One. And then at the end of Donald Trump's presidency, the Defense Department will simply give the plane to Donald Trump's presidential library, which means Donald Trump will decide just who gets to fly on that plane after he is president. And we know who's going to fly on that plane. The biggest budget item for all of the donations that come into the Trump presidential library will be paying for the jet fuel for the dictator's 747 to fly Donald Trump wherever he wants to go in retirement. That is the scheme. And that is why Rupert Murdoch and the New York Post today said that it is a deal for a 747 quote from Qatar that in effect, he'll eventually own personally, end quote. Rupert Murdoch's words. And Rupert Murdoch's New York Post is not buying Attorney General Pam Bondi's defense that it's not a bribe. The Republican New York Post says, quote, sorry, this gift is far from free. Qatar will surely expect something in return. And the optics are beyond awful, especially as Congress mulls hundreds of billions in Medicaid cuts. The Democrats in Congress exposing those Medicaid cuts and fighting those Medicaid cuts are the real beneficiaries of the gift the dictator of Qatar has decided to give. Because as Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for president who promised not to cut Medicaid, is supporting cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care act that will rob 13 million people of health coverage. At that very same time, Donald Trump is publicly begging for a $400 million gift for him from a dictator who has already given much more than that to support the terrorist organization Hamas. It takes Trump level stupidity to create a political dynamic like that. One feature of Donald Trump's stupidity is that it apparently shields him from feeling humiliation, no matter how much humiliation is heaped upon him. There is an obsession of Donald Trump's at work here with this plane, and it is his size obsession. Donald Trump has been defensively and publicly obsessed with size ever since Kurt Anderson and Graydon Carter at spy magazine in 1986 coined the phrase short fingered vulgarian to describe Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. In 2016, Donald Trump became the first presidential candidate in history to defend the size of his fingers and try to describe for us the size of something we cannot and don't want to see. He's really not that much of a lightweight. And as far as. And I have to say this, I have to say this, he hit my hands. Nobody has ever hit my hands. I've never heard of this one. Look at those hands. Are they small hands? And he referred to my hands. If they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem. I guarantee the lightweight who Donald Trump was hitting back at in that Republican primary debate is now Donald Trump's Secretary of State. And this is what Marco Rubio said about Donald Trump when he was running against him.
- [10:50]
Marco Rubio
Donald Trump is a con artist.
- [10:54]
Lawrence O'Donnell
He's taller than me. He's like 6, 2, which is why I don't understand why his hands are the size of someone who's 5, 2. Have you seen his hands? They're like this. And you know what they say about men with small hands? You can't trust them. You can't trust them. You can't trust them. And so we may have Donald Trump's size obsession to thank for the latest insanity he has visited upon our politics and the Constitution with his desperate attempt to take exactly the kind of gift that the Constitution says a president is not allowed to take. The founders of this country, who knew that there were kings across the ocean who would want to buy an American president's favor with gifts wrote into the Constitution, the first law of the land, that a president is not allowed to accept any gifts from any kings, Kings specifically mentioned in the Constitution or governments. They were all watching in 2016 when Donald Trump was defending the size of his fingers to Marco Rubio and whatever else he was defending in that debate, they were all watching. The dictators of the world were all watching that debate. And imagine the joy among the Middle Eastern dictators, the richest dictators in history, when they were watching that wildly insecure man on a debate stage gesture toward who knows what below his waist to assure the world there's no problem. Imagine how happy they must have been when the biggest clown they had ever seen on an American presidential debate stage became President of the United States and was so obviously easily manipulatable with flattery and money pumped into his family and camels. You look at this, it's so beautiful. As a construction person, I'm seeing perfect marble. This is what they call perfecto. And just a great job you've done and what a beautiful place. And we appreciate those camels. I haven't seen camels like that in a long time. He's a child. A child has arrived among the Middle Eastern dictators for them to manipulate in any way they want with the thing they have unlimited supplies of money and secondhand airplanes and camels. Donald Trump's 24 hours of silence about the plane could be the end of it. It might be over now. He might already know that a corrupt deal for a Hamas supporting dictator to give a plane to the American military will never happen. There is no way that deal could survive a vote in Congress even with a Republican controlled Senate. Another day, another Republican senator publicly opposes Donald Trump's palace in the sky.
- [14:20]
Ned Price
On the jet, though, Mano, I'd just say this. I think we ought to have a big, beautiful jet, but I'd like it to be made in the United States of America. We can build stuff in America. President Trump has been very strong on that. The U.S. government ought to be buying all of our stuff in the United States of America. That's the route I would go.
- [14:35]
Lawrence O'Donnell
So should he turn down this gift.
- [14:37]
Ned Price
If offered, I would just say if Cutter wants to be helpful and I think it's great that everybody now wants to be friends with America. I can think of a lot of other things Qatar could do for us, like for example, quit harboring Islamic jihadist terrorists who are trying to kill Americans everywhere they can get their hands on them. That would probably be at the top of my list.
- [14:56]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Democrats don't have to say a word about this. Republicans are doing that. There was one moment today in the middle of Donald Trump's 24 hours of silence about the plane where it sounded like maybe, maybe he was talking about the plane. And that's when he said this to the dictator directly to the dictator who wants to humiliate him by giving him a plane that's not good enough for the dictator of Qatar, but is good enough, as everyone now knows, for pathetic Donald Trump. I just want to thank you for everything, and maybe in particular our friendship. It's been a very loyal, great, beautiful friendship. Why are his beautiful friendships only with dictators? Remember his love letters that he shared with Kim Jong Un? The rest of the world is thanking the dictator of Qatar for revealing just how pathetically insecure and size obsessed Donald Trump really is. Marco Rubio tried to convince voters of that eight years ago, but it took a Middle Eastern dictator to prove that case beyond a reasonable doubt, even to Republican senators and the New York Post. And until Donald Trump or the dictator of Qatar formally shuts down the offer of the palace in the sky, every Democrat in the House of Representatives arguing against the Republican bill to take health care coverage away from 13 million people will be mentioning the gift Donald Trump is conspiring to get at the very same time that $400 million plan. Every Democratic senator in the Senate arguing against the Trump budget bill that will take health care coverage away from 13 million people will have a picture of that palace in the sky somewhere nearby to remind everyone who's listening of what Donald Trump really cares about and to remind them how relentlessly Donald Trump lied to them, lied to voters, lied to his voters every single time he said he would not cut Medicaid. The palace in the sky, just like Donald Trump's tariffs, is going to be a political issue in this country for as long as Donald Trump's stupidity allows it to be. And in the end, Donald Trump's tariffs will go away and the palace in the sky will remain just a demented dream for Donald Trump. Leading off our discussion tonight is Ned Price, former CIA analyst. He served as special assistant to President Obama on the National Security Council and was senior State Department official under President Biden. Ned, my big issue with this, at least this week, is what Donald Trump is revealing to all these regimes in the Middle east that he's visiting with in his incredible subservience to them and awe to them, and this desperate and pathetic willingness to take a plane that not one of those dictators would use now because it's 13 years old and they all have new ones.
- [18:15]
Ned Price
Lawrence, it's desperation for a hand me down. I think you are exactly right in that sense. And it really shows. It shows them who this president is and it shows the rest of the world what so many of us have long known about him and what you just put forward. Look, what Donald Trump doesn't realize, and will never realize, can never realize, is that what makes Air Force One so special, what makes Air Force One Air Force One is not the thread count on the Egyptian cotton sheets that he will sleep in. It is not just how plush the cushions are in the multiple areas, conference areas where he will sit. It is not the color scheme that he is so obsessed with. It is the fact that for decades now, this is the aircraft, the call sign of the aircraft that has carried the individual who should be the leader of the free world. This is the aircraft that has carried the free press with the leader of the free world wherever he has gone. This is the aircraft that is piloted by the U.S. air Force. And every time Air Force One lands in a foreign country, it is an object of fascination and in many cases, awe, because these people know what this aircraft stands for. And it stands for the American values that we've defended, that in some cases we fought for for generations and gener. And President Trump is willing to do away with all of that because he wants a few more conference rooms. He wants a couch that might be slightly more plush. He wants to, as you said, have the biggest, the largest, the most expensive aircraft out there. And by the way, he wants to leave the American people with the tab for it.
- [19:59]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Yeah. What would a president who took the job seriously be trying to accomplish in these countries today? And it's hard to believe that any other president would decide these are the very first places he has to go. Just like last time, the very first place he had to go was Saudi Arabia.
- [20:18]
Ned Price
Yeah, you're right. There's only one other president who has decided to go to this region on his first trip abroad, and it was Donald Trump in his first term. Look, that is not to say that there isn't plenty of business to be doing in this region. There certainly is. And let me just say I don't begrudge the president of the United States going overseas in search of economic opportunity for the American people. And I think over the years, we probably should have done a better job of explaining to the American people how our relationships with other countries around the world pay dividends, economic dividends, security dividends for the American people here at home. So I don't begrudge that at all. What I am concerned about, however, Lawrence, is of course, President Trump doesn't have the interests of the American people solely in mind when he says that he's going abroad focusing on business. And the bottom line. The question we need to ask ourselves, is whose business interests and whose bottom line is he focused on the national interest or is he focused on the personal and on his own personal interests? I think it's very clear based on Trump Organization transactions, even in recent weeks, what President Trump did in his first term, what he did out of office, that he is commingling the two in a way that is deeply corrosive and signifying deep corruption within this administration. All the while, he's not focusing on the real challenges that are out there for the region. Foremost on his agend should be Gaza, where the civilian population hasn't had an ounce of water, food, medicine for over two months since there has been a blockade, where Israeli hostages remain, where this war continues to rage. Of course there's Iran. Of course there's the challenge with Yemen. Of course there are other security issues. All that to say is there are big, meaty challenges that a dynamic American leader could be confronting in this region even as he tries to open up American additional economic opportunity for the American people. He's not even trying. And he, of course, is not living up to that moniker that is attached to the office that we were talking about in the context of Air Force One, the leader of the free world.
- [22:28]
Lawrence O'Donnell
I want to get your reaction to something Donald Trump said today about the new Syrian president, Ahmed Al Shara, who Donald Trump himself in 2018 had a reward posted of $10 million to get this man when Donald Trump regarded him as nothing but a terrorist. Let's listen to what Donald Trump said about the Syrian president today.
- [22:57]
Ned Price
How did you find the Syrian president?
- [22:59]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Right, right. I think very good. Young, attractive guy, tough guy, strong pass, very strong pass fighter. But he's got a, he's a real shot at pulling it together. Young, attractive guy. That's what he has to say about someone who he basically wanted dead or alive. $10 million in 2018.
- [23:28]
Ned Price
Yeah. Lawrence, look, it's very interesting what we heard from the president today, not only his description of the new interim Syrian president, but I think even more so the substance of the announcement he made yesterday. That is to say that the United would be revoking all of the sanctions that had been imposed on Syria since 1979 over the course of many decades. Now, I think this is one of those classic cases, one of those classically Trumpian cases of the administration occasionally stumbling to the right policy answer, but only after corruptly slipping. And I say that because the State Department has been asked about the Syrian sanctions regime again and again over the past three months, most recently just a few days ago. And they have been exacting and laying out six benchmarks that the Syrian interim government would need to take in order for these sanctions to be rescinded. Logical steps like not having foreign terrorist fighters in their government. Logical steps like doing away with the remaining chemical weapons stockpiles, not persecuting religious and ethnic minorities, and on and on. But then all of a sudden, President Trump goes to Saudi Arabia, he meets with the Qataris who are also pressing for this, and lo and behold, the sanctions are gone. So again, the outcome might, there is, there is some merit to the outcome. Outcomes certainly, but the motivation I think we have to question. And once again, I think it goes back to the term that we heard time and again during the first Trump term, quid pro quo. We saw a lot of quids in Riyadh and Qatar over the past couple days, including, as you just said, Most notoriously, this $400 million hand me down of an airplane. My concern is that rather than follow his administration's own policy, President Trump is repaying them with a quo of relinquishing the sanctions regime that his own State Department said would not be relinquished until certain benchmarks were met.
- [25:23]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Ned Price, thank you very much for starting off our discussions tonight.
- [25:27]
Ned Price
Thank you, Lawrence.
- [25:27]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Thank you. And coming up, Senator Amy Klobuchar will join us to discuss Attorney General Pam Bondi's conflict of interest as a former lobbyist for the dictator of Qatar. That's next.
- [25:42]
It's conversation, it's perspective. It's the weekend on MSNBC with three new dynamic hosts, Jonathan Capehart, Eugene Daniels and Jackie Alemany. And in the evening, it's the weekend prime time with Eamon Mohadin, Katherine Rampel, Elise Jordan and Antonia Hilton. Join them as they offer analysis on the week's most important events and set the agenda for the week ahead. The weekend at 7am eastern and the weekend prime time at 6pm eastern. Saturdays and Sundays on MSNBC. Sir David Frost gave us an intimate look at some of the most compelling personalities of our time.
- [26:18]
We want to involve both world leaders and world entertainers.
- [26:22]
MSNBC Films presents a six part documentary series, David Frost versus On the next.
- [26:29]
Episode, former President Richard Nixon or when the president does that means that it is not illegal by definition.
- [26:36]
Marco Rubio
Exactly.
- [26:37]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Sunday at 9:00pm Eastern on MSNBC.
- [26:45]
The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin, has told Attorney General Pam Bondi in writing, during your confirmation process, you did not list the state of Qatar as a conflict of interest on your Senate Judiciary questionnaire despite serving as A lobbyist for this foreign government prior to your confirmation as Attorney General. When I. I asked you about this during your confirmation hearing, you refused to commit to recusing yourself from matters involving Qatar. You did not list your current position as a partner at the lobbying firm, nor the work you've done for your Ballard partner clients, such as lobbying for the country of Qatar for $115,000 a month and for corporate giants Amazon and Uber. When you're asked about conflicts of interest, why do you believe your work as a lobbyist does not constitute potential conflicts of interest?
- [27:39]
Well, Senator, first, that was the amount my firm received. I believe multiple people represented the country of Qatar within my firm, my role, and I am very proud of the work that I did. It was a short time, and I wish it had been longer. For Qatar was anti human trafficking efforts leading into the World cup, which is something I'd like to talk about later, too. I was registered as FARA along with many members of my firm. That was the sole portion of my representation for Qatar. Now, if there are any conflicts with anyone I represented in private practice, I would consult with the career ethics officials within the department and make the appropriate decision.
- [28:26]
And now she can't consult with those ethics officials because she fired all of them. And that is the same Attorney General who wrote a letter to the Department of Defense saying it's totally legal to accept a gift of a 747 for the President of the United States. Joining us now is Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. She's a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator, thank you very much for joining us tonight. Big surprise. The former lobbyist for Qatar says the deal is just great.
- [28:59]
Marco Rubio
You know, the Constitution is really clear about this. Way back founding Fathers, they thought, you know what? These foreign monarchs are going to try to get involved in our politics. And we're going to make it very clear that the President of the United States cannot accept gifts from monarchs unless Congress somehow signs off. Clearly that's not going to happen. When you see people like Senator Josh Hawley raising major issues, Senator Thune, many others. So I don't know why the Justice Department, I don't know what her exact involvement was in. I don't know why this would happen, but I don't know how any Justice Department could say this is okay. And to me, it's just an outrage. For all the reasons you've pointed out, the national security reasons reasons, this plane is going to have to be checked at every single corner and basically reconstituted to make sure that there aren't bugs, that there aren't issues with it. And then you add to that how much that's going to cost. One of the analysts on msnbc, and I've heard these numbers from some of my colleagues that it's going to be more than the cost, the value of the plane of $400 million for what they're going to have to do, maybe upwards of a billion dollars. So it's also a ripoff for taxpayers, just a bad deal from beginning to end. And as you've pointed out, you know, he wants this plane for himself in the end, for his library, for his own use. I don't know. But it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.
- [30:28]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Senator, the juxtaposition of this, which Senator, Republican Senator Hawley opposes and the Medicaid cuts, which Senator Hawley also opposes, according to what he said today, is really quite striking. I'd like to squeeze in a commercial break right here and go to other side of this coin, the Medicaid cuts in the Trump budget bill and what might happen in the Senate if the House sends that bill to the Senate. We're going to be right back with Senator Amy Klobuchar.
- [30:56]
Marco Rubio
Lot to say. Thanks.
- [30:57]
Jen Psaki
Laura.
- [30:59]
Ned Price
How many discounts does USAA auto insurance offer?
- [31:02]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Too many to say here.
- [31:03]
Ned Price
Multi vehicle discount, safe driver discount, new vehicle discount, storage discount, legacy. How many discounts will you stack up?
- [31:10]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Tap the banner or visit usaa.com autodiscounts restrictions apply.
- [31:15]
Introducing the weeknight on MSNBC, join hosts Alicia Menendez, Michael Steele and Simone Sanders Townsend for a spirited conversation challenging each other and our leaders about the biggest issues of the day.
- [31:28]
It's about knowing what you are for, who you are for.
- [31:31]
Ned Price
That's what politics is about, is engagement.
- [31:34]
H
We are going to dive deeper into.
- [31:36]
Lawrence O'Donnell
The legal side of today's breaking news.
- [31:38]
The weeknight Monday through Friday at 7pm Eastern on MSNBC.
- [31:47]
Because Donald Trump was polling at the lowest level of any president at the hundred day mark of his presidency, Republicans are no longer so afraid of him. Today, Republican Senator Joshua Hawley not only opposed Trump's flying palace scheme, but he also opposed Donald Trump flip flopping about cutting Medicaid.
- [32:10]
Ned Price
I'm not going to support this bill from the House in this forum. I think that's clear. It's got to change before it can pass the Senate. And I continue to stand by my line in the sand, which is no Medicaid benefit cuts. This bill is not going to become law in its current form, not least because President Trump Won't sign it. Mono. I've talked to him about this personally multiple times. He has been crystal clear in public, too. No Medicaid benefit cuts.
- [32:32]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Yeah. The trouble with Donald Trump is that he has told Republican speaker of the House exactly the opposite of what he's apparently told Senator Hawley. He's told the House that he fully supports the House Medicaid cuts. As of tonight, the Trump budget bill does not have a chance in the United States Senate. This could change, but as of tonight, it cannot get through the United States Senate because of Republican opposition. Here is Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. I think that other ship with the big beautiful bill, I think that's the Titanic. I think that's going down because I think I have enough colleagues in the Senate that this has resonated with, that are saying, yeah, we've got to return to a reasonable pre pandemic level spending. I've shown my colleagues you wouldn't even have to touch Medicaid and you can still save hundreds of billions of dollars in both other mandatory and discretionary spending. Senator Amy Klobuchar is back with us. Senator, what's going on? It seems like they're afraid of Donald Trump anymore, but I'm not sure what they're going to do.
- [33:38]
Marco Rubio
Okay, so kind of predicted this in some of our past appearances because when you see what Trump is doing, the havoc that's being created with the economy, no surprise people in red states are saying, wait a minute, Medicaid cuts. When one out of two people in assisted living are on Medicaid or take food assistance away, when it's such a big deal in a bunch of rural areas and they're looking at, at huge numbers transferring it over to the states who 40 of them operate under balanced budgets amendments. They're not going to be able to afford hundreds of million dollars. Those are the things they're talking about in the House, Medicaid cuts. They're looking at what would happen with groceries and things like that. Some really bad stuff coming out of there. Then you have people like Ron Johnson and it only takes four of them to oppose the bill in the Senate and it goes down under the reconciliation rules. So, you know, my hope is that one, they get some sense in the House and make this the kind of budget that America needs right now, or they make some changes in the Senate because right now this appears to be in complete disarray. And Democrats are standing up united, united against this kind of messing around with people's health care. Right. At a time when they're struggling. That's not what we think that America needs right now.
- [35:02]
Lawrence O'Donnell
And of course, Donald Trump's out of the country while these Republican senators are breaking away from this bill. And as you know, what happens in the House is when House members who are reluctant to vote for something, and there's got to be a minimum of 50 Republican members of the House who are very reluctant to vote for these Medicaid cuts or even, or other things in the bill is even more. They start to say, why am I voting for this if the Senate's going to kill it? And then the House bill collapses in the House.
- [35:32]
Marco Rubio
Well, Lawrence, we know the answer, right? More tax cuts for billionaires. This bill is $80,000 in tax cuts a year for millionaires, much more for billionaires. That's what we're talking about here. So when they're looking for money in all the wrong places, on the bank backs of hard working people, on the backs of kids with cancer trials, on the backs of food assistance, when they do that, well, you gotta ask why? And they're doing it to pay for these tax cuts. If we really want to do something about the deficit, if we want to also do something to help with housing costs and childcare, well, then we should be actually changing these tax codes and making sure that the wealthiest are paying their share. That is not happening. They're going the opposite way with this budget.
- [36:18]
Lawrence O'Donnell
It seems like Democratic members of the House in their arguing against this bill, Democratic members of the Senate have been given a gift by the Amir of Qatar in this plain story that you can juxtapose with the palace in the sky. Donald Trump wants the palace in the sky. He also wants to cut your Medicaid. Same guy wants both of those things.
- [36:41]
Marco Rubio
There you go. That's where we are end of the night. That's where we are tonight. And I, I had predicted this for a while. Keep the focus on what's happening because the people that say in Minnesota voted for me and Donald Trump, they did not sign up for this. They actually thought, okay, maybe he's going to do something about costs and inflation instead. Chaos is up, costs are up, corruption is up. That's what's happening right now. And with every move he makes with getting a plane from a monarch that's banned by the Constitution, or giving certain wealthy people deals on the tariffs and not small businesses, it reeks of corruption and people are seeing through it. And that's why you suddenly see some of these Republicans, from moderates to conservatives, saying, wait a minute, this is not a good idea. Not for our party, but not for our country. So we'll see. But so far, Lawrence, you know the truth. Despite all the rhetoric, they have been rubber stamping everything he wants. So maybe we're finally seeing a break.
- [37:39]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Yeah. Senator Amy Klobuchar, thank you very much for joining us.
- [37:41]
Marco Rubio
Great to be on. Lawrence. Thank you.
- [37:44]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Coming up, a 12 year Republican incumbent in Omaha, Nebraska lost her job to a Democrat in last night's election results. Thanks to Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Last night's big Democratic winner, John Ewing joins us next. Donald Trump and Elon Musk were in effect on the ballot in an election in Nebraska last night where the winning Democrat took the job away from a Republican who has been mayor of Omaha for 12 years. Chaos, fear, Politics everywhere just feels broken. In Omaha, we need a mayor who will get results. That's John. Husband, father, grandfather, former deputy police chief. Now he keeps watch over our tax dollars and takes on corruption. As mayor, John Ewing will get back to basics, pave the roads, invest in safety and focus on neighborhoods. Let's say no to the chaos and elect a mayor who will actually get things done. John Ewing. Voters in OMaha, Nebraska, the sixth largest Republican led city in the United States, elected Democratic John Ewing as the city's first black mayor. He beat Republican Mayor Jean Stothert who is in her 12th year as mayor of Omaha. John Ewing's daughter explained what she thinks the election was about.
- [39:14]
Alexandria, why do you think the city.
- [39:16]
Of Omaha needs a mayor like your father?
- [39:18]
Marco Rubio
You know, I believe the city of.
- [39:20]
H
Omaha needs a mayor like John Ewing.
- [39:22]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Because we deserve some we can trust.
- [39:25]
H
Someone who's honest, someone who listens and.
- [39:28]
Marco Rubio
Someone who has a proven track record.
- [39:30]
H
For getting things done.
- [39:32]
Marco Rubio
And I truly believe from the bottom.
- [39:34]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Of my heart that my dad has.
- [39:36]
Marco Rubio
Done that for his 43 years of service. And I'm so excited and proud to.
- [39:42]
H
Witness history tonight and to be a part of this new era in the city of Omaha.
- [39:47]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Joining us now is the mayor elect of Omaha, Nebraska, John Ewing Jr. Mayor elect. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. A real honor to have you here. All of Washington, of course, wants to know how much of a factor was the Trump, Musk, Washington based chaos in voters thinking in Omaha.
- [40:11]
Jen Psaki
Well, thank you for having me, first of all. And I believe it played a very important role. One of the things we wanted to show was that connection. And then the other part of it was showing that I was willing to stand with the people of Omaha against the chaos and actually govern and lead and get things done and impact their quality of life.
- [40:35]
Lawrence O'Donnell
There is that old saying in Washington that Tip o' Neill started, All politics is local. So I'm sure there was a big local component of this, but there was also a pretty negative advertising campaign against you. How did you fend off the negative in the campaign?
- [40:55]
Jen Psaki
One of the things I believe is that the people of Omaha are very sophisticated voters, and so they pay attention. They've seen me in public service for 43 years, first with the Omaha Police Department and then as their Douglas county treasurer for over 18 years, and they knew those things weren't true. But the other thing we did was we actually played the mayor's words where she talked about what a great job I was doing. Then we talked about my record. Then we asked, why was she lying about my record. Then we played her words again. So the people then began to look at everything through the lens of is she telling the truth?
- [41:41]
Lawrence O'Donnell
As you go into office now, what are you expecting in terms of the ability to create order here? There could possibly be really big Medicaid cuts that could affect life in Omaha, for example.
- [41:59]
Jen Psaki
One of the things I told the people here, and if you look across the country, this has been true as well. But I've said to the people, if there's any damage to Omaha, Nebraska, we will see Donald Trump in court. And if you look at the governor of Maine and you look at other places where they've actually challenged him, in stood up to him, they've actually won. So I'm willing to do that. I've told the people of Omaha, Nebraska, that I faced people with knives and guns before in my former career. And so I'm not afraid of Donald Trump or anybody else. We need to challenge to keep the good life here in Omaha, Nebraska.
- [42:38]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Omaha Mayor elect John Ewing Jr. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. Really appreciate it. And congratulations on the big win.
- [42:47]
Jen Psaki
Well, thank you very much. And I believe it's an exciting time. I hope people really understand that if they stand with the people of their communities, they can win races in this country.
- [42:58]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. Thank you.
- [43:00]
Jen Psaki
Thank you.
- [43:01]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Tonight's Last word is next. Time for Tonight's last word.
- [43:10]
H
Mr. Secretary, I'm talking. I'm over here. I've been sitting through this hearing all day today and have noted that you've been unable in most instances to answer any specific questions relating to your agency.
- [43:25]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Because I haven't been given time?
- [43:27]
H
Well, no, you have been given time, but the point of the matter is you've been unable to answer specific questions, sir, you are the wrong person for this job.
- [43:37]
Lawrence O'Donnell
And that's just how Senator Angela also Brooks began her question. And then it got worse.
- [43:47]
H
Can you name sir, which office the Safe to Sleep campaign operates out of?
- [43:52]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Which campaign?
- [43:54]
H
Well, that's the one that the senator just asked you about two minutes ago that prevents babies from dying in their sleep. A 30 year program inside your agency, you would agree that it's I think.
- [44:03]
Lawrence O'Donnell
It'S part of HRSA or acf? It's acf.
- [44:07]
H
No, actually it's in Health and Human Services and I think.
- [44:11]
Lawrence O'Donnell
And again they're all within Health and Human Services. But the subdivision is acf.
- [44:16]
H
No, actually the name of the subdivision.
- [44:19]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Of Children and Families.
- [44:20]
H
No, let me tell you what it is. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This is actually the one that your aunt Eunice Kennedy Shriver is the person who it's named after. And you you noted just a moment ago the Senator reminded you that although this is a very important agency prevents babies from dying, this is the same one you fired every single person in the this Office as of April 1.
- [44:46]
Lawrence O'Donnell
The man who exploited his family name every day of his adult life to get where he is today doesn't even know what his family has done. Maryland Senator Angela also Brooks gets tonight's last word.
- [45:03]
Ned Price
How many discounts does USAA Auto Insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi vehicle discount, Safe driver discount, New vehicle discount, Storage discount. How many discounts?
- [45:13]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Will you stack the banner or visit usaa.com autodiscounts restrictions apply.