Lawrence: You are not alone tonight if you disapprove of Donald Trump's presidency

Summary

The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell – Episode Summary

Episode Title: You Are Not Alone Tonight If You Disapprove of Donald Trump’s Presidency
Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Lawrence O’Donnell
Guests & Contributors: Rachel Maddow, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), President Barack Obama (recorded remarks), various political analysts

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Episode Overview

Lawrence O’Donnell leads a compelling discussion on the eve of pivotal gubernatorial and congressional elections, focusing on widespread disapproval of Donald Trump’s presidency as revealed by a new poll. Drawing on fresh polling, political analysis, and commentary from elected leaders and President Obama, O’Donnell explores the current political climate: Americans’ discontent with Trump’s policy decisions, ethical scandals (notably the controversial pardon of a crypto billionaire), economic concerns, partisan double standards, and the stakes in upcoming elections, particularly in Virginia and New Jersey.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. California’s Ballot & Newsom’s Refreshing Request (00:47 – 02:58)

• California’s simple ballot (just one item) is discussed in banter between Lawrence and Rachel Maddow, contrasting it with the typically complex and intimidating California ballots of years past.
• Governor Gavin Newsom’s break from tradition: Instead of soliciting last-minute campaign money, Newsom asked donors to stop sending funds, citing sufficient resources.
  • Insight: Politically shrewd and refreshingly honest—this tactic could have long-term benefits in how voters perceive Newsom's candidness.

“The single most refreshing thing a politician could possibly say is ‘never mind, no, no, no, we don’t need any more money for this thing we’re trying to do.’”
— Lawrence O’Donnell (01:30)

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2. Historic Disapproval of Trump: Americans’ Unified Dissatisfaction (03:16 – 09:42)

• O’Donnell presents the latest ABC News poll:
  • 63% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s presidency—the highest to date, surpassing even his post-January 6 rating.
  • Majorities across urban, suburban, rural, all education and income levels think the country is on the wrong path.
  • Trump’s handling of key issues: Over 60% disapprove of his approach to the economy, government shutdown, tariffs, relations with other countries, and immigration.
  • Only his base supports him on any topic—he does not have a majority on a single issue.
• O’Donnell underscores that even on economic issues and tariffs, Americans aren't buying Trump’s well-worn lies about who pays for tariffs.

“Donald Trump has managed to unify the country in disapproval...He is losing the American people on every single issue.”
— Lawrence O’Donnell (05:03)

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3. Trump’s Ethics & the Crypto Pardon Scandal (09:42 – 16:15)

• Detailed look at Trump's pardon of ‘CZ’ (crypto billionaire Changpeng Zhao) who admitted to violating anti-money laundering laws—Binance had recently transacted with the Trump family’s crypto venture.
• Trump defends the pardon by feigning ignorance:
  • “I don’t know who he is...I know nothing about it because I’m too busy doing the other.” (112:24)
  • O’Donnell points out the absurdity, suggesting Trump is well aware of business dealings benefiting his family.
  • Double standard: O’Donnell and Maddow speculate that Democrats, press, and Republicans would never have tolerated such behavior from Joe Biden.
• Broader critique: The Trump administration's coziness with financial interests and foreign investors, and use of presidential powers for private gain.

“Imagine, just imagine, if you will, that Joe Biden issued a pardon to a billionaire that he and his son were in business with. Republicans would have…immediately moved to impeach President Biden.”
— Lawrence O’Donnell (13:09)

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4. The Epstein Files & House GOP’s “Pedophile Protection Program” (14:53 – 17:38)

• Hakeem Jeffries (House Democratic Leader) accuses Republicans of running a “pedophile protection program” by blocking the release of the Epstein files.
  • Context: Trump personally briefed on how often he appears in those files.

“All Republicans care about is the opinion of one man, the puppet master of the Republican Party, Donald J. Trump.”
— Democratic Analyst (16:15)

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5. Trump’s FBI Under Fire: The Kash Patel Jet Scandal (23:28 – 28:37)

• O’Donnell details how FBI Director Kash Patel used a government plane for personal travel (date nights).
  • After the logs became public, Patel fired senior FBI aviation officials as scapegoats.
• Maddow decries the entitlement and hypocrisy—Patel previously criticized prior directors for lesser perks.
• Predictions: Growing whistleblower activity and organizational discontent under this type of corrupt leadership.

“This Gangster Gong show crowd…It snowballs as people begin to see that there’s really no power at the top. The guy’s a clown. He’s a pretty crooked clown.”
— Rachel Maddow (27:30)

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6. Election Eve: Obama Stumps for Democrats in VA & NJ (28:42 – 36:13)

• President Obama’s remarks on the campaign trail in Virginia and New Jersey:
  • Describes the destructive effects of Trump’s presidency—replacing career prosecutors with loyalists, firing officials for loyalty, and “every day is Halloween, except it’s all tricks and no treats.”
  • Praises VA’s Abigail Spanberger and NJ’s Mikie Sherrill as candidates who “do the right thing.”
• Obama’s closing argument:
  • “Elections matter…and they matter to you and your family. The stakes are now clear. We are being tested.”
• Contrast between candidates: Cittarelli (R-NJ gubernatorial candidate) called “100% MAGA” and unwilling to break with Trump, even as food assistance is slashed in NJ.

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7. Trump’s Policies and Their Human Cost: Focus on SNAP in New Jersey (36:13 – 43:23)

• O’Donnell and Senator Andy Kim discuss the plight of 800,000 New Jerseyans (many children) at legal risk of losing food assistance due to Trump administration cuts to SNAP.
  • Kim criticizes both Trump and Cittarelli for failing to act or advocate for vulnerable families.
• Kim on the Democratic campaign energy:
  • Reports a surge in activism, unity, and awareness of the stakes of the election—motivated by frustration with Trumpian corruption and inaction.

“I see and feel more energy right now in the home stretch than I did last year…because people know what’s at stake.”
— Senator Andy Kim (41:59)

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8. Obama’s Final Word: Why Elections Matter (43:43 – 45:32)

• Obama urges listeners to recognize the immediate, personal impact of election results:
  • “If nothing else, the last nine months should have cured us of that idea because the stakes are now clear. We don’t need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy—they’re here.” (43:43)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-----------|----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:30 | Lawrence O’Donnell | “The single most refreshing thing a politician could possibly say is ‘never mind...we don’t need any more money...’” | | 05:03 | Lawrence O’Donnell | “Donald Trump has managed to unify the country in disapproval...He is losing the American people on every single issue.” | | 13:09 | Lawrence O’Donnell | “Imagine, just imagine, if you will, that Joe Biden issued a pardon to a billionaire that he and his son were in business with.” | | 16:15 | Democratic Analyst | “All Republicans care about is the opinion of one man, the puppet master of the Republican Party, Donald J. Trump.” | | 27:30 | Rachel Maddow | “This Gangster Gong show crowd...It snowballs as people begin to see that there’s really no power at the top—the guy’s a clown.” | | 41:59 | Senator Andy Kim | “I see and feel more energy right now...because people know what’s at stake.” | | 43:43 | President Obama | “If nothing else, the last nine months should have cured us of that idea because the stakes are now clear.” | | 45:21 | President Obama | “We all have more power than we sometimes imagine. We just gotta use it.” |

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Segment Timestamps

• California ballot & Newsom strategy: 00:47 – 02:58
• Trump’s record disapproval & poll analysis: 03:16 – 09:42
• Trump’s crypto pardon scandal: 09:42 – 16:15
• Epstein files and GOP House action: 14:53 – 17:38
• Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: auto-pen pardons & Trump loyalty: 17:38 – 21:20
• Kash Patel FBI jet scandal: 23:28 – 28:37
• Obama campaigns in VA & NJ: 28:42 – 36:13
• SNAP cuts & NJ election focus: 36:13 – 43:23
• Obama’s closing call to action: 43:43 – 45:32

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Summary Tone & Takeaways

O’Donnell’s tone is urgent, frank, and wryly critical—particularly toward Trump’s mendacity and Republican passivity, but also warm and optimistic when spotlighting pro-democracy activism and candidates like Spanberger and Sherrill. The episode contrasts the corruption and dysfunction under Trump’s administration with calls for accountability and civic engagement from Democrats and President Obama. Listeners are left with the reminder that they are part of a significant majority disapproving of Trump, and the election offers a real chance to change course.

Closing message:

“We all have more power than we sometimes imagine. We just gotta use it.”
— President Barack Obama (45:21)

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This summary covers the key political content; advertisements and non-content sections are omitted.

Transcript

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska and California. And for delivery. Now it's time for the Last Word with Lawrence o'.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

Donnell.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Good evening, Lawrence. Good evening, Rachel. And California will be the last to report, of course. It'll be 11pm Eastern when California closes polls tomorrow night, 8pm Pacific. And it's probably not going to be a really suspenseful outcome. The polling is overwhelming in California in favor of that one thing on the ballot. And Rachel, I don't know if you. My California ballot is simply the cutest ballot I've ever seen. It has one thing on it. It had one thing, just yes or no to one thing. And I'll never forget my first California ballot. I was really intimidated. Turns you into a legislator. Cause there's all these propositions and you do all this governing in addition to choosing all those offices and all those judges that you've never heard of. And this thing. Oh, man. It's just yes or no. That's it. Yeah. I didn't really struggle with this one. What did you think of Newsom's decision to say, please stop sending money? We have plenty of money. We don't need any more money for this. I mean, obviously, with the mail, with the vote is so heavily a male vote in California. Mail. M A I L, not M A L E. The presumably part of the calculation there is like everybody's already voted for this thing. We're not, you know, in terms of getting right down to the wire. But what, what did you make of that decision by him? Well, just from a political standpoint, the single most refreshing thing a politician could possibly say is never mind. No, no, no, we don't need any more money for this thing we're trying to do. And then also it's just tactically smart. There's a finite amount of funding out there in politics, at least that's the belief. And the. Well, is only so big and you don't want to use it in wasteful ways. And he knows, you know, that the party and he will be coming back to voters asking for money in the future. And so that will be remembered. I think that will be remembered very much to his benefit. Any voter who can ever remember him saying it's okay, don't send any more money is going to have a positive view of him on that particular score. That's what I'm saying. Yes.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

It is rare that any politician can.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Say, now, you know, you remember, I'm.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

Not always asking for money.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

In this case, I'm asking for money. Like that's a, it's a sort of the opposite of the boy who cried wolf dynamic he can call on there. Well, we will be looking at real returns by this time tomorrow night.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Indeed.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Get your sleep, Lawrence. Thank you. I'll be ready. Thanks, Rachel. Thank you. Well, you are not alone tonight in this country if you disapprove of Donald Trump's presidency. A new poll finds the highest disapproval number that Donald Trump has ever had. If you disapprove of the job Donald Trump is doing as president, you are joined by 63% of Americans in that disapproval. That is 1 percentage point higher than the disapproval Donald Trump achieved in the same poll in the second week of January 2021 after he told a Trump supporting mob to go to the Capitol and fight like hell. More Americans disapprove of Donald Trump tonight than they did after the January 6 attack on the Capitol. And you are not alone tonight if you disapprove of Donald Trump's handling of the government shutdown. You are part of the 61% majority who disapprove of Donald Trump's handling of the government shutdown. You are not alone tonight if you blame Donald Trump Trump for worsening economic conditions. 61% blame Donald Trump's policies for worsening economic conditions. You are not alone tonight in this country if you think the country is moving in the wrong direction. According to a new ABC News poll, two thirds of the country believes that 67% say the country is moving in the wrong direction. ABC News notes majorities of Americans in urban, suburban and rural areas say the country is moving in the wrong direction, as well as those with varying levels of education and income. That is a powerful polling result in a country that usually has significant differences between urban, suburban and rural areas and significant differences in polling among varying levels of education and income. But majorities of Americans in all of those categories believe the country is moving in the wrong direction. So you are not alone, no matter where you live in this country, if you think Donald Trump is moving the country in the wrong direction. In that same ABC News poll, 64% of Americans say Trump is going too far in trying to expand the power of the presidency. In 288 days in the presidency this time, Donald Trump has managed to unify the country in disapproval of the ABC News poll shows majorities of Americans also disapprove of how Trump is handling every issue. Measured in the poll, over six in 10 disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs, the economy and managing the federal government. About six in ten disapprove of how he is handling the situation involving Russia and Ukraine and relations with other countries. More than half disapprove of how he is handling immigration, crime and the situation with Israel and Gaza. He does not have approval from most Americans on a single issue measured. Donald Trump is losing the American people on every single issue. The ABC News poll also shows, quote, majorities of Americans also say Trump is going too far, trying to expand the power of the presidency, laying off government employees to cutting the size of the federal workforce, sending the national guard to patrol U.S. cities and trying to make changes in how U.S. colleges and universities operate. And so we can see tonight, Donald Trump is going too far, but the country is not going with him. The ABC News poll shows that Donald Trump has his worst polling numbers ever, handling the economy, with 62% of Americans disapproving of how Trump is handling the economy. But polling indicates that even though Donald Trump has lied to every American, every time he has described his tariffs, telling the lie that other countries pay those tariffs, even though Donald Trump has been pushing that lie for 10 years now, a majority of Americans know better. A majority of Americans know what tariffs are. A majority of Americans know that they and they alone pay the Trump tariffs. Here is Donald Trump's written response to the new polling showing his record high disapproval and a majority of Americans blaming him for worsening economic conditions and a majority of Americans disagreeing with him on every issue. Donald Trump says, I have the best numbers I have ever had. Donald Trump, of course, turns to a classic Trump lie in the face of his worst polling numbers. And then he adds the lie that he has, quote, kept prices, inflation and taxes down. In fact, prices and inflation are up and Donald Trump's tariffs are, in fact, taxes. And so Donald Trump was the first Republican president in 35 years to raise taxes, which he did enthusiastically all by himself with his tariffs, which are sales taxes paid by Americans the last Republican president who was in any way dragged into an involvement in raising taxes was the first President Bush, who agreed to a budget deal with a Congress controlled by the Democratic Party in 1990 that included some modest tax increases. George H.W. bush did that very reluctantly. But Donald Trump has enthusiastically raised taxes through tariffs and tells Americans the lie that they don't have to pay those Trump taxes. And when polls show that most Americans know that Donald Trump is lying about that, Donald Trump lies about the polls. Calls them fake polls by the radical left media. The polls tomorrow are going to produce results that Donald Trump is going to have to live with. When voters in California voted on a redistricting plan that could add possibly five Democratic seats to the House of Representatives. And when voters choose their next governors in Virginia and New Jersey, or President Obama campaign for the Democrats this weekend.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Is the economy working better for you? Because it sure has gotten better for Trump and his family since he's been in office. The family crypto business and other ventures have made hundreds of millions of dollars and getting investment from foreign nationals and rich folks looking to stay in the President's good graces. The economy has been really good for some of Trump's billionaire friends and it's been good for some finance bros and well connected corporations who've seen their tax bill go down and don't have to worry about all those pesky regulators anymore. But for ordinary families, for you, your neighbors, your friends, costs have not gone down. They've gone up, partly because of Trump's shambolic tariff policy.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Donald Trump now wants you to believe that his pardon policy is as shambolic as his tariff policy. Donald Trump's defense of a pardon for a cryptocurrency billionaire was to claim that he has no idea who that convicted criminal is, who he Donald Trump chose to pardon. The Trump family is now perhaps more associated with cryptocurrency than real estate. You and Your sons Don Jr. And Eric have formed World Liberty Financial with the Witkoff family, right? Helping to make your family millions of dollars. It's in that context that I do want to ask you about crypto's richest man, a billionaire known as CZ. He pled guilty in 2023 to violating anti money laundering laws. The government at the time said that CZ had caused significant harm to US national security, essentially by allowing terrorist groups like Hamas to move millions of dollars around. Why did you pardon him? Okay, are you ready? I don't know who he is. I know he got a four month sentence or something like that. And I Heard it was a Biden witch Hunt. In 2025, his crypto exchange, Binance, helped facilitate a $2 billion purchase of World Liberty Financial's stablecoin. And then you pardoned CZ. How do you address the appearance of pay for play? Well, here's the thing. I know nothing about it because I'm too busy doing the other.

[Rachel Maddow]

But he got a.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

But he got a. I can only tell you this. My sons are into it. I'm glad they are, because it's probably a great industry, crypto. I think it's good. You know, they're running a business. They're not in government. And then there's this from the Republican speaker of the House. Last week, you came here to these.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

Mics and you were very critical of.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Joe Biden's use of the auto pan, his pilot.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

He said he didn't even know he was pardoning.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

But Last night on 60 Minutes, the.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

President, President Trump, admitted not knowing he pardoned a crypto billionaire who pleaded guilty to money laundering. Does that also concern you? I don't know anything about that.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

I didn't see the interview.

[Rachel Maddow]

You have to ask the president about that. I'm not sure.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

So did the auto pen do it? Is that where that pardon came from of the crypto billionaire? Imagine, just imagine, if you will, that Joe Biden issued a pardon to a billionaire that he and his son were in business with. Republicans would have obviously immediately moved to impeach President Biden if he did something like that. And the White House press corps would have never stopped literally screaming about it in the White House press briefing room and screaming directly at. At President Biden whenever they got a chance to scream at him. And then imagine that Joe Biden tried to defend that pardon to a billionaire who was making him and his son rich by saying, I know nothing about it. President Biden would have been accused of lying or dementia or both. And quite understandably, no Democrat would have defended a Democratic president for issuing such a corrupt pardon. Donald Trump's actual explanation for the pardon of the criminal who has made Donald Trump and his sons richer was, here's the thing. Quote, here's the thing, I know nothing about it because I'm too busy doing the other. He never told us what the other is. If Donald Trump had said in that interview, I know nothing about it. If he had been asked about tariffs, I would have welcomed that answer as Donald Trump finally telling the truth. He knows nothing about tariffs. Donald Trump knows absolutely nothing about a lot of things. But Donald Trump knows where his money comes From Donald Trump knows who makes money for him. Donald Trump knows who gives him money. What the new polls show us is that it's not working. The Trump method is not working. The Trump lies about tariffs or the economy are not working. The majority of Americans don't believe Donald Trump on those things and disapprove of Donald Trump. And when Donald Trump says I know nothing about it, it is safe to assume he knows a lot about it. And when Donald Trump says he doesn't know anything about the Epstein files, after having reportedly been briefed on the Epstein files and the number of times his name appears in the Epstein files by his Attorney General, you have a right to assume that Donald Trump know more about the Epstein files than he is admitting and knows more about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell than he is admitting. Today, the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries said that the Republican controlled House of Representatives is quote, running the pedophile protection program, end quote. By refusing to allow a vote by the House on the release of the Epstein files. That phrase came in the middle of an animated answer to the question, would tomorrow's Election Day result possibly help put an end to the government shutdown?

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

All Republicans care about is the opinion of one man, the puppet master of the Republican Party, Donald J. Trump. They don't care about anything else. How else can you explain the fact that they are weaponizing hunger? How else can one explain the fact that they refuse to extend the Affordable Care act tax credits and they're hurting their own constituents? The five states most impacted by the failure to extend the Affordable Care act are all led by Republicans. West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Mississippi and Tennessee. Republicans could care less. How else can you explain the fact that Republicans have canceled votes now for 6 consecutive weeks? Missing in action, taxpayer funded vacation, running the pedophile protection program while doing nothing to make life better for the American people. It's all because Donald Trump hasn't given them the order to sit down and actually reopen the government and negotiate a bipartisan path forward. What's Donald Trump been doing this weekend? He was on the golf course, spitting in the face of the American people.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Leading off our discussion tonight is Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. He's a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. Senator. So we now seem to have the Trump auto pen pardon. I guess Donald Trump doesn't know how it happened. And Speaker Johnson who was complaining about Joe Biden using an auto pen for pardons last week, that was his idea. He now knows nothing about the Trump pardon that everyone knows everything about since the 60 Minute show, if not before.

[Rachel Maddow]

Yeah, it's pretty remarkable. I think, if you're going to be accusing Joe Biden of being unaware of what's going on and critiquing and threatening to undo his pardons because they were done, allegedly without his knowledge by use of an auto pen. And then here, boom, Trump just steps right into it, not pretending to not know that he pardoned this guy, raising the auto pen issue. On the other hand, if he admitted that he knew that he pardoned this guy, it would raise all those questions about what CZ this guy Zhao, who is the head of a crypto exchange called Binance, had done to help launch World Liberty Financial, which is the Trump crypto company, with that $2 billion transaction that 60 Minutes asked about, could you imagine what Republican heads would be doing if Joe Biden had pardoned somebody who had entered into a $2 billion transaction benefiting his immediate family? Their heads would have exploded.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

No. And Democrats would not support it. That's the huge difference right now between the parties. Is that the reason, as some people might, that Bill Clinton felt compelled to appoint a special prosecutor during his own administration was that Democrats were calling for it. It wasn't just Republicans who were suggesting it, but some Democrats in the Senate said that would be a good idea on the theory that it will help clear up any suspicions about these issues, which is the way these things used to be approached. But here you have Mike Johnson and every Republican, not a single Republican has the slightest problem with that part.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

No.

[Rachel Maddow]

So it's a little bit like that scene in the frat house movie where they step in front of the band and steer it into the dead end alley because they're also automatic pilot follow the leader, that they can't think for themselves any longer. And the end of that little dead end street might just be the elections tomorrow and a further step down in Trump's already plummeting polls as more and more people realize that he's actually toxic to them.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Shouldn't the Senate Judiciary Committee be asking to take a look at the pardon documents in this case just to see what that signature looks like?

[Rachel Maddow]

Well, it would be nice to say it probably also maybe looks a little bit like the signature at the bottom of the Jeffrey Epstein birthday card. So it may be that they don't want to get into the Trump signatures too much under Republican control in the Judiciary Committee. So I would expect not much attention to that with Republicans in charge.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Senator, I want to squeeze in a commercial break here. If you could just stay with us. I want to ask about what turns out to be cash Patel's very interesting use of the federal government supplied FBI jet for apparently date night. We'll be right back with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

[Rachel Maddow]

New reports from unhcr, the UN Refugee agency, warn that brutal winter weather and funding cuts are putting refugees at risk.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Staff on the ground report devastating conditions.

[Rachel Maddow]

As the cold sets in. Families living in flimsy shelters with no heat. Children exposed to freezing winds without warm clothes are at risk of frostbite. Sick and elderly people sleeping on the.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Frozen ground without blankets or protection.

[Rachel Maddow]

Here's the harsh reality. Funding shortages are so severe that the.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Lives of refugees are now at risk.

[Rachel Maddow]

At this critical moment.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Your support can make a life saving difference and reach a refugee within 72.

[Rachel Maddow]

Hours of an emergency. Donate today to help UNHCR deliver winter survival kits including warm blankets, heating stoves, shelter materials and winter clothes to those facing the harshest conditions.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Please don't wait.

[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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[Rachel Maddow]

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[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Donald Trump's utterly incompetent director of the FBI, Kashyap Patel is falsely complaining about people attacking his girlfriend when no one is attacking his girlfriend. But he has been attacked for his reported personal use of an FBI jet to fly around the country to meet his girlfriend for date night. Kashyap Patel is the only FBI director in history to ever use an FBI plane for a date with a girlfriend when he was merely a Trump supporting clown. Shouting criticisms from the sidelines, he attacked FBI Director Christopher Wray saying, quote, you ground Chris Wray's private jet that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country. Now Bloomberg Law is Reporting the latest entry in the most expensive dating arrangement in federal government history, Quote, the FBI forced out a senior official overseeing aviation shortly after Director Cash Patel grew outraged about revelations of his publicly available jet logs indicating he'd flown to see his musician girlfriend perform. Said three people familiar with the situation. Stephen Palmer, a 27 year veteran of the FBI, became, became the third head of the Critical Incident Response Group, which includes FBI pilots to be fired or removed in Patel's short regime, adding to a year filled with retributive terminations. Back with us is Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. And Senator, it sounds like there's a new question for confirmation hearings for FBI directors. Will you use the plane for date night?

[Rachel Maddow]

He kind of teed this up for himself, old Patel. Did he? Repeatedly. It wasn't just that once. He repeatedly attacked Chris Wray, who by the way, had done great service to the Trump administration providing cover for the fake Kavanaugh investigation. So he kind of has been turned on here, Chris Wray. But anyway, there's Patel attacking him over and over and over again about use of the FBI jet. So there's the hypocrisy then with all these Trump people. There's the entitlement. I mean, this is bling for them. They just want to eat up every executive perk they can get near. And frankly, the more they abuse it, the cooler it seems to be for them. So buzzing around the country in the FBI jet for dates with his girlfriend seems like an okay thing to them. And then what's really cheesy, I mean, the, that angers me here more than even just the waist, is that when he's caught, when he's busted doing something that stupid, instead of owning up to it, he takes it out on a 27 year FBI veteran who runs the Critical Incident Response Group, and he fires that person because his tail, the tail number on his jet was being tracked the way the tail numbers on essentially every jet are being tracked. So there was nothing that the Critical Incident Response Team leader did that was wrong. He just has. He just. Patel just needed a fall guy. And I got to believe that in an organization like the FBI, when you start doing things like that, it starts to poison the agency against you. And more and more whistleblowers begin to emerge because they know the boss is not competent and not decent and was bad for the organization that they serve and love.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Senator, about those whistleblowers, is someone on the Democratic side of the Senate Judiciary Committee penciling in a possible hearing if the Democrats win back the Senate of all of these people who have been fired in this Trump FBI.

[Rachel Maddow]

Yeah. And actually, we're going to hear from them a good deal sooner than that because three senior FBI agents who were fired have filed a civil lawsuit contesting their filing, their firing. And as that proceeds, there's going to be the opportunity for discovery. And discovery is always the jewel of litigation. And so I strongly suspect that a lot of emails, a lot of communications, a lot of conversations that are reported in depositions are going to come out. And it is just going to make this, I call it the Gangster Gong show crowd over at maga. Neo J. It's just going to make this Gangster Gong show crowd look worse and worse and worse. And it snowballs as people begin to see that there's really no power at the top. The guy's a clown. He's a pretty crooked clown. And people begin to pull away as the evidence emerges of just what a botched job this FBI leadership is.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, thank you very much for joining us tonight.

[Rachel Maddow]

Thank you.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Coming up, President Obama is once again on the campaign trail reminding voters in both Virginia and New Jersey this time that the Republicans running for governor in those states would serve Donald Trump if elected. That's next.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Mikey's opponent has now run for governor three times in a row. So this time his strategy is to suck up to the Republicans in Washington. So Donald Trump called Mikey's opponent 100% MAGA. Not a great endorsement.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

On Saturday, President Barack Obama campaigned for the Democrats running for governor in Virginia and New Jersey. In his first appearance of the day in Virginia, he very deliberately put the most unpopular politician in America on the ballot.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

We've got a president who replaces career prosecutors with loyalists who will do what he wants. And now he's telling them what he wants is for them to hand over millions of taxpayer dollars that he had to pay in expenses for previously violating the law. We've got a commander in chief who fires decorated officers because he thinks they might be more loyal to the Constitution than they are to him. He's deploying the National Guard in American cities claiming to stop crime waves that don't actually exist. We've got masked ICE agents pulling up in unmarked vans and grabbing people, including US Citizens, off the streets on the suspension that they don't look like real Americans. We've got an HHS secretary who opposes proven science and promotes quack medicine. A top White House aide who calls Democrats, the whole party, domestic extremists. We've got some poor labor economists who got fired for accurately reporting bad Jobs numbers that the president didn't like. I mean, it's like every day is Halloween, except it's all tricks and no treats. And here's the thing. It's not as if we didn't see some of this coming. I will admit it's worse than even I expected. But I did warn you all. I did. You can run the tape. And by the way, he warned you, too, because he said what he was going to do.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Here is some of what President Obama said about the Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Now, listen, Abigail doesn't go around bragging about herself all the time, talking about how I'm great, but she's great. As a former federal law enforcement officer, as a CIA case officer working on counterterrorism, she knows what it takes to keep communities safe. As the mom of three kids in Virginia public schools, you know, she cares about helping every child and helping every teacher succeed. As a member of Congress, she was a workhorse, not a show horse, fighting to lower prescription drug costs, giving veterans the support they deserve. Abigail does not just say the right thing. As your governor, she will do the right thing.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

And in New Jersey tonight, the Republican candidate, Jack Cittarelli spent his final night campaigning for governor with Donald Trump in a virtual town hall. 56% of New Jersey voters disapprove of Donald Trump's job performance. On Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, President Obama campaigned for Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill for governor by urging voters to support a candidate who would not be taking orders from Donald Trump.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Mikey's opponent has now run for governor three times in a row. I mean, I believe in persistence, but at a certain point. So three times in a row. Other two times, he lost. So this time, his strategy is to suck up to the Republicans in Washington. So Donald Trump called Mikey's opponent 100% MAGA. Not a great endorsement. When he was asked to give the Trump administration a grade, Mikey's opponents said they deserved an A. Don't boo. Mikey doesn't just say the right thing. As your governor, she will do the right thing. She understands that government can make a difference in people's lives by educating our kids for the jobs of the future, keeping our air and water clean, protecting consumers from fraud and dangerous products, providing a safety net for seniors and folks with disabilities, investing in the infrastructure and scientific research that drives economic growth. She knows what government can do. But she also knows that good intentions alone are not enough, that we can't afford to waste taxpayer dollars on programs that don't work. And that Instead of simply tearing down government, it's her job to make it work better for you. Jersey, we don't need a governor who puts party and ideology ahead of the people that elected that governor. You deserve a governor who's going to think for herself and work for you. A governor who will create jobs and not cut them. A governor who will lower costs and not raise them. A governor who will bring people together and not divide them. A governor who will do right for the people of New Jersey. No matter who anybody in Washington thinks, you deserve a governor like Mikey Sheriff.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

That was President Obama's closing message in New Jersey. Donald Trump's closing message in New Jersey is trying to take food away from poor children in that state who need nutritional assistance. That's next with New Jersey Senator Andy Kim. What are you doing in a meeting? That could have been an email. That's right, you're losing interest. Don't let it happen to your money, too. Vanguard's CashPlus account can't help you at work, but we can help with your savings because Vanguard believes in giving you more. So how much interest could you earn? Find [e-mail] cashplus offered by Vanguard Marketing Corporation, member FINRA and SIPC.

[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

As the same day.

[Rachel Maddow]

Loans offered by Netcredit or lending partner banks and serviced by Netcredit Applications subject.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

To review and approval. Learn [e-mail] partners imagine relying on a.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Dozen different software programs to run your.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Business, none of which are connected, and.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Each one more expensive and more complicated than the last. It can be pretty stressful.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Now imagine Odoo. 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, efficient software that can handle everything for.

[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Sign up [e-mail] that's O-O-O.com the term limited. Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy, who supports Democrat Mikey Sherrill for governor, said that Republican candidate Jack Ciarelli's close relationship with Donald Trump has not helped any of the 800,000 people in New Jersey, almost half of them children who depend on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance. And last night at midnight, 800,000 New Jerseyans started to go hungry because of what President Trump has done to snap. And we haven't heard a peep out of Jack So if you're that close, man, you gotta do something.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

And he's done nothing.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

On Saturday, in a campaign appearance with President Obama, Mikey Sherrill said this. And I'm angry. I'm angry at the way things are. I'm angry that our president is cutting everything from the Gateway Tunnel funds to SNAP benefits or raising funds for programs to help help third graders read, address learning loss or get support for families as we are facing a mental health crisis with our kids. Joining us now is Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey. He has also been campaigning with Democrat Mikey Sherrill in that governor's race in New Jersey. Senator, thank you very much for joining us tonight. What is the state of the Supplemental Nutrition Program in New Jersey tonight now that federal judges have forced the Trump administration to at least partially support food stamps?

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

Well, first of all, I have to say what a sad state that we're in right now where we need federal judges to have to force the president of the United States to use funds that he already has and is legally required to use to be able to feed people who are hungry. I mean, the fact that is something that we have to compel him to do while he's having Gatsby 1920s parties down in Mar a Lago. You know, shame on him for putting us in this situation where 800,000 people in my state and over 40 million across this country are on the verge of going hungry. You know, we still haven't seen it implemented. We are going to follow up absolutely to make sure that it is. But also, you know, they have announced that it will be a partial funding. We need to make sure that they get full funding and the president should and use all authorities to be able to do this. But we know, again, he's going to be kicking and screaming to be able to do it, as he's already been pushing legislation earlier this year to gut $200 billion out of SNAP. So it's something that we're going to have to push him to do.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

So you have a Republican candidate for governor in New Jersey who claims to have a very close relationship with Donald Trump. Has he done anything to try to guarantee that New Jersey would not be harmed by this cutback in food stamps?

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

No. No, he hasn't because that would actually be leadership. And that's the last thing that he seems to be interested in right now. Jack Cittarelli, you know, he's been running for governor longer than my kids have been alive. You know, he's somebody that's just more interested in the job title rather than actually doing it. So that isn't something that we would, should or expect from him. I mean, look, this is somebody who said he'd give Donald Trump an A grade for his presidency. I mean, really, an A grade for 800,000 New Jerseyans without food assistance, an A grade for 174% increase in healthcare costs for those on the Affordable Care act, an A grade for terminating the Gateway Tunnel project. I mean, this is absolutely ridiculous. And it's something that has made crystal clear to the people of New Jersey in this home stretch what's at stake. And I think that Donald Trump, with all of his bluster and all the horrible things he's been doing, especially through this shutdown, has really ended Jack Cittarelli's chances of being a governor of New Jersey.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

The polling in this race is closer than the polling with the Democrat ahead, but closer than the polling was in your Senate election in New Jersey. What's the difference between then and now?

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

Well, look, as I said, you know, Jack Cittarelli, he's run three times, as President Obama pointed out. You know, he's certainly somebody that has higher name recognition than the average Republican Republican running for office. But what I will say is that here in the final couple weeks, I've really seen the energy rise up. I mean, it is extraordinary. I just logged 500 miles going around the state of New Jersey over the last two days. I see and feel more energy right now in the home stretch than I did last year in the 2024 race in New Jersey. And I think it's because people know what's at stake. And Lawrence, I will also tell you that I also see a tremendous amount of unity across Democrats, across the Democratic ideolog. I really think that what we're seeing right now in New Jersey, what we're seeing in Virginia, it bodes so well for just what we need to be able to do and finding that muscle memory to be able to win the midterms next year as well. So, you know, I really do think that this message about trying to address people's lives, their affordability challenges that they're facing and really pointing to the lawlessness and the actions that and inactions of this president in solving these problems for people and showing the corruption, you know, showing the lawlessness is the reason why people's challenges and affordability problems are persisting. I really think that that's the message forward that we need to do.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Senator Andy Candler of New Jersey, thank you very much for joining us tonight.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Andy Kim or Sheldon Whitehouse)]

Thanks for having me and coming up.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

President Obama will get tonight's last word. That's next. Here's more of what President Obama said in New Jersey on Saturday.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

I remember just a year ago, just a year ago, I remember talking to folks who would tell me, this election doesn't matter who. These are some well educated, bright people. They say, whoever the next president ends up being, it's not going to affect me. That's what they would say. If nothing else, the last nine months should have cured us of that idea because the stakes are now clear. We don't need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy. They're here. We don't need to wonder if harm is going to be done to vulnerable people or whether the public conversation will become meaner and coarser. We're witnessing it. Elections matter. And they matter to you and they matter to your family. We are being tested. And what is remarkable about America is that it gives us the power.

[Rachel Maddow]

As.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Citizens to change this country. We all have more power than we sometimes imagine. We just gotta use it.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

President Obama gets tonight's last word.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Imagine relying on a dozen different software.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Programs to run your business, none of which are connected, and each one more.

[Guest/Analyst (e.g., Democratic Senator or Political Commentator)]

Expensive and more complicated than the last. It can be pretty stressful.

[Lawrence O'Donnell]

Now imagine Odoo. 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, efficient software that can handle everything for.

[Rachel Maddow]

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[Lawrence O'Donnell]

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