Lawrence: Trump's 'biggest tax increase in history' makes Republicans admit 'tariffs are taxes'

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

Episode Title: Lawrence: Trump's 'Biggest Tax Increase in History' Makes Republicans Admit 'Tariffs are Taxes'

Release Date: April 3, 2025

---

Introduction

In this episode of The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, host Lawrence O'Donnell delves into the significant political developments surrounding President Donald Trump's recent tariff policies. Drawing from his extensive experience in the Senate Finance Committee and his background in political storytelling, O'Donnell provides an in-depth analysis of how Trump's actions have led to unprecedented shifts within the Republican Party, particularly regarding the acknowledgment that tariffs effectively function as taxes.

Main Discussion

1. Trump's Tariffs and Republican Backlash

The episode opens with Lawrence discussing the implications of President Trump's imposition of new tariffs, which he describes as the "biggest tax increase in history." These tariffs have prompted a rare schism within the Republican Party, leading four Republican senators—Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul—to vote against the President's tariff resolution in the United States Senate. This marks a pivotal moment as it represents the first significant breach in the Republican senatorial support for Trump.

Lawrence O'Donnell [12:00]: "Every one of those Republicans has either actively supported those taxes by Donald Trump or held their cowardly silence about them."

2. Tariffs as Taxes: The Republican Party's Shift

O'Donnell draws a parallel between the current situation and the historical influence of Grover Norquist, a prominent anti-tax advocate who shaped the Republican Party's stance against tax increases. He argues that Trump's tariffs have exposed the inherent contradiction within the party's long-standing anti-tax commitments.

Lawrence O'Donnell [09:30]: "Grover Norquist has revealed himself not to be a principled anti-tax crusader... because at some point, every single one of them has supported Donald Trump's increase in taxation on Americans through tariffs."

Rand Paul notably referred to tariffs as taxes on the American people, emphasizing their detrimental impact on the economy:

Rand Paul [11:45]: "Tariffs are taxes, taxes on the American people. They are a terrible mistake. They don't work. They will lead to higher prices."

3. Economic Implications of Tariffs

The discussion highlights the economic repercussions of Trump's tariffs, including increased costs for consumers and potential job losses in sectors reliant on international trade. O'Donnell references the Wall Street Journal's editorial stance:

Lawrence O'Donnell [10:15]: "The Wall Street Journal said tariffs are taxes, pure and simple."

He further compares the current tariff-induced tax increase to the last significant tax hike in the U.S., which occurred in 1993 with a 4.3-cent increase in the gasoline tax, positioning Trump's policies as a tenfold escalation.

4. Impact on Republican Senators and Party Unity

Despite Trump's attacks on the four dissenting Republican senators via social media, they maintained their stance against the tariffs. This act of defiance underscores a growing unease within the party regarding Trump's leadership and policy decisions.

Lawrence O'Donnell [12:50]: "Donald Trump attacked the four senators who voted against him tonight in a social media post this morning... but they defied Donald Trump."

5. Cory Booker's Historic Filibuster

The episode also covers Senator Cory Booker's remarkable 25-hour filibuster in the Senate, aimed at countering Trump's tariff policies. Booker's passionate address surpassed the previous record held by Senator Strom Thurmond and served as a symbol of Democratic resistance against the administration's economic strategies.

Cory Booker [27:05]: "He is here after midnight, standing up against these tariffs. This is our chance to use this energy of the last 24 hours and move forward and write a new path."

6. State-Level Repercussions

Senator Amy Klobuchar elaborates on the negative effects of the tariffs on states like Wisconsin and Maine, where local economies reliant on trade with Canada are suffering. The tariffs have led to decreased tourism, increased costs for essential goods, and threats to agricultural exports.

Amy Klobuchar [17:07]: "If we impose these tariffs on Canadian processing, it's going to be our main lobstermen who will bear the cost. It's going to hurt those who can afford them the least."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Rand Paul [11:45]

  "Tariffs are taxes, taxes on the American people. They are a terrible mistake. They don't work. They will lead to higher prices."

• Lawrence O'Donnell [09:30]

  "Grover Norquist has revealed himself not to be a principled anti-tax crusader... because at some point, every single one of them has supported Donald Trump's increase in taxation on Americans through tariffs."

• Amy Klobuchar [17:07]

  "If we impose these tariffs on Canadian processing, it's going to be our main lobstermen who will bear the cost. It's going to hurt those who can afford them the least."

• Cory Booker [27:05]

  "This is our chance to use this energy of the last 24 hours and move forward and write a new path."

Conclusion

Lawrence O'Donnell's episode effectively captures a critical juncture in American politics, where economic policies have not only reshaped the Republican Party's dynamics but also galvanized bipartisan resistance against what many view as detrimental fiscal strategies. The recognition of tariffs as taxes signifies a fundamental shift in political rhetoric and policy-making, challenging long-held beliefs within the GOP. Additionally, the episode underscores the broader implications for the American economy and the lives of ordinary citizens, highlighting the necessity for informed and united political action in the face of divisive policies.

---

Key Takeaways

• Republican Schism: Trump's tariff policies have led to unprecedented dissent within the Republican Senate, highlighting internal conflicts over fiscal strategies.

• Tariffs as Taxes: The acknowledgment by Republican senators that tariffs function as taxes contradicts the party's historical anti-tax stance, influenced by figures like Grover Norquist.

• Economic Impact: Tariffs have tangible negative effects on consumers, businesses, and specific state economies, raising concerns about broader economic stability.

• Democratic Resistance: Democratic figures like Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar are actively opposing tariff policies, emphasizing the need for legislative checks on executive power.

• Political Realignment: The episode suggests a potential realignment within the GOP, as economic realities challenge ideological commitments, possibly paving the way for future political shifts.

This episode serves as a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between economic policy and political allegiance, providing listeners with a nuanced understanding of the current state of American governance and the pressing issues at hand.

Transcript

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of their national red tag sales event going on right now through April 20th. Stop by any of their participating communities and find select red tag homes at Incredible Pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton difference at Dr. Horton.com that's Dr. Horton.com Dr. Horton America's builder and Equal Housing Opportunity Builder.

[Rachel Maddow]

Auto insurance can all seem the same until it comes time to use it. So don't get stuck paying more for less coverage. Switch to USA Auto Insurance and you could start saving money in no time. Get a quote today, restrictions apply.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Now it's time for the Last Word with the great Lawrence O'Donnell.

[Rachel Maddow]

Rachel, you're forgiven. I speak for the entire audience when I say that, by the way, Dr. Kessler's discussion was with you was just haunting. And the idea that Donald Trump has now fired the person who probably saved his life is, I guess, the kind of flawlessly fitting, big footnote to where we are in Trump governance tonight.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

I also think that Dr. Kessler is. He knows these things. I mean, he has been there and he understands how these things work. And I think he may really be right. That Trump does not know that.

Yeah.

That Trump doesn't know that the man who made it possible for him to get those monoclonal antibodies that kept him alive when he might have otherwise died. I'm not sure that Trump knows that. We've had some noise about how the White House has tried to, like, duplicate the communication structure that should exist under Secretary Kennedy at the health, the health system at hhs. And that may be because I don't know if Kennedy knows what he's doing, but it seems like the White House has no idea what Kennedy is doing. And it may be that the White House does not understand the scale of what Kennedy has just done here. I think Dr. Kessler's suggestion that somebody needs to tell Trump what has just happened is actually a very modest and very sober thing to do.

[Rachel Maddow]

Yeah, I thought it made perfect sense the way he was saying it to you on your program. We have Mallory McMurrow joining us here tonight. She is the new Senate candidate in Michigan. United States Senate candidate. Hugely important Senate election next year in Michigan. This will be her first night on the program as a Senate candidate.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

That's great. She was. When I saw that announcement today, I thought, okay, now we're talking. Now, now we're talking a real race there. That's. She's a really big deal. That's going to be a great interview.

[Mallory McMurrow]

Yeah.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

All right. Thanks, Lawrence.

[Rachel Maddow]

Thank you, Rachel. Thank you. Well, the breaking news of the night is that Donald Trump has lost another very important vote. That makes two nights in a row of breaking news about Donald Trump being on the losing side of a very important vote. Last night, the voters of Wisconsin crushed Donald Trump and Elon Musk's candidate for a state Supreme Court justice and instead elected the candidate supported by the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, Susan Crawford, to be the next elected Supreme Court justice in the state of Wisconsin. But tonight, the Republican controlled United States Senate made history by voting against Donald Trump for the first time. Donald Trump lost the vote in the United States Senate. Tonight, four Republican senators joined all the Democrats in voting against Donald Trump tonight in the United States Senate 51, 2, 48 in favor of a resolution that would nullify any claim of presidential authority to impose tariffs on Canada. This is the first big crack in the wall of Republican senatorial support for Donald Trump. Republicans voting against the Trump Canadian tariffs in the Senate. Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Susan Collins, Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Rand Paul. Donald Trump began his day with a social media post attacking those four senators and still they defied Donald Trump. Rand Paul said as clearly as I have been saying for years the truth that other Republicans dare not say, that tariffs are taxes, taxes on the American people. Tariffs are a terrible mistake. They don't work. They will lead to higher prices. They are a tax and they have historically been bad for our economy. Donald Trump's secret is out. Tariffs are a tax, a tax on American consumers. Only foreign countries don't pay those taxes. Trump supporters wouldn't believe me when I was telling them that for years. But now Republicans are saying it loud and saying it clear. Mitch McConnell said it today. Now the financial networks like CNBC are saying it constantly. And tonight, the Wall Street Journal in its editorial in response to Donald Trump's announcement of the new tariffs today said tariffs are taxes, pure and simple. Back in the 20th century, a nerdy right wing Republican in Washington who never held elected office named Grover Norquist bent the entire Republican Party in Washington to his will. It was pathetic to watch. In effect, he forced them to sign a pledge to never vote for an increase in taxes of any kind. And every single Republican member of the United States Senate signed where Grover Norquist ordered them to sign. Every Republican presidential candidate signed where Grover Norquist required them to sign in order to be Republican candidates. And almost every Republican member of the House of Representatives signed exactly where Grover Norquist ordered them to sign. To never, ever, ever support an increase in taxation of any form. Republicans lived in fear of this guy, that guy right there in the middle. At the time, I declared Grover Norquist to be the most powerful unelected person in Washington because on one issue anyway, he had complete control over one of our political parties. Former Republican presidential campaign manager, my friend Stuart Stevens wrote a book about the Grover Norquist controlled Republican Party after Donald Trump was elected president. And he titled that book It Was All a Lie. It turns out Grover Norquist was and is a lie. Grover Norquist has revealed himself not to be a principled anti tax crusader, as has every Republican member of the Senate and House of Representatives, because at some point, every single one of them has supported Donald Trump's increase in taxation on Americans through tariffs, which are sales taxes administered only on goods imported into this country and paid only by Americans in this country. Every one of those Republicans has either actively supported those taxes by Donald Trump or held their cowardly silence about them. And Grover Norquist, the nerd who was once perceived as the toughest Republican operative in Washington, is hiding tonight in his permanent cocoon of cowardly silence about Donald Trump's sales taxes. Donald Trump's tariffs, the last time the gasoline tax was increased in the United States of America was 32 years ago, with only Democratic votes in the House and the Senate. And Grover Norquist was outraged that Democrats and Democrats only voted to increase the gasoline tax in America. In 1993, the Democrats voted to increase the gasoline tax by 4.3 cents. And Grover Norquist screamed at the top of his history on anti tax lungs about what a horrible burden an additional 4.3 cents a gallon of gasoline would be in America, what burden it would be for American drivers. And I'll never forget that outrage about the 4.3 cent increase in the gasoline tax. Because I was working in the United States Senate at the time as the chief of staff of the Senate Finance Committee, and I personally negotiated that number, 4.3 cents with the staff of a Democratic Senator who was the final holdout on the gas tax increase, the final vote that we needed to get it through the committee. We actually started off by trying to increase it by a dime. But in the desperate last minute negotiations to get that final vote in the Senate Finance Committee, the most I could get was 4.3 cents, which at the time was roughly a 2% increase in the cost of a gallon of gasoline, 2%. And Grover Norquist went crazy and every Republican in the Senate and the house, including Mitch McConnell then in the Senate, claimed that the Democrats were crushing the American consumer with that increase in the gasoline tax 4.3 cents. Newt Gingrich used it in his insurgent campaign to win control of the House of Representatives for Republicans in the next election for the first time in 40 years. And tonight Newt Gingrich support 54% sales taxes that Donald Trump is imposing and 25% sales taxes that Donald Trump is Imposing and 10% sales taxes that Donald Trump is imposing on everything the United States of America imports from anywhere in the world. That 4.3 cent increase in the gasoline tax in 1993 was part of a complex deficit reduction legislation bill, huge bill signed by President Clinton that included spending cuts and tax increases aimed at reducing, which is exactly what it successfully did. It was at the time the biggest tax increase in history. But that record has been broken. Broken by Donald Trump. Republican Mike Pence, who signed Grover Norquist's anti tax pledge in order to win his seat in the House of Representatives, tweeted tonight, the Trump tariff tax is the largest peacetime tax hike in US history. These tariffs are nearly 10 times the size of those imposed during the Trump Pence administration and will cost American families over $3,500 per year. And so tonight we have a new winner for biggest tax increase in history. Donald Trump and his faithful and mostly cowardly supporters in Congress. As I said, Donald Trump attacked the four senators who voted against him tonight in a social media post this morning saying Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul also of Kentucky will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon for a change and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada. To the people of the great states of Kentucky, Alaska and Maine, please contact these senators and get them to finally adhere to Republican values and ideals. Senator Collins explained on the Senate floor why the people of Maine did not burn up her office telephones today demanding a war with Canada. Donald Trump of course, wouldn't have understood everything she said because he of course has no idea which country Prince Edward island is in.

[Susan Collins]

For example, many Maine blueberries are processed in Prince Edward Island. Maine also sends between 200 million and $400 million worth of lobster to Canada each year for processing. There are two hundred and forty lobster processing plants in Canada, but only 15 in the United States. I share the President's goal of getting more of that manufacturing done in the state of Maine, done in the United States. But the. The fact is that if we impose these tariffs on Canadian processing, it's going to be our main lobstermen who will bear the cost. It's going to be consumers who bear the cost. The price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they filled their heating oil tank. If these tariffs go into effect will be so harmful, and as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least.

[Rachel Maddow]

The people who can afford them the least. Grover Norquist doesn't care about those people. He never has. Donald Trump doesn't care about those people. He never has, never will. 48 Republican senators do not care about those people. And no Republican members of the House of Representatives care about those people. Not one of them. Everyone who pulls up lobster pots in Maine for a living knows something else. Donald Trump doesn't know which is the biggest foreign customer in the world for Maine lobster is China. And so the people of Maine did not demand that Susan Collins get in line with the madman who wants a trade war with Canada and the world. In the country where Rand Paul grew up and where I grew up and where you grew up, presidents didn't control tariffs, Congress did. A couple of obscure laws passed by Congress decades ago gave the President power to adjust tariffs only in a national emergency, which basically meant something like a world war. Donald Trump's claim of emergency conditions as the legal justification of his tariff orders today is provably false, especially when it comes to as good a neighboring country that exists in the world, Canada. The vote in the Senate was to remove the President's power to declare an emergency involving Canada. Taxes should not be enacted by one person. So I will vote today to end the emergency. I will vote today to try to reclaim the power of taxation, the power of the tariff to where the Constitution designated it should properly be, and that is in Congress. While the Senate was voting tonight against Donald Trump, after hours trading showed a stock market crash in the making, which will leave Wall street in fear of tomorrow morning's opening bell. Donald Trump didn't want to see an active ongoing stock market crash during his announcement today. So he made his announcement after the markets closed on Wall Street. Even before he spoke today, the Wall Street Journal called Donald Trump's plan the dumbest trade war in history. And after Donald Trump revealed his biggest tax increase in history today, the Wall Street Journal said tariffs are taxes. Donald Trump's years of lying about foreign countries paying Donald Trump's tariffs have crashed into the Brick wall of reality. No foreign country has ever paid a tariff imposed. States of America, no country on earth is empowered in any way to impose taxes of any kind on another country. Everyone knows that. Except Donald Trump and the supporters who he fooled. The Wall Street Journal said tariffs are taxes. Car prices will rise by thousands of dollars, including those made in America. In the demented rhetoric unique to Donald Trump, he decided to call today Liberation Day. And it turned out he was right. It was liberation Day for four Republican United States Senators who finally summoned the strait to vote against Donald Trump and defeat him in the United States Senate. Leading off our discussion tonight is Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. She's a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Klobuchar, are. We've been waiting a long time to see something like what happened on the Senate floor tonight.

[Amy Klobuchar]

That's for certain. And it was a incredible moment because Tim Kaine and Mark Warner myself led that bill. And I think at the beginning, no one thought the resolution, this could never go through. But because we have been fighting them in the courts, in Congress and with our constituents by our side, our constituent had it. They go to the grocery store, the prices are up, and now they're starting to see lumber go up and they're starting to see gas prices go up. And all of this is in part caused in a big, big way by these tariffs and the thought that Donald Trump has now landed 10% across the world on all these countries, even more on our allies in Europe. It's going to cause even more problems for the economy. But we had a victory tonight in part because we have been relentless in taking this on. You saw Cory Booker yesterday, you saw the Wisconsin results and what happened in Pennsylvania last week. We are in this fight in a big way and we're standing up for our constituents, farmers, small businesses, consumers who. Yes, Lawrence, it's a $5,000 tax per family, all these tariffs together. So I don't call it Liberation Day. I call it National Sales Tax Day. And that's exactly what Donald Trump did to people today, that we're changing the.

[Rachel Maddow]

Name of it right now, National Sales Tax Day. Let's listen to what Senator Booker said about this. During his record setting 25 hour speech.

[Mallory McMurrow]

Donald Trump made commitments to America. We have quotes of him, rally after rally. I'm going to bring your. He said, oh, grocery, that's a really great word. I think he said, I'm going to bring down grocery prices. Well, grocery prices are up dramatically. The American dream. And many of us see that as Owning a home. Well, you said it. Home prices are already up. But with these tariffs, they could go upwards of 10% more. You can be sure that Canadian lumber coming down here is going to be expensive.

[Rachel Maddow]

I was reading the Minneapolis Star Tribune today reporting their concerns, worries about, about what these tariffs mean in Minnesota. What does it mean to your voters?

[Amy Klobuchar]

Well, first of all, tourism from Canada is down 70%. That's nationally. People are pissed off, Lawrence. First they were shocked and now they're mad. And so that is a major factor that's going to go on all around the world. People are going to make decisions. We've got farmers that need Canadian potash for fertilizer. We have got others that sell their soybeans all over the world. And what happens is these other countries say, wait a minute, I can get stuff from Brazil, I can get stuff from another country and then we lose those contracts forever. We're the fourth biggest ag exporting state in the nation. So I see it firsthand. And these rural areas especially are going to be hit by this hard. So you know, we were joined today by the steelworkers are on our side on this, a number of other unions, we have got the retail association with us on this. And wait a minute, the Chamber of Commerce endorsed this resolution today. So you're right, this is the first major crack. And I'm so glad you understand the significance of this for the American people in terms of prices going up even more than they've already gone up, but also the political significance that we stood up and we won.

[Rachel Maddow]

The Canadian border states seem to have a much clearer view of this than many other states. And I'm wondering if you suspect that in that election in Wisconsin yesterday for a state Supreme Court justice which seems unrelated to Canadian tariffs. I'm wondering if the madness of these Canadian tariffs in a Canadian border state could have had an influence in your view, in that election.

[Amy Klobuchar]

Oh, I've thought about this, Lawrence, because I went there on Saturday to rural areas. They had me with the Wisconsin party chair in Eau Claire and in La Crosse who went all the way up to Ashland, right in the northern part of Wisconsin. Tariffs came up at every stop and I don't think it was necessarily the deciding factor. You could see the court jester in the White House for that Elon Musk with his $20 million in the race and then showing up in Green Bay, a city where the people actually own the Footprint football team and they don't want to have a multi billionaire telling them what to do. But the fact that 10 counties in Wisconsin turned to the incredible new justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Judge Crawford, and voted for her. Those were counties, 10 of them, that had gone for Trump in the last election. So it wasn't just the turnout in these major cities, which was very important. It was also changing voters that are independents, that are in the middle, that turned out. So I think it's a really important thing to remember that the courts, right, people see them as a check. State courts, federal courts, they're the check right now on what he's doing, what he's doing to them economically. And that, of course, includes these tariffs. And while the courts may not be able to get involved in the tariffs, it's an economic issue. And those people that voted for Donald Trump, I know because a number of them voted for me in my state in the last election, they want to have a fair shake. They want to bring costs down. They believed he could do it. And it's been completely the opposite. Chaos is up, corruption is up, and yet costs are up. Ask anyone in the grocery aisle.

[Rachel Maddow]

Senator Amy Klobuchar, thank you very much for starting off our discussions tonight.

[Amy Klobuchar]

Thank you very much, Lawrence.

[Rachel Maddow]

Thank you, Senator. Coming up from the clouds of confusion surrounding the Democrats in Washington, Cory Booker emerged yesterday as the leader the Democrats needed in what had begun to feel like the weakest and most confused period for Democrats in Washington in our lifetimes. It was nothing less than the most dramatic and powerful Senate speech I have ever heard. It was even better than the dramatist's version. Will the senator yield, Sir? I will not yield. The history made by Senator Cory Booker is next.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of their national red tag sales event going on right now through April 20th. Stop by any of their participating communities and find select red tag homes at incredible pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton [e-mail] that's Dr. Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal housing opportunity builder.

[Dan Pashman]

We're interrupting this podcast to ask you a very important question. Have you had your Hershey's? When you need to brighten up your day, put a smile on your face with the classic creamy texture and pure milk chocolate flavor of Hershey's milk chocolate. Whether you're eating it on the go, breaking off a few pieces for s'mores night, or just treating yourself to something sweet, Hershey's Milk chocolate checks all the boxes. Shop for Hershey's milk chocolate now at a store near you found wherever candy is sold.

[Rachel Maddow]

Amazon presents Jamal vs. The Shih Tzu descending from the gray wolf. Shih Tzus live by their own untamed primal code of not giving a single Shih tzu. But Jamal shopped on Amazon and bought dog treats, chew toys, and 32 ounces of carpet cleaner. Hey, Jamal, you've been promoted to pack leader. Save the everyday with deals from Amazon. He has been a star for most of his life, beginning at his public high school in New Jersey, where he was a football star and then an All American football star, tight end at Stanford before becoming a Rhodes scholar, a Yale Law School graduate, the most famous, and one of the youngest city councilors in America before becoming a big city mayor, a United States senator, presidential candidate. But last night, Cory Booker stepped beyond his Senate stardom and took his place in history. And while he was at it, he gave the Democrats their voice. He gave the Democrats their voice and became the leader of the opposition to what he eloquently described as the cruelties of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Cory Booker now has the record for holding the Senate floor longer than any other senator in history. He had to beat South Carolina segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond to win that record, a record Strom thurmond set in 1957 by speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes against human rights for American citizens and in favor of segregation of American citizens. Strom Thurmond's filibuster was one of the darkest days in Senate history. The world didn't know then that the racist segregationist senator, speaking for over 24 hours, was secretly the father of at least one black child, which was proved after Senator Thurmond's death. Senator Thurmond's family has since embraced their secret black relatives. When the DNA tests proved conclusive at 7.17pm last night, Cory Booker said this.

[Mallory McMurrow]

I'm getting close to a record, folks, but there's a room here in the Senate named after Strom Thurmond. To hate him is wrong. And maybe my ego got too caught up that if I stood here, maybe, maybe, just maybe, I could break this record. The man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand. I'm not here, though, because of his speech. I'm here despite his speech. I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful.

[Rachel Maddow]

And so the white racist segregationist's record was broken in a way that was unimaginable. To that racist broken by a black senator. Cory Booker's speech was unlike anything we have ever seen before. I have never seen the majority leader or minority leader support a filibuster. Usually a filibuster is a desperate and hopeless attempt to block the progress of a compromise bill that both leaders actually support. And Senate leaders usually prefer order over the chaos of a filibuster. But Monday night after midnight, there was the Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, on the Senate floor supporting Cory Booker, when really no one was watching. By asking Senator Booker nice long questions that allowed Senator Booker to rest his voice. That is the very point of the long questions asked by senators who support the filibuster. Their long questions allow the speaker to preserve vocal strength. But in the questions that the Democratic senators presented to Senator Booker, those senators found their voices, too. Those senators reached bursts of eloquence and clarity about what is at stake this year in American government that most of them have not reached before. The Democratic senators helping Cory Booker did not show up with prepared statements to read as they do so often on the Senate floor. They just improvised. And there was something else that we've never seen in a filibuster before. Not a single word of opposition. Not one. It is very common during filibusters for opponents to ask challenging questions of the Speaker. It is very common for opponents to be on the Senate floor challenging the speaker to take their questions. And the speakers always do take some questions from their opponents. Not one Republican dared to confront Cory Booker on the Senate floor. Not one. And that makes it more than fair to assume that there wasn't a single honest thing a Republican could say in response to anything Cory Booker said. And we have never seen a senator as full voiced and energetic as Cory Booker was. After 24 hours of speaking, after 25 hours of speaking, there was no difference between his first hour and his last hour. And every other senator who has tried this has physically weakened and vocally weakened as the hours wear on. But not Cory Booker.

[Mallory McMurrow]

He, in the highest office of our land, wants to divide us against ourselves, wants to make us afraid, wants to make us fear so much that we're willing to violate people's fundamental rights. We're willing to go after the speech on college campuses. We're willing to go after law firms, go after the freedom of the press. Don't let him do that. Don't become like him. Be an American that says, I look to the future and I'm excited. Yes, things are tough right now. They're hard. They're scary, they're hurting. But we can overcome this. Our American history, if it's nothing else. American history if it's nothing else. It is a perpetual testimony to the achievement of impossible things against impossible odds.

[Rachel Maddow]

Impossible things against impossible odds. After Cory Booker's 25 hours and four minutes on the Senate floor, the odds don't seem so impossible anymore. Coming up, we have someone who wants to join Cory Booker on the Senate floor now, a candidate in what will be one of the most important US Elections for the Senate next year. That's in the state of Michigan. You have met this candidate on this program before, but tonight you'll be seeing her for the first time as a candidate for the United States Senate. That's next.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of their national red tag sales event going on right now through April 20th. Stop by any of their participating communities and find select red tag homes at incredible pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton difference at Dr. Horton.com that's Dr. Horton.com Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal Housing opportunity Builder.

[Dan Pashman]

We're interrupting this podcast to ask you a very important question. Have you had your Hershey's? When you need to brighten up your day, put a smile on your face with the classic creamy texture and pure milk chocolate flavor of Hershey's Milk Chocolate. Whether you're eating it on the go, breaking off a few pieces for s'mores night, or just treating yourself to something sweet, Hershey's Milk Chocolate checks all the boxes. Shop for Hershey's Milk Chocolate now at a store near you found Wherever candy.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Is sold, what is the secret to making great toast?

[Rachel Maddow]

Oh, you're just going to go in with the hard hitting questions.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

I'm Dan Pashman from the Sporkville. We like to say it's not for foodies, it's for eaters. We use food to learn about culture, history and science. There was the time we looked into allegations of discrimination at Bon Appetit or when I spent three years inventing a new pasta shape.

[Mallory McMurrow]

It's a complex noodle that you've put.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Together every episode of the Sporkful. You're gonna learn something, feel something and laugh. The Sporkful from Stitcher. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dan Pashman]

While we celebrate tonight, I want to share some words of the great Hon. Thurgood Marshall, which I find fit. The unprecedented moment we are living in. Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work in the chill climate in which we live. We must go against the prevailing wind. We must dissent from the indifference.

[Rachel Maddow]

And today, the day after Susan Crawford's huge victory in the Wisconsin election for a state Supreme Court justice, across the border in the neighboring state of Michigan, another woman announced her candidacy in what will be one of the most important U.S. senate campaigns in the country next year. Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow is now a candidate for United States Senator.

[Mallory McMurrow]

President Trump has endorsed sweeping cuts to Medicare.

[Amy Klobuchar]

Plans are in the works to dismantle.

[Mallory McMurrow]

The Department of Education. There are moments that will break you. This is not that moment. This moment will challenge us, test us. And if it all feels like too much, that's their plan. They want to make you feel powerless, but you are not powerless. Now, we've been here before. Together. We flipped a red seat when nobody thought it was possible.

[Rachel Maddow]

Thank you very much.

[Mallory McMurrow]

Then when things got really ugly, we showed how to fight back.

[Rachel Maddow]

Joining us now is Michigan Democratic State Senator Mallory McMurrow. She is now a candidate for United States Senate in Michigan in 2026. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. All right, Senator, is it your campaign hope that Elon Musk will come to Michigan and put on a silly hat and insult all of the voters in your state by trying to buy votes against you?

[Mallory McMurrow]

Well, first of all, we see that that doesn't work because people are not powerless. Donald Trump and Elon Musk and this administration want to make you feel powerless. And in many ways, it has felt like that is true. Democrats in Washington don't hold much power right now, don't hold power in the state, in the Senate, don't hold power in the Congress. Nobody is coming to save us but us. And that is why today I announced for the US Senate, because Michiganders deserve a new path. We deserve a new American dream. A vision that is clear that I will lay out that is about success, safety and sanity. Number one, success means that if you work hard enough, you should have the House that you always dreamed of. And I am sick and tired of hearing Democrats say things like, we are fighting for you to put food on the table. That may be true, but nobody is aspiring to the bare minimum. Safety means you should live in a community that is safe and secure. You should have safe schools. We should rid this country of gun violence. Something that I have been successful at here in Michigan at a moment when Washington has not been successful. And then finally, to your point about cheese hats and $25 million and whatever it is Elon Musk is doing, sanity. This is a chaotic moment. People do not want the chaos that this administration is unleashing. We need to bring it back to basics. Good governance that delivers for people. So I hope that people want to sign up, want to join us? If you are tired of losing, if you are tired of feeling like we are hopeless and powerless, I hope you'll go to McMorrowForMichigan. And join us. Donate today, join our team. This is our chance to use this energy of the last 24 hours and move forward and write a new path.

[Rachel Maddow]

The chaos that Donald Trump unleashed today on the international trading system has JP Morgan tonight predicting a recession by next year, the election year, if not sooner. If Donald Trump actually carries out all of the policies he announced today, Michigan could be in a recession. You could be campaigning in a recession. A recession that according to all the economic observers today insist would have been delivered to them directly by Donald Trump.

[Mallory McMurrow]

That's right. And Michigan stands to be hit harder than many other states in the country. At a moment when people are just finally feeling like they can catch up, when there was hope that mortgage rates would finally come down, that people might be able to buy that house that they've been putting off, this is just, just a hit to the stomach that we can't afford. You know, Lawrence, I want to be very clear that this is not my father's gop. This is the MAGA party. Donald Trump has recreated this political party entirely in his image. And that's why we need people who jump into office, who jump into action, who understand this moment and how to respond. Sometimes that means that you are giving a 25 hour speech on the Senate floor and uplifting people's voices. Sometimes that means it's being out in the community or answering people's questions every week on your social media account because they are scared and anxious and afraid, like people have been asking me. And it's time to move forward and get out of this chaos.

[Rachel Maddow]

Michigan's Democratic candidate for United States Senate, Mallory McMurrow. Thank you very much for joining us tonight on your first night as a Senate candidate.

[Mallory McMurrow]

Thanks, Lawrence.

[Rachel Maddow]

Thank you. Coming up, of all the cruelties and inhumanity that Donald Trump and Elon Musk have visited upon the world, there is nothing worse than taking food away from the starving babies and the starving people in the middle of a famine in Sudan. They have done that New York Times chief Africa correspondent Declan Walsh has seen it all and will join us next. Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, has managed to drive down the stock price of his car company and drive away the customer base for his car company around the world by becoming one of the most grotesquely cruel people in the world. It was Elon Musk alone, the unelected money supporter of Donald Trump, who decided that the United States, America, must no longer supply any form of humanitarian aid, including food, to the starving babies and countless other people suffering through what has become nearly two years of civil war in Sudan and famine. In the New York Times, our next guest, Declan Walsh, reports. The fighting has killed an estimated 150,000 people and displaced more than 13 million, sending nearly 4,4 million fleeing to neighboring countries, amounting to the world's largest displacement crisis. Refugees have told of fleeing rapes, massacres and starvation. Declan Walsh's report quotes a woman saying, they took our daughters to the room, she said, using a euphemism for sexual assault. We were screaming and shouting. We said, don't take our daughters. Take us instead. But she added, it was no use. Declan Walsh just spent three weeks in Khartoum, where he and his photographer were among the first journalists allowed to return to Khartoum since the war began. These photos capture some of the destruction and human toll of that conflict and famine. Joining us now is Declan Walsh, chief Africa correspondent at the New York Times. What was it like to be the first into Khartoum?

[Declan Walsh]

Well, it's a story that we've been covering so closely since this war started two years ago. And to be honest, Lawrence, what was really shocking was just the scale and intensity of the devastation of that city. We traveled through areas that had just changed hands days before, and the physical destruction, all of the entire city center has basically been turned into a wasteland. But especially the human toll, the stories that, the hunger that you mentioned, the great suffering of the people who endured in the city during the fighting, and the tales that they told of abuse at the hand of soldiers, rape, abduction, killings. Terrible, terrible stories.

[Rachel Maddow]

There have been so many things and so many inhumanities inflicted by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, including just their inhumanity to federal border workers in Washington, D.C. and all around the country that the news media here struggles to decide what are our priorities. To me, there is nothing worse than literally, literally taking food away from starving babies, starving grandparents, starving people in the middle of a famine. Nothing. The United States has never done anything like that before. What, what is it like to See that up close.

[Declan Walsh]

Well, the United States until recently was the largest single donor supplier of aid to the crisis in Sudan. And while we were there, we went to visit a network of food kitchens run by a group of former democracy activists who've been feeding about 800,000 people in Khartoum during the war. They told us how just at the beginning of February, shortly after President Trump and Elon Musk announced that they were closing USAID and freezing all American aid, how hundreds of these soup kitchens, which had been this vital lifeline for people in this really extreme circumstances, was keeping some of them alive. And how some of those food, many of those food kitchens, kitchens closed down within a matter of days. Some of them have since reopened. They've found other sources of funding. The Trump administration says that it's restarting funding to Sudan, but it's unclear how and when that's happening. But some of those food kitchens remain closed today. And, you know, it's not difficult to find malnourished children, mothers, other very vulnerable people who are, you know, who've been through this terrible war and now struggling to find the most basic form of sustenance.

[Rachel Maddow]

I mean, I've seen evidence of starvation of kids and certainly extreme malnutrition in peaceful African countries and environments. And it's not a famine, it's not widespread. There's one kid in the village and it's an unbelievably painful sight. To see just that one to be in the middle of the famine is just inconceivable to me.

[Declan Walsh]

That's right. Hunger you find across the world, you even find it, you find it in developed countries as well. But what is significant about famines is that they are essentially almost always a man made event. And that's the tragedy of the conflict in Sudan. This is a war that started between two rival factions of the Sudanese military, but it has ballooned into the this much larger, much more complicated crisis. And unfortunately, the people who are really suffering are not the soldiers, it's the civilians.

[Rachel Maddow]

And famines are always solvable and virtually instantly solvable by the United States, which has always produced way more food than it can consume. And it's that surplus food that we've always been sending. Declan Walsh, your reporting is invaluable to us. Thank you very much for joining us tonight.

[Declan Walsh]

It's pleasant pleasure. Thank you very much.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of their national red tag sales event going on right now through April 20th. Stop by any of their participating communities and find select red tag homes at Incredible Pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton [e-mail] that's drhorton.com Dr. Horton America's builder and equal Housing Opportunity Builder.