Lawrence: Trump admin. staffer reportedly in an 'I love Hitler' chat hasn't been fired by Trump yet

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
Episode: Trump admin. staffer reportedly in an 'I love Hitler' chat hasn't been fired by Trump yet
Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC)

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Episode Overview

Tonight’s episode delivers a hard-hitting look at a scandal involving a Trump administration staffer caught in a racist, antisemitic group chat, as reported by Politico. Lawrence O’Donnell, drawing upon his experience in politics and television, contextualizes the lack of accountability from national Republican leaders, contrasts it with local actions, dissects the broader pattern of GOP denial, and discusses other hot-button political issues, including healthcare, government corruption, and key upcoming elections. Interviews with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, and CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin round out a dynamic and news-driven hour.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. The “I Love Hitler” Chat Group Scandal

Timestamps: 01:40 – 16:03, 29:25 – 31:23

• Politico Exposé: A Politico investigation reveals young GOP leaders across several states participating in a Telegram chat rife with explicit antisemitic and racist statements (e.g., “I love Hitler,” “putting political opponents in gas chambers”), and disturbing fantasies of violence and oppression.
• Senior Trump Official Implicated: Michael Bartels, a senior advisor in the Trump administration’s Small Business Administration, is directly linked to the group; he neither contributed to nor objected against the chat’s egregious content, and declined to comment when reached by Politico.
• No Federal Accountability: As of airtime, Donald Trump has not fired Bartels; there is “absolute silence from Washington Republicans” (11:22).
  • "Not one Republican has said one word yet objecting to a group of young Republicans in a group chat saying I love Hitler." — Lawrence O’Donnell (01:37)
• Local Reaction: The Kansas Republican Party swiftly disbanded its Young Republicans chapter; members implicated in the scandal lost jobs in Kansas government.
  • "There’s one Republican, the chair of the Kansas Republican Party, who said we can’t tolerate this. But nothing from Donald Trump. Absolute silence."
• Comparisons with Universities: O’Donnell notes the hypocrisy of Trump’s push to “cleanse” universities of antisemitism when equivalent evidence hasn’t been found on campuses.

2. The Tom Homan Bribery Allegation & Trump Administration Corruption

Timestamps: 12:01–15:47, 23:07–27:09

• ABC’s George Stephanopoulos Grills VP Vance: In a widely discussed interview, Vice President J.D. Vance dodges repeated questions about Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” being caught on FBI tape accepting a $50,000 cash payment.
  • "Did he accept $50,000 for doing what? George, I’m not sure I understand the question... I don’t know the answer to that question." — VP Vance (10:55)
• Administration Denials: VP Vance maintains lack of knowledge and impugns the media for dwelling on the story, despite widespread reportage.
• Lack of Accountability: O’Donnell underscores that Homan’s incident is unprecedented (a federal official on video accepting an apparent bribe) and emphasizes the administration’s stonewalling.
  • "The man who MSNBC reported took $50,000 in cash...has never said, I did not take the cash. He’s never denied it." — Lawrence O’Donnell (13:55)
• House Democratic Leader Jeffries’ Perspective: Jeffries states a Democratic Congress would demand immediate accountability for such a scandal.
  • “That person will be hauled up to Capitol Hill immediately and be held accountable… it appears engaging in the crime of bribery.” — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (23:37)

3. Trump’s Contradictions on Foreign Spending and Healthcare

Timestamps: 16:03–23:07

• $20 Billion to Argentina: O’Donnell criticizes Trump for approving a $20 billion bailout to Argentina, which supports that country’s socialized medicine, while Republicans seek to cut Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits within the US.
• Democratic Priorities: Jeffries compares the $20B to what could be done domestically:
  • “That $20 billion can actually be used to extend the ACA tax credits for more than 20 million Americans…” — Rep. Jeffries (21:54)
• GOP Budget Failures: O’Donnell and Jeffries dissect the Republican "one big ugly bill" — a budget that cuts health care and privileges the wealthy.

4. Political Lying as a GOP Tactic

Timestamps: 18:20–19:37

• Historical Perspective: O’Donnell recalls Republicans labeling Social Security and Medicare “communism,” noting a pattern of distorting Democratic proposals for political gain.

5. Breaking News: Janet Mills Enters Maine Senate Race

Timestamps: 27:17–37:33

• Janet Mills Announces Candidacy: The Democratic Governor of Maine, Janet Mills, is running against longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins, centering her campaign on resistance to Trump and recalling her past court battles against Trump administration directives.
  • “If things were remotely normal...I probably wouldn’t be doing this. But...we’re at a dangerous and unprecedented moment… I just can't, I won't sit idly by while this president hurts Maine people.” — Gov. Janet Mills (34:31)
• Her Message: Mills frames the election as a struggle against bullying and betrayal of democratic values, invoking Maine’s tradition of independent, courageous senators.

6. Virginia Gubernatorial Race: Abigail Spanberger

Timestamps: 37:33–44:50

• Key Debate Moment: Democrat Abigail Spanberger calls out her Republican opponent’s anti-LGBTQ+ stances and opposition to abortion rights.
  • “As my opponent so very clearly said, not only is she in opposition to marriage equality, but she doesn't even think it's discrimination to fire someone for being gay.” — Abigail Spanberger (41:07)
• Election as a Bellwether: Spanberger underscores the stakes and Virginia’s role as a bellwether state — “Virginia has always been a bellwether.” (43:40)

7. Book Segment: Andrew Ross Sorkin’s “1929”

Timestamps: 44:52–50:56

• Crash of 1929: Andrew Ross Sorkin discusses the drama and lessons of the 1929 stock market crash, drawing parallels between the financial recklessness of that era and current political and economic behaviors.
  • “So many of the issues that we’re dealing with today, unfortunately, are so similar...there’s the underlying imbalances in our economy, the inequality that existed then, the inequality that exists today, and some of the deregulation that’s taking place today that looks a lot like then.” — Andrew Ross Sorkin (47:29)
• Historical Characters: Sorkin humanizes infamous figures from the crash and reflects on themes of hubris, misjudgment, and regulatory failure.

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Notable Quotes

• “Not one Republican has said one word yet objecting to a group of young Republicans in a group chat saying ‘I love Hitler.’” — Lawrence O’Donnell, 01:37
• “If Donald Trump can find $20 billion to bail out his right-wing dictator friend in Argentina, it’s extraordinary to me that Republicans are unwilling to even have a discussion about how we address the health care crisis.” — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 22:13
• “You know, my father was a seventh-generation Mainer who stood up for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves...I won’t sit idly by while Maine people suffer.” — Gov. Janet Mills, 33:36
• “The stakes of this election are very clear. And importantly, we also look forward here in Virginia to setting an example for the rest of the country that when given the opportunity to choose steady, focused, principled leadership or an extremist agenda, that we make clear what it is that we want.” — Abigail Spanberger, 42:54
• “So many of the issues that we’re dealing with today… are so similar [to 1929]...there’s the underlying imbalances in our economy, the inequality that existed then, the inequality that exists today.” — Andrew Ross Sorkin, 47:29

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Politico expose and I Love Hitler chat analysis – 01:40–16:03; 29:25–31:23
• Tom Homan bribery and Trump admin corruption – 12:01–15:47; 23:07–27:09
• GOP budget and policy falsehoods – 18:20–19:37
• Hakeem Jeffries on House strategies/accountability – 20:26–27:09
• Janet Mills Maine Senate campaign – 27:17–37:33
• Abigail Spanberger on Virginia race – 37:33–44:50
• Andrew Ross Sorkin on 1929 crash/new book – 44:52–50:56

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Overall Tone and Language

• The episode is pointed, urgent, and unapologetically critical, blending journalistic analysis with rhetorical intensity.
• O’Donnell’s language is insistently direct and moral, sharply contrasting public accountability at the state vs. federal level.
• Interviews maintain a tone of resolve—Democratic guests are called upon to explain their proactive stances, while the host spotlights Republican silence and what he perceives as ethical failures.

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Memorable Moments

• O’Donnell’s depiction and repetition of the silence from national Republicans on the I Love Hitler chat, and his contrast with Kansas Republicans swiftly firing involved members — a persistent motif throughout the episode.
• The exchange between George Stephanopoulos and VP J.D. Vance, highlighting governing officials’ evasions regarding corruption.
• Janet Mills invoking her family’s legacy and the theme of “standing up to bullies” as the driving reason for her Senate campaign.
• Abigail Spanberger detailing the stakes for LGBTQ+ Virginians and linking the state’s election as an example for the nation.
• Andrew Ross Sorkin’s novel approach to dramatizing the Crash of 1929, making financial history relevant to today’s issues of economic imbalance.

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Summary

This episode of “The Last Word” exposes and unpacks a scandal within young GOP ranks, using it as an entry point to scrutinize the modern Republican Party’s attitudes on racism, corruption, and accountability. Through incisive interviews, historical perspective, and real-time political developments, O’Donnell presents an urgent case for vigilance, transparency, and political action, tying together themes of governance, history, and morality in American democracy.

Transcript

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Host/Anchor]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Host/Anchor]

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[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

O' Donnell starts right now. Hey, Lawrence.

[Host/Anchor]

Hey, Jen. This is our last evening together this week. I'll be on my way to Africa start tomorrow and they'd be there next week. But you just had the last Democratic speaker of the House on your program. I'm going to have the next Democratic speaker of the House during this hour. Hakeem Jeffries will be joining us. I saw that.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

And she's ready to hand it off.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

She very confidently predicted that he is.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

Going to be the speaker of the House. That's what she said.

[Host/Anchor]

He seems ready for exactly that.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Well, great.

[Host/Anchor]

I'm looking forward to watching all of it.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

We're also doing a handoff on the main Senate race because I just had.

[Host/Anchor]

One of the leading candidates and you.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

Have another one of the leading candidates who just got in the race today, too.

[Host/Anchor]

So looking forward to watching that, too. Susan Collins has a lot to worry about tonight, no question about it. Thanks, Jen. Thanks, Lawrence. Imagine you work for Donald Trump and his administration and you get caught by Politico in what you thought was a private online group chat with people saying things like I love Hitler and saying it's a mistake to expect the Jew to be honest, end quote, along with multiple racist phrases, as well as talking about wanting to see people, quote, going to the gas chamber, which provokes the reply, quote, I'm ready to watch people burn. Now. Imagine what would happen to someone working in the Trump administration who's in group chats like that. What would you do if you were that Republican guy and Politico called you before publishing their investigative report about the I Love Hitler chat group that you're in, what would you say to Politico? He declined to comment. And he still has his job in the Trump administration. The Politico article came out today at 1:15pm and Donald Trump has taken no action against the guy working for him who's in the I Love Him Hitler chat. Not one Republican has said one word yet objecting to a group of young Republicans in a group chat saying I love Hitler. No Republican has a problem with that. Not one. Politico published their report today under the headline I Love Hitler Leaked Messages Expose Young Republicans Racist chat. Politico reports Leaders of young Republican groups throughout the country worried what would happen if their telegram chat ever got leaked, but they kept typing anyway. They referred to black people as monkeys and the watermelon people and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who who they believed support slavery. The exchange is part of a trove of telegram chats obtained by Politico and spanning more than seven months of messages among young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont. The chat offers an unfiltered look at how a new generation of GOP activists talk when they think no one is listening. The group chat members spoke freely about the pressure to cow to Trump to avoid being called a rhino, the love of Nazis within their party's right wing, and the president's alleged work to suppress documents related to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein's child sex crimes. Trump's too busy burning the Epstein files, alex Dwyer, the chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, wrote in one instance, at least one person in the telegram chat works in the Trump administration. Michael Bartels, who, according to his LinkedIn account, serves as a senior advisor in the Office of General counsel within the U.S. small Business Administration. Bartels did not have much to say in the chat, but he didn't offer any pushback against the offensive rhetoric in it either. He declined to comment. And tonight, Michael Bartels still has his job working for Donald Trump and working for JD Vance, because participating in an I Love Hitler group chat is apparently not a reason for Donald Trump to fire you. Donald Trump is eagerly trying to fire federal workers these days, not one of whom has said I love Hitler. Elon Musk and Donald Trump this year have fired thousands of federal workers, but they're keeping the guy in the I Love Hitler chat. They don't want to lose him. Michael Bartels. Michael Bartels declined to comment to Politico after he got caught in the I love Hitler chat at the same time that Donald Trump falsely claims to be trying to purify the universities of America by by cleansing any trace of antisemitism in the student body of those institutions or the faculty. And they have never found an I love Hitler group chat at any one of those universities. Donald Trump has never found anything like that. Donald Trump has never found anything like the poison that someone in his own administration is trafficking in. After POLITICO's stunning expose of the virulent racism and anti Semitism among the leaders of young Republicans, old Republican Donald Trump was not angry at any one of them. He wasn't angry at the I love Hitler guy. He wasn't angry at the guy who said the thing about the watermelon people. He wasn't angry at the guy who said, I'm ready to watch people burn now in gas chambers. But the old Republican Donald Trump was very angry at the front running candidate for mayor of New York City, who has never said I love Hitler, who has never said anything like the vicious poison that so delights the leaders of young Republicans. Donald Trump falsely accused the front running candidate for mayor of New York City today of being a communist. He's a communist. He's not a socialist, by the way. There's a big difference. He's a communist. He's down and dirty. He's a communist. Which should have provoked the question, Mr. President, what is a communist? Donald Trump obviously has no idea because he also said these are his words, quote, I mean, communist policies which is proven for thousands of years doesn't work. You know, those are his words. The question he will never be asked by the almost entirely compliant White House press corps is who invented communism thousands of years ago? According to you, Communism is just a generation or two older than Donald Trump. But he obviously doesn't know that. He just knows that communists in American political usage is a very bad word. It's the worst thing you can be politically in the United States historically. And so that's why Donald Trump throws it around like the word tariff. He has no idea what it means. And so Donald Trump spent the day angry at all sorts of people, as he does every day, but not even slightly bothered by Michael Bartels, the guy who works for Donald Trump and J.D. vance and was caught in the I love Hitler group chat. George Stephanopoulos has never said I love Hitler, but Donald Trump is very angry at George. I want to take questions from ABC Fake News after what you did with Stephanopoulos, to the Vice President of the United States. I Don't take questions from ABC Fake News. Brian, go ahead. So that's Donald Trump drawing attention once again to the persistence of George Stephanopoulos on Sunday in trying to get the Vice President of the United States to answer a very simple question. Did Donald Trump's so called border czar Tom Homan take $50,000 in cash in a paper bag from undercover FBI agents who recorded a secret video of Tom Homan taking that money last year? Under George Stephanopoulos relentless questioning about the $50,000 in cash the Vice President was forced to finally admit he doesn't know if Donald Trump's borders are accepted. The $50,000. I'm asking you, did he accept the $50,000 that was caught on the surveillance tape? Did he accept that $50,000 or not?

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

George, I don't know what you're talking about. Did he accept $50,000 for what?

[Host/Anchor]

He was recorded on an audio tape in September 2024, an FBI surveillance tape accepting $50,000 in cash. Did he keep that money.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

Accepting $50,000 for doing what? George? I'm not even sure I understand the question. Is it illegal to take a payment for doing services? The FBI has not prosecuted him. I've never seen any evidence that he's engaged in criminal wrongdoing. Nobody has accused Tom of violating a crime, even the far left media like yourself. So I'm actually not sure what the precise question is. Did he accept $50,000? Honestly, George, I don't know the answer to that question.

[Host/Anchor]

While you were just listening to the Vice President, I was just handed breaking news from Kansas on the Kansas reflector on Tuesday. The chairman of the Kansas Republican Party said the Politico article disclosing the commentary prompted immediate deactivation of the Kansas Young Republican Organization. So there's one Republican, there's one Republican in America, the chair of the Kansas Republican Party who said we don't, we can't tolerate this. We absolutely can't tolerate this. But nothing from Donald Trump. Absolute silence from Donald Trump and absolute silence from Vice President Vance about young Republicans in an I Love Hitler group chat as George Stephanopoulos persisted in questioning the Vice President. The Vice President absurdly claimed that he didn't know anything about the video, the FBI video, even though MSNBC in an investigative report broke the news about that video two weeks ago and it has been constantly in the news since then, especially on this program. Donald Trump's so called border czar is the only federal official working for a President in history who has been recorded on undercover FBI video taking cash from undercover FBI agents. That has never happened before. That is purely Trumpian. And so it's not like Tom Homan is the only one caught on such a video to have managed to not get fired by the President. He's the only person working for a President who's ever been caught on an FBI video like that. And James David Vance pretends that he hasn't read or heard about that video. You're saying right now you don't know whether or not he kept that money?

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

I don't know what tape you're referring to, George. I saw media reports that Tom Homan accepted a bribe. There's no evidence of that. And here's George, why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why you're losing credibility because you're talking for now five minutes with the Vice President of the United States about this story regarding Tom Homan, a story that I've read about, but I don't even know the video that you're talking about.

[Host/Anchor]

Donald Trump made it very clear today that he watched the entire JD Vance interview with George Stephanopoulos. So now Donald Trump cannot claim that he doesn't know about the videotape. Not that any White House reporter will ever ask him about it. Needless to say, no one in the White House press corps followed up with Donald Trump about the undercover videotape about his so called border czar taking $50,000 in cash, something Tom Homan has never denied. Remember that important point? The man who MSNBC reported took $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents has never said, I did not take the cash. It's been weeks now. He's never said that, never denied it. The White House press corps today simply let an ABC reporter get shut down by Donald Trump. And instead of responding to that properly by pressing Donald Trump over the issue that was under discussion in the ABC interview with JD Vance that Donald Trump objects to. The White House press corps, as usual, just moved on. They did Donald Trump the favor that he always wants. Move on. Donald Trump specially objected to the way the interview ended, saying that it is, quote, inappropriate to cut off a highly respected Vice President of the United States mid sentence. And so here once again, since Donald Trump brought it up, is that cutoff.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

You're insinuating criminal wrongdoing against a guy who has done nothing wrong. Instead of focusing on the fact that our country is struggling because our government's shut down, let's talk about the real issues. George. I think the American people would benefit much more from that than from you going down some weird left wing rabbit hole where the facts clearly show that Tom Homan didn't engage in any criminal wrongdoing.

[Host/Anchor]

It's not a weird left wing rabbit hole. I didn't insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000 as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024, and you did not answer the question. Thank you for your time this morning.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

Nobody's up next.

[Host/Anchor]

We'll be right back. As I continue to study this breaking news from Kansas, where apparently someone has a conscience. The young Republican from the Kansas organization was also fired today from his communications job in the office of the Attorney General of Kansas. So there has been a reaction to the I Love Hitler chat group in Kansas, but still nothing, nothing from Washington. Republicans. Donald Trump met with the president of Argentina today and agreed to give Argentina a $20 billion handout that the New York Times reports, quote, will benefit Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen's allies and the interests of other billionaires invested in Argentina. The $20 billion can help support the government run health care system of Argentina, which includes government run medical facilities that are open and available to everyone in Argentina because Argentina has more socialism than we do and Donald Trump has no problem with Argentinian socialism. Donald Trump and every Republican in Washington continue to pursue a budget that will take health care away from millions of Americans. And when asked if he has a new strategy to pass that Republican budget, which got only 49 votes in the United States Senate today, the Republican speaker of the House actually said today, quote, I don't have any strategy. But he did say that the Republicans are trying to, quote, keep illegal aliens off taxpayer funded health care. That is the new Republican lie. To support the Republican budget argument. Republicans have been lying about Democratic policy proposals for literally 100 years now. They lied about virtually everything Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed, including Social Security, which they said was communism. They lied about Medicare, which they also said was communism when it was proposed. And here's Newt GINGRICH Lying in 1993 about President Bill Clinton's first budget bill. We have all too many people in the Democratic administration who are talking about bigger government, more bureaucracy, more programs and, and higher taxes. I believe that that will in fact kill the current recovery and put us back in a recession. It might take a year and a half or two years, but it'll happen. In fact, one of Newt's favorite phrases, in fact, the Clinton budget passed by exactly one vote in the House and one vote in the Senate, and it included the biggest tax increase in history. At the time and after that bill was passed, the American economy soared every day of the Clinton administration. Republicans insisted the Clinton budget would destroy the economy, and in fact, it pushed the American economy to new heights. Now, I don't mean to suggest that every Republican has been lying about every democratic proposal for 100 years. There were some Republicans who voted for Social Security on the final vote. There were some Republicans who voted for Medicare on the final vote. But the history of Republicans lying about Democratic proposals is much more consistent than the occasional history of Republicans trying to reach reasonable compromise with Democrats, which they have done from time to time on certain issues. But not now.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

There has to be a willingness amongst Republicans to actually have a conversation. And since the White House meeting over two weeks ago, Republicans have gone radio silent. Donald Trump has spent more time on the golf course than talking to Democrats on Capitol Hill. Republicans have been on vacation since September 19th. In the house and in the Senate, the Republican strategy is to do the same exact thing, bring the same failed partisan Republican spending bill to the floor over and over and over again, knowing it's going to go down. Because Democrats have been very clear we're not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of the American people.

[Host/Anchor]

Leading off our coverage tonight is House Democratic leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. We heard your counterpart, the Republican counterpart, the speaker of the House, say today, literally, I have no strategy. Do you have a strategy?

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Well, good evening, Lawrence. Great to be with you. You know, our strategy from the very beginning has been clear. We'll sit down anytime, any place, with anyone, either on Capitol Hill or back at the White House, in order to reopen the government, to find bipartisan common ground, in order to enact a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people. But it actually has to make life better for everyday Americans, as opposed to what Republicans have done throughout this year, which is to enact legislation such as their one big ugly bill that rewards their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks and hurts everyday Americans. And of course, our view and our position has been very clear that we need to address the Republican health care crisis that is devastating the people all across the country, whether that's working class America, rural America, urban America, small town America, the heartland of America, and black and brown communities throughout America.

[Host/Anchor]

Donald Trump is giving $20 billion to Argentina. What would a Democratic Congress do with that $20 billion?

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Well, that $20 billion can actually be used to extend the Affordable Care act tax credits for more than 20 million Americans who are going to otherwise confront dramatically increased premiums, copays and deductibles that are about to skyrocket because of the unwillingness of Republicans to extend those Affordable Care act tax credits that benefit everyday Americans. You know, this is a real extraordinary thing, Lawrence, and I'm so thankful that you're covering it. This isn't an America First Act. This is an Argentina First Act. And if Donald Trump can find $20 billion to bail out his right wing dictator friend in Argentina, it's extraordinary to me that Republicans are unwilling to even have a discussion about how we address the health care crisis that they've created, which of course includes the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Hospitals and nursing homes and community based health centers are closing all across the country, including in Mike Johnson's home state of Louisiana because of their one big ugly bill. And now they're refusing to deal with the Affordable Care act tax credit issue. It's a shame, but they can find money. $20 billion for Argentina.

[Host/Anchor]

The legislative work that we've just been discussing is the primary purpose of the House of Representatives. But there's also an investigative function. What would a Democratic controlled House of Representatives do if a member of the administration, Democrat or Republican administration, was recorded on FBI video taking $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents?

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Well, that person will be hauled up to Capitol Hill immediately and be held accountable in front of the American people for what clearly appears to be engaging in the crime of bribery. And then beyond the bribery that appears to have taken place, there clearly seems to be a cover up amongst some of the people within the Trump administration who have no interest in holding this extreme individual accountable. You know, our general view in terms of what we as Democrats want to do and will continue to do for the American people is as we need to lower the high cost of living, we need to fix our broken health care system, and we need to clean up corruption that exists in the Congress, within the Supreme Court, and certainly in the administration, which I think the likes of which we've just not seen ever in American history. And the administration, by the way, in real time, is running the largest pay to play scheme in the country's history. And this all needs to be brought to light. I think it was Brandeis who made the observation sunlight is the best of disinfectants. And there's a lot that needs to be disinfected within this corrupt administration.

[Host/Anchor]

In MSNBC's reporting breaking that story about Tom Holman taking the $50,000 in cash. The purpose in the discussion with the undercover FBI agents was apparently that Homan would help them. They were posing as business operatives, helped them obtain government contracts, which is exactly the position that Tom Homan is in tonight. He's in a position to help deliver massive government contracts that Donald Trump has embarked on, just on the new immigration enforcement infrastructure.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

I am confident that all of their corrupt scheming is going to come to light, and we certainly are going to make sure that they're held accountable for the misuse of taxpayer dollars in ways that are inconsistent with what any administration should be doing, particularly in an environment where this administration and the Republicans have failed the American people. You know, their core promise last year over and over and over again was that Republicans were going to lower the high cost of living on day one. But we know costs haven't gone down. They've gone up. Inflation is out of control. The Trump tariffs are making life more expensive. Grocery costs are too high, housing costs too high. Electricity bills skyrocketing. And now these Republicans have zero interest in extending the Affordable Care act tax credits, which is going to result in these health care costs skyrocketing through the roof. So we've got a failed presidential administration and failed Republican policies actively making life worse for the American people. And then, you know, this pay to play scheme that's being run out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, with all of the Trump sycophants and minions eagerly participating as if they're never going to be held accountable. They are going to be held accountable. Certainly that process will begin when Democrats take back control of the House. The but it will continue thereafter. And I remind all of these corrupt individuals, these sycophants, statute of limitations is five years. The American people want accountability, deserve accountability, and will get accountability.

[Host/Anchor]

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much for starting off our coverage tonight.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Thank you.

[Host/Anchor]

Statute of limitations is five years. That's something worth reminding the Trump administration about every day. And coming up today, the Democrats got good news as they try to take control of the United States Senate in next year's elections. Maine's Democratic Governor Janet Mills announced today that she is running against Republican Senator Susan Collins. Governor Mills will join us next.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie. When you use Angie for your home projects, you know all your jobs will be done well. Roof repair done well.

[Host/Anchor]

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[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

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[Host/Anchor]

We have more breaking news from Kansas about the I Love Hitler Young Republican chat group, which included young Republicans from Kansas, prominent young Republicans from Kansas. The Kansas reflector is now reporting. Dinedre Herbert, chair of the Kansas Republican Party, said the organization's leadership was disgusted by comments by young Kansas Republicans contained in the Politico story. In March, Herbert was elected state party chair. She is black, quote, Their comments do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly not of Kansas Republicans at large, she said. Republicans believe that all people are created in the image of God. Yet another example for Donald Trump about how you do it. That's how you disassociate from Nazis. That's how you disassociate publicly from people who are in I Love Hitler group chats. Someone working for Donald Trump is still working for Donald Trump and was in that chat. But the Kansas young Republicans who are in that chat have been fired. One of them was fired from a job in the Kansas Attorney General's office today. They got the reporting from Politico at the same time Donald Trump and J.D. vance did. They have taken action. Those Republicans in Kansas. Not a word, not a word from any of the Republicans in Washington. The governor, who told Donald Trump to his face that she would see him in court, now plans to see Republican Senator Susan Collins on the debate stage today. Janet Mills, the two term Democratic governor of Maine, announced that she is running for Senate against Republican Senator Susan Collins. In February, Governor Mills confronted Donald Trump in the White House at a governor's meeting about Trump executive orders. Is the Maine here? The governor of Maine? Are you not going to comply with it?

[Janet Mills]

I'm complying with state and federal law.

[Host/Anchor]

Well, we are the federal law. Well, you better do it. You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't. And by the way, your population, even though it's somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn't want men playing in women's sports. So you better comply because otherwise you're not getting any federal funding. Every state. Good. I'll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after, Governor, because I don't think you'll be in elected politics. In her campaign announcement video today, Governor Mills made resistance to Donald Trump the top issue in her Senate campaign.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

Governor Janet Mills blasted President Trump Today.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Janet Mills clashed with President Trump sparring with Maine's governor.

[Host/Anchor]

Maine here. The governor of Maine.

[Janet Mills]

Not here.

[Host/Anchor]

Are you not going to comply with.

[Janet Mills]

I'm complying with the state and federal laws.

[Host/Anchor]

We are the federal law. You better do it. You better do it because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't. The governor said, see you in court.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

See you in court.

[Janet Mills]

I did see him in court, and we won.

[Host/Anchor]

Federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds for the state of Maine.

[Janet Mills]

You know, my father was a seventh generation Mainer who stood up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves. And when I was little, he told me, you can't let bullies have their way or they'll never stop. I heard my father's voice when the bullies in power said a woman couldn't be a prosecutor or an attorney general or a governor. So I fought back and I won. And yes, it was my father's voice I heard that February morning when the President of the United States confronted me. We stood up to Trump and stopped him from cutting the school lunch program for Maine kids. But there are too many politicians in Washington, including Susan Collins.

[Host/Anchor]

Susan Collins, we want to thank, who've.

[Janet Mills]

Forgotten their principles and let bullies like Trump have their way. And it's hurting Maine people. I've never backed down from a bully and I never will. Honestly, if this president and this Congress were doing things that were even remotely acceptable, I wouldn't be running for the U.S. senate. But when Trump rips away health care from millions of Americans and drives up costs on everything, from groceries to housing to trucks and cars, then turns around and gives corporate CEOs a massive tax cut. And Susan Collins helps him do it after she helped him overturn Roe v. Wade. I hear my father's voice saying, fight back, Janet. I won't sit idly by while Maine people suffer and politicians like Susan Collins bend the knee as if this were normal. My life's work has prepared me for this fight, and I'm ready to win. This election will be a simple choice. Is Maine going to bow down or stand up? I know my answer.

[Host/Anchor]

Joining us now is Maine Governor Janet Mills, now candidate for United States Senate. Governor Mills, thank you very much for joining us tonight. I take it from your announcement that if Donald Trump had not won the presidential election, you would not now be running for Senate.

[Janet Mills]

Look, if things were remote, remotely normal or passable in the District of Columbia, in this, in the federal government, I probably wouldn't be doing this. I could serve out the rest of my term another year, and I could go to camp and go fishing the rest of my life, I guess, and read books, you know, but, and thank you for having me on, Lawrence. I'm a big fan, by the way. But listen, these are not normal times. Times. As you know, we're at a dangerous and unprecedented moment in our very history, our history of our country. We got a president who every day is threatening the fabric of our democracy and a Congress, including Senator Collins, who's just not standing up to him. And it's hurting Maine people. He's ripping away health care from tens of thousands of Maine people and millions of people across this country, driving up the cost of groceries, cars, trucks, construction materials and all those things. And I just can't, I won't sit idly by while this president hurts Maine people and while Senator Collins is doing nothing to stop him. So, yeah, I'm running for the United States Senate to fight for Maine people to stand up to this bully in the White House and make a change in the way things happen in, in D.C. and to stand up for our democracy, protect our, the rule of law and our democracy.

[Host/Anchor]

It's not that long ago that Maine had maybe the most, the most powerful senator, definitely the majority Leader, George Mitchell of Maine. And it seems like Susan Collins has not just on an objective perspective, has not done the kind of Maine oriented representing in the Senate that George Mitchell did on a daily basis.

[Janet Mills]

Sure. Look, the legacy we have here in Maine goes back to Margaret Chase Smith was a family friend of mine. It goes back to Bill Cohen, who stood up to Nixon goes back to George Mitchell, who stood up so many things. And it goes back to Olympia Snow who wrote books about civility and stood up to her own president, president of her party. And Susan Collins just is not living up to that legacy that we have here in Maine. So I want to go to washing and I want to fight for the Maine, for Maine people. I want to fight to preserve our democracy and to prevent this person in the White House, the Donald Trump's administration, from further tearing apart our right to health care, education, the economy, which is in a roller coaster ride up and down, and the tariffs that are hurting many people at the grocery store. Ripping away health care is because Congress is not standing up to him. I know how to stand up to a bully. I've done it a few times. I was district attorney, first woman district attorney, first woman attorney general, first woman governor of the state of Maine. I've succeeded in winning two statewide elections and I'm eager to take this one on as well.

[Host/Anchor]

Maine Governor Janet Mills, please come back and join us as the campaign proceeds. And thank you very much for joining us on your first day of campaigning. Thank you. And coming up, the most important election of the year for both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is the election for governor of the swing state of Virginia. That's just 21 days away. The only debate in that campaign, the Republican candidate said that she opposes same sex marriage and she believes in banning abortion. Her Democratic opponent, former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, joins us next. Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of angie.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

One thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. And for decades, Angie's helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter. Get all your jobs done [e-mail].

[Host/Anchor]

Imagine relying on a dozen different software programs to run your business, none of which are connected, and each one more.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Expensive and more complicated than the last.

[Host/Anchor]

It can be pretty stressful.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Host/Anchor]

Odoo has all the programs you'll ever need and are all connected on one platform. Doesn't Odoo sound amazing? Let Odoo harmonize your business with simple.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

If you're looking for new ways to get ahead, then you're our kind of person. We're Udemy and we help learners like you upskill in AI, productivity, leadership and management and more. Learn at your own pace from real world experts. You can also prep for certifications that show employers what you know upskill for the career you [e-mail].

[Host/Anchor]

Now back to.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

Your regularly scheduled listening.

[Host/Anchor]

There are just 21 days left until Election Day November 4th, and today President Barack Obama endorsed Proposition 50 on the California ballot. The proposition would allow redistricting in California in a way that could add five Democratic seats to the House of Representatives. California, the whole nation is counting on you.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Democracy is on ballot November 4th. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years.

[Host/Anchor]

With Prop 50, you can stop Republicans in their tracks. Prop 50 puts our elections back on.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

A level playing field, preserves independent redistricting over the long term and lets the people decide. Return your ballot today.

[Host/Anchor]

Vote yes on 50. Early voting is already underway in Virginia, where former Democratic Congressman Abigail Spanberger is running for governor against the Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earl Sears. In their debate last week, the lieutenant governor said she supports banning abortion and opposes same sex marriage, to which Abigail Spanberger said this.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

My opponent was asked about her record of discrimination. And importantly, my opponent has previously said that she does not think that gay couples should be allowed to marry. She has said that she discrimination, quote, unquote, morally opposed. Ms. Spanberger's time for rebuttal opponent has also previously said that she thinks it's okay for someone to be fired from their job for being gay. That is discrimination.

[Host/Anchor]

Joining us now is Abigail Spanberger, Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia. So that's not discrimination seemed to be the theme of her debate.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

It was outrageous. But the good thing is in that debate she was truthful about her positions. And so for those who watched it or who have seen parts of it since then, they have had an opportunity to hear her stances on some issues. Certainly she's demonstrated her extreme positions on some issues. And I think importantly, people also had the opportunity to see the sort of level of steadiness that she will or will not bring to her campaign and ultimately to the governorship here in Virginia as she leveled attacks at me throughout the entirety of the debate, speaking over me for most of the debate. And I think it was an important debate moment or debate hour because we have the opportunity throughout that debate to demonstrate for the people of Virginia the stakes of this election. And we know the stakes of the election are whether or not we're going to have a governor who's going to focus on lowering costs, which is the top issue I hear about everywhere I go or a governor who won't. Whether we'll have a governor who is going to stand up for Virginians, particularly those who are being impacted, certainly by Doge, but also by the ongoing ramifications of a shutdown and now this Doge 2.0 effort that the President is undertaking, or a governor who will not, who will defend those efforts as my opponent has, or whether or not we're going to have an a governor who will actually just stand up for what is right and people's basic rights, whether it's their right not to be fired because of who they are or their right to marry. As my opponent so very clearly said, not only is she in opposition to marriage equality, but she doesn't even think it's discrimination to fire someone for being gay. The stakes of this election are very clear. And importantly, we also look forward here in Virginia to setting an example for the rest of the country that when given the opportunity to choose steady, focused, principled leadership or an extremist agenda, that we make clear what it is that we want. And that's why we're going to win on November 4th.

[Host/Anchor]

And you know, the national media always looks at the Virginia governor's race to indicate how the congressional elections will go a year later. Do you think that's that this is a model for how the election will go a year from now?

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

Virginia has always been a bellwether. It's one of the unique elements of our off year elections. Certainly we are a purple state. We currently have three statewide Republican office holders and we have 51 Democrats out of 100 in our House of Delegates and all 100 seats are up this year as well. And so we are a bellwether because we're a purple state. And whether, whether we always do indicate or not which way things will go in the midterm, my goal is to make sure that we send a decisive message, set an extraordinary example, win with an incredibly decisive and large margin of victory, flipping statewide seats, flipping more seats in the House of Deleg, and whether or not it's just a level of self importance that we like to assign to ourselves here in the Commonwealth when we say as Virginia goes, so goes the nation, or whether or not it bears out some facts. My goal is to make sure that every bit of evidence about what it takes to win and whether Democrats are intending to win into the future will be something that we demonstrate here in the Commonwealth and put a little bit of pep in the step of all of those who will be running next year.

[Host/Anchor]

Abigail Spanberger, thank you very much for joining us tonight.

[Guest/Interviewee (e.g., Abigail Spanberger or Angie Hicks)]

Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

[Host/Anchor]

Thank you. Coming up, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin will join us with his brilliant new book, which is titled 1929. The ordinary human being does not live long enough to draw any substantial benefit from his own experience. And no one, it seems, can benefit by the experiences of others. Being both a father and teacher, I know we can teach our children nothing. Each must learn its lesson anew. Albert Einstein, October 26, 1929. That was written on the third day of the great stock market crash of 1929. In his new book, Andrew Ross Sorkin describes the sixth day of the stock market crash this way. It was now Tuesday, October 29, 1929, a day that economist John Kenneth Galbraith would later describe as the most devastating day in the history of the New York stock market. And it may have been the most devastating day in the history of the markets. Andrew Ross Sorkin captures the drama and the tragedy of those terrible days in his brilliant new book, 1929 Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation. Andrew, so who's got the movie rights to this? Because this is obviously going the way your last book was.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

We can only hope we're talking to some people right now. We'll hopefully bring you some news on that. But thank you so much.

[Host/Anchor]

At least six episodes, at least.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

And I'm so glad that you found the Einstein quote, because when I landed on that, it was in the Saturday Evening Post literally from that week. And I thought, my goodness, yeah, I'd.

[Host/Anchor]

Never seen it before. So it's the first thing you come upon in the book. And I was just thrilled by it, especially the day that it was written. It's all so powerful. So everyone always wonders with books like these, as they did with John Kenneth Galbraith's book, which he titled the Great Crash and then discovered that's why it wasn't sellable in airport bookstores. The Great Crash was not a good title for airport bookstores. But 1929, this is going to fly off the shelves in airport bookstores. There's so much drama, there's so much collective delusion, and it always reads like something that we might find ourselves in again.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

Well, that was the thing, you know, I was trying to write a character driven inside the room TikTok about what had happened. And Galbraith wrote a fabulously hilarious book with a perspective. But I wanted to put you in the room like a movie. And as I was doing it, I Realized that so many of these characters and so many of the issues that we're dealing with today, unfortunately, are so similar. The main character of this book, Charlie Mitchell, is almost like the Jamie Dimon of our time today. Carter Glass, the senator from Virginia, is almost the Elizabeth Warren of his time, trying to break up the banks and go after people like Charlie Mitchell. John Rascob was like Elon Musk in so many ways as a great entrepreneur, but complicated and involved in politics and trying to smear people and do all sorts of things to people's reputation. And then there's the underlying imbalances in our economy, the inequality that existed then, the inequality that exists today, and some of the deregulation that's taking place today that looks a lot like then. That makes you start to worry.

[Host/Anchor]

In character terms, what you've done with Mitchell in this book is fascinating to me because in previous encounters with him in the literature of the crash, he just mostly plays as a villain and just a villain. And he gets indicted eventually for tax issues and around the crash. But you have found a real and full character here. You're actually giving the actor something to play more than just villainy.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

Well, one of the things that happened was, you know, I spent eight years on this book and I was able to find all sorts of depositions and transcripts of conversations so you could actually really see what they were saying in the moment. The conversation he had with his wife that leads to him getting arrested. The front door of his mansion on Fifth Avenue and 74th street, what's now the French Consulate, that's where he lived. And so you could really feel him as a three dimensional character. And in so many ways. It's not to say he was sympathetic, but I think that when you start to understand him a little bit, there's an empathy for at least understanding the scenario that he was in. He clearly made a ton of mistakes and put the country, in some cases, in a troubled spot. But I'm not sure it all came from a bad place, interestingly enough.

[Host/Anchor]

No, it's one of. One of the interesting things about anything in that time is that people were working with what they knew at the time. Economics was in its infancy at that time. Business analysis was really in its infancy.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

Look, the Federal Reserve was a completely new institution. People talk about the politics or the independence of the Federal Reserve today. One of the reasons I would argue that the Federal Reserve didn't act then in the way they probably should have was because they themselves were worried about the politics of the moment. And about getting hold in front of Congress and whether the institution unto itself would be a race.

[Host/Anchor]

This book will make you a conservative and careful investor, I think, and you will love it. Andrew Ross Sorkin his new book is 1929 Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation. Andrew, thank you so much for joining us.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

Thank you, sir.

[Host/Anchor]

I love this book. I'm so glad I have it.

[Vice President (possibly Kamala Harris or a similar figure)]

And as a friend of Kenneth Galbrost, that means a lot to me.

[Host/Anchor]

He was a college professor of mine and that's the only other book I've read. His is the only other book I've read about the great crash. Andrew R. Sorkin gets tonight's last word.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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