Trump demolishes part of East Wing to build ballroom

Summary

The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (Guest Host: Jonathan Capehart)
Episode: Trump Demolishes Part of East Wing to Build Ballroom
Date: October 22, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode provides a comprehensive and blistering assessment of current political crises under Donald Trump's second term, focusing on the government shutdown, Trump’s controversial priorities—including the demolition of the White House East Wing for a donor-funded ballroom—and ongoing threats to democracy. Host Jonathan Capehart (sitting in for Lawrence O'Donnell) is joined by Congressional leaders, journalists, and activists to discuss the shutdown’s impact, Republican attacks on democratic norms, and resistance from both lawmakers and the public. The episode also highlights new developments in the Jeffrey Epstein case, partisan blocking of congressional seating, and Republican midterm election maneuvering.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown: Economic and Human Toll

Segment starts ~[01:53]

• Senator Jeff Merkley filibusters against Trump's anti-democratic actions, with the Senate floor held for over three hours to protest Trump’s threats to democracy.
• The government shutdown (Day 21) is having a severe economic impact—“could cost the economy as much as $15.2 billion a week” ([03:11]), with food banks and charities experiencing increased demand as former donors become clients.
• Federal workers risk losing back pay; 42 million Americans, including children, may lose food aid as SNAP funds run dry ([05:52]).
• Private contractors, unlike federal workers, will not receive back pay, deepening the economic hardship.

"Now what do you do when someone who used to be your donor becomes a client?"
— Jonathan Capehart ([05:23], paraphrasing Rosie Allen Herring)

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2. Trump’s Priorities: White House Ballroom and Personal Compensation

Segment starts ~[07:42]

• Trump authorizes demolition of the East Wing for a $250 million ballroom, funded by private donors, including Comcast. Despite previous assurances, he “won’t interfere with the current building.”
• Bad optics and bipartisan criticism: Even Republican Senator Thom Tillis calls it “bad optics” as federal workers go without pay ([08:40]).
• Trump demands $230 million from the Justice Department for past investigations, seeking to financially benefit from his own legal troubles ([09:32]).
• Further abuses of office: Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is charging taxpayers $172M for private travel.

“Donald Trump can't hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom.”
— Senator Elizabeth Warren ([08:32], quoted by Capehart)

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3. Pardons and Rising Threats: January 6th Fallout

Segment starts ~[10:40]

• Immediate pardons for January 6th rioters—one re-arrested for threatening House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
• House Republican silence on pardons and associated violence is called out by Democratic Whip Catherine Clark.

"There are consequences to these irresponsible actions. And not a single House Republican has walked away from them, Not a single one." — Hakeem Jeffries ([11:02], quoted by Capehart)

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4. Interview: Democratic Whip Catherine Clark on GOP Extremism & Shutdown

Segment starts [11:22]

• Clark slams GOP for enabling Trump's lawlessness and cruelty:
  • Building a “ballroom” while Americans “drown” ([12:38]).
  • Republicans mute in face of “let them eat cake” governance ([13:49]).
  • GOP’s absence from negotiation, with Clark emphasizing workers “doing their jobs without pay because you won’t come to the table” ([14:28]).
• Patterns of Toxicity:
  • Trump nominees with histories of racism and sexual harassment (Paul Ingrazia) withdraw only after public outcry—White House stands by problematic appointees ([16:20]).
  • Clark calls out a pattern of “tolerating and encouraging the most toxic behavior” from Republican leaders ([16:35]).

"There is no outrageous action that Donald Trump will take that they'll stand up to... while the American people are telling us that they are drowning... the President of the United States is building a ballroom."
— Catherine Clark ([12:38])

"The arrogance, the, you know, let them eat cake attitude… It is breathtaking."
— Catherine Clark ([13:49])

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5. Arizona’s House Seat Blocked: New Lawsuit

Segment starts [19:50]

• Arizona AG Chris Mays sues Speaker Mike Johnson for refusing to seat Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva, leaving over 800,000 Arizonans unrepresented for nearly a month.
• Potentially partisan motives: Grijalva would provide a critical 218th signature on a petition to release the Epstein files ([20:34]).
• Speaker Johnson’s changing rationale for delay leads to further suspicion.

“812,000 Arizonans do not have representation in Congress… every moment that passes... I can't do that right now without being sworn in.”
— Adelita Grijalva ([22:36])

Interview: Rep. Greg Stanton

• Warns this could become a GOP ‘playbook’ for disregarding Democratic wins.
• Lists critical constituent needs going unmet, such as veterans’ advocacy and Social Security ([25:29]).
• University funding at risk: Stanton voices alarm at Trump’s attempts to push a conservative agenda in higher ed with attached funding.

"Imagine, take it to its logical conclusion… he gets to decide which members get sworn in, when… he could use it to manipulate legislation.”
— Greg Stanton ([24:16])

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6. North Carolina Gerrymandering and ‘No Kings’ Protests

Segment starts [30:02]

• Republicans push new congressional map that cements their control, likely giving them 11 of 14 seats despite only narrow statewide wins.
• Disproportionately hurts Black voters in District 1, depriving them of historic representation ([33:42]).
• Grassroots mobilization: No Kings protests sweep North Carolina, with activists expressing outrage at persistent power grabs and neglect of state needs.

"I am here because the North Carolina General assembly has absolutely regularly been screwing us over... and this is just another way that they are taking away our rights." — North Carolina protester ([31:41])

Interview: NC Dem Chair Anderson Clayton

• Frustration over endless gerrymanders: Clayton says this is North Carolina's fourth new congressional map in five years ([34:37]).
• Hurricane recovery failure: Localities still await Trump-promised federal disaster relief more than a year after Hurricane Helene ([35:26]).

“Hell yes, I’m concerned… Grants should not be given out based on who’s cut a deal with the Trump administration, who’s bent the knee...”
— Greg Stanton ([27:14])

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7. Epstein Files, Justice, and Virginia Giuffre’s Memoir

Segment starts [36:55]

• Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir "Nobody's" released:
  • Details sexual abuse by Epstein, Maxwell, and others, including a chilling account of how Maxwell and Epstein operated.
  • Giuffre’s book calls for transparency and the release of the Epstein files.
• Journalist Amy Wallace describes the courage and trauma in bringing the book to publication, emphasizing Giuffre’s aim to help other survivors ([41:23]).
• Empathy and resilience resonate: The memoir employs breaks in harrowing narrative to remind readers of Giuffre's survival and healing.

"She wanted them to know that she, too, struggled... She didn’t want to gloss over any of those things because she thought it would bring more shame to victims.”
— Amy Wallace ([41:23])

“Imagine if a trauma reel like this played in your head all the time, as it does in mine, and not just on the pages of a book you can put down if you need to... But please don’t stop reading.”
— Virginia Giuffre, via Amy Wallace ([43:05])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There is no outrageous action that Donald Trump will take that they'll stand up to.”
  — Congresswoman Catherine Clark ([12:38])

• "He is a pedophile protector. He is protecting Jeffrey Epstein, and he's protecting Donald Trump from all of us learning just how close Trump is to Epstein.”
  — Jonathan Capehart ([22:07])

• “We are hearing stories of true hardship. People who are working hard and cannot make it in this country. And everything they have done since the beginning of this Trump administration has made life harder and more expensive.”
  — Catherine Clark ([14:15])

• "Academic freedom is such a major part of why we have the best universities…and the Trump administration suggests that scientific research should be based on who’s friends with the administration, who's bent the knee. That will hurt us..."
  — Greg Stanton ([27:14])

• "I am pissed that our representation is falling into what is happening all over the country... we have to stand up and fight back." — North Carolina protester ([31:41])

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Key Timestamps

• [01:53–09:32] Economic impact of shutdown, White House ballroom, Trump’s $230M demand
• [11:22–17:47] Interview: Catherine Clark on GOP extremism, shutdown, toxic patterns
• [19:50–29:09] Grijalva’s blocked seating, AZ lawsuit, interview with Rep. Greg Stanton
• [30:02–36:55] North Carolina gerrymandering, No Kings protests, Anderson Clayton interview
• [36:55–45:55] Release of Giuffre memoir, Amy Wallace interview on Epstein case

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Tone & Style

The tone is urgent, grave, and often incredulous—reflective of the extraordinary and alarming nature of current political events. Jonathan Capehart retains the signature style of “The Last Word”: no-nonsense, fact-forward, punctuated by empathy for ordinary Americans caught in political crossfire, and occasional rhetorical flourishes or biting sarcasm aimed at hypocrisy in power.

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Summary

This episode weaves together the multiple crises and scandals defining Trump’s second term—government shutdown, White House decadence, disregard for democratic norms, and accountability in sexual abuse cases—through deeply informed analysis, on-the-ground reporting, and powerful interviews with lawmakers and survivors. It paints a picture of a government paralyzed and corrupted at the highest levels, yet also highlights the tenacity of those fighting for justice, representation, and transparency.

Transcript

[Jonathan Capehart]

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[Jonathan Capehart]

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[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

The last word starts right now with Jonathan Capehart in for Lawrence. Hey, Jonathan.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Hey, Jen. Talk about a teaser. I can't wait to listen to your interview with Governor Beshear. He's interesting. Is he as interesting now that you've done the interview? Is he as interesting as I think he is?

[Amy Wallace]

Yeah. You know what's so interesting about him.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

Is on one hand, he kind of has stood up when he's been absolutely attacked and obliterated by Republicans in his.

[Jonathan Capehart]

State over his support for LGBTQ rights. Right.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

And he stood up for it and stood by it. And then on the other, he also is telling Democrats and people out there stop using fancy words and this language that nobody really understands. So we talked a lot about both of those things.

[Jonathan Capehart]

But yeah, he's a really interesting.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

It was a really interesting conversation.

[Jonathan Capehart]

I can't wait to listen. I got my phone. I'm going to hit that QR code.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

Thank you. I'll show you in the office tomorrow if you need.

[Jonathan Capehart]

All right. Thank you very much, Jen.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

Thanks, Johnson. Have a great show.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Thank you. Tonight, breaking news. We have been watching Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon hold the Senate floor for more than three hours now. Senator Merkley is protesting Donald Trump's threats to democracy and intends to hold the floor for as long as possible to ring the alarm about Trump and his rubber stamp Republicans. Let's listen in. To proceed to work together to stop a political extremist and that extremist ends up in power. The Mastermind behind Trump's 100 days of chaos and law breaking is Russ Vogt. He is director of the Office of Management and the Budget. He directed that office at the end of Trump's first term in the intervening four years. He was the architect of Project 2025 and now he leads OMB again. It is day 21 of the government shutdown, and for Donald Trump, reopening the government isn't even on the agenda, even as millions of Americans are already starting to feel the effects of the shutdown. Past government shutdowns have barely left a mark on the economy. The economy usually bounces back once funding is restored, but according to economists, this shutdown is different. The Trump administration is threatening mass firings of federal employees and threatening to deny back pay for furloughed federal workers after the shutdown ends, according to an estimate by Oxford Economics. The the shutdown reduces GDP growth by 0.1 percentage points to 0.2 percentage points per week, which means the shutdown could cost the economy as much as $15.2 billion a week, the New York Times reports. Quote, that estimation does not capture the ways federal services support economic activity in other sectors where the effect could be narrow but deep. Consider visa processing. Much of it is performed by contractors who were told to stop work on October 1st. Unlike government employees, they will not be paid back when the shutdown ends. The economy is already approaching stall speed and being battered by tariffs and aggressive immigration enforcement. Missing signs of a more serious downturn or an acceleration could lead officials to make a decision on interest rates that that they might regret when the data becomes clearer. And as the government shutdown impacts everyday Americans, food banks are bracing for an increase in demand, the New York Times reports. Quote, the lost jobs and paused wages are leading more people to seek food assistance, according to the Capital Area Food bank, which has opened extra sites this week specifically for federal workers going without paying. Rosie Allen Herring, the chief executive of the region's United Way, said there was another problem. Federal workers have historically given generously to the organization through the combined federal campaign, the period when they would typically be deciding what they will give next year is coming up. Those contributions that we were counting on to help those who are already in need are in jeopardy and have been diminished, Ms. Allen Herring said. Now what do you do when someone who used to be your donor becomes a client? 42 million Americans, including one in five children, are also at risk of losing food aid to pay for groceries next month. In a letter to state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program agencies, the Trump administration warns, quote, if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits. So what is Donald Trump doing about the hardship this shutdown has caused? Is he trying to make late night deals to put an end to the second largest shutdown in American history. No, Donald Trump has other priorities. Priorities like taking a wrecking ball to the east wing of the White House to build his $250 million ballroom, even after Trump said he, quote, won't interfere with the current building. The project is being funded by private donors, including Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal. It is currently unclear how much Comcast and other donors contributed. Yesterday, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote, oh, you're trying to say the cost of living is skyrocketing. Donald Trump can't hear you over the sound of bulldozers demolishing a wing of the White House to build a new grand ballroom. And it's not just Democrats calling out Trump for being tone deaf. Here's what Republican Senator Thom Tillis told NBC News chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles. It's a function room. We're in the middle of, I've got, we've got staff here that are taking out loans, no interest loans to pay their bills while they're not getting paid, that sort of stuff. I just think it's bad optics. And while Trump tariffs are making sure you're paying more for everyday items, Donald Trump is asking American taxpayers to pay him. You heard that right. The New York Times reports, quote, president Trump is demanding that the Justice Department pay him about 230 million doll dollars in compensation for the federal investigations into him, according to people familiar with the matter, who added that any settlement might ultimately be approved by senior department officials who defended him or those in his orbit. $230 million. Trump wants to put a quarter of a billion dollars of your money in his pocket. You can add that to the $172 million Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is charging taxpayers for private jets. For Trump today, a Democratic country showed its citizens and the world that no one is above the law, including a former president. Unfortunately for us, that country is France. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began a five year sentence after being convicted of conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from Libya. Yet here in the United States, Donald Trump, who once faced felony charges for his involvement in the violent January 6th attack on the US Capitol, was free to pardon members of the pro Trump mob on his first day of his second term. And now an insurrectionist pardoned by Donald Trump, has been arrested again today after threatening House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries life. Today, Leader Jeffries said this the reckless and irresponsible pardons of hundreds of violent felons on January 6th has consequences. There are consequences to that. Beyond me. Beyond me. The consequences are we've seen crimes committed by people who Donald Trump pardoned on the first day he was sworn into office by folks who have been released back into society all across the country, some of them violent crimes. And so there are consequences to these irresponsible actions. And not a single House Republican has walked away from them, Not a single one. There are consequences when these extremists who are part of the Trump administration label the entirety of the Democratic Party as terrorists or criminals. There are consequences to that. Beyond us. We all know what we've signed up for. But there's pain being visited upon the American people because of actions taken by Donald Trump, supported by House Republicans and Senate Republicans on day one of his presidency. Leading off our discussion tonight is the Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Catherine Clark of Massachusetts. Whip Clark, welcome to the Last Word. Your Republican counterpart in the House, Republican Whip Tom Emmer, accused Democrats of catering to, quote, the pro terrorist ruling. I can't even say it. It's so enraging of your party. And in light of the Trump pardon of January 6th, rioter who was just arrested for threatening leader Jeffries life, calling Jeffries a terrorist in a text, according to the complaint, what responsibility do Republican elected officials have to tone down that extreme language?

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

You know, they, they own this. They have a president who pardoned violent people who have gone on to commit violent crimes. And instead of speaking out against it, they were silent in the face of it. And then going into the no Kings rallies, what did we hear from Whip Emme, Speaker Johnson, from a lot of my colleagues across the aisle, that these were terrorists driven, that we were catering to terrorists, that we were terrorists and that they were fundamentally un American. We all are responsible for the words we use and what we incite with them. And the fact that this J. Sixer who threatened to murder Hakeem Jeffries was mirroring that language is very chilling to everyone. And so it is part of a pattern of. There is no outrageous action that Donald Trump will take that they'll stand up to. And it's exactly why we're in a shutdown. When Donald Trump makes a proposal through his budget to cut people's health care in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires, they all went along and it is, it is. Now here we are while the American people are telling us that they are drowning, that 60% of households can't afford the basics, and we are watching the premiums come in and they're doubling, tripling what people were paying last year. And the President of the United States is building a ballroom. That is the response. And my colleagues are mute, just mute about this. I mean, it is an outrageous split screen that we're watching.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Well, Whip Clark, let's talk about another outrageous split screen. And that's the shutdown. No plans for the military to be paid next week. Federal employees and the private sector workers who serve them are suffering except for one federal employee who wants $230 million in taxpayer money as literally takes a wrecking ball to the White House, as you just mentioned.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

Yeah, I mean, there's, there's absolutely, it is so shameless. It's really hard to take in. I mean, first we have the American people who are not doing well in this economy and they're telling us that every single day it's the cost to housing, it's the cost of groceries, utility bills. And then you add on a wild cuts that the Republicans voted for and enacted into law to health care and watching the premiums soar. And then we turn around. If the president of the United States ask his own former lawyers who are now in positions at Department of Justice that he should be paid hundreds of millions of dollars. I mean, the arrogance, the, you know, let them eat cake attitude of the. It is breathtaking and we should be reopening this government. And where are my Republican colleagues? They haven't been here in weeks. Their answer is just to go home, go on vacation. Whatever it is they're doing, they're not here fighting for the people who sent them. And across this country, we are hearing stories of true hardship. People who are working hard and cannot make it in this country. And everything they have done since the beginning of this Trump administration has made life harder and more expensive. So at least you could have the decency to come to work because there are many federal workers who are doing their jobs without pay because you won't come to the table and even negotiate with Democrats behalf of the American people.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Whip Clark, let me get you on one more thing. Some breaking news. Other breaking news tonight, Paul Ingrazia, Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, has withdrawn his nomination after racist texts surfaced. Congresswoman, what does it say about the current administration that the president decided to nominate someone with not only racist views, but was investigated for sexual harassment to lead the very office that is responsible for protecting federal employees from such practices, from such conduct?

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

Yeah, I mean, it is all part of a pattern. I am very glad that he withdrew his name from consideration. But you know who didn't withdraw his name is the White House. They doubled down and stood behind their nominee. It's exactly what we saw just a few days ago with the scandalous racism, antisemitic emails from young Republicans. We saw Republicans across the country say those emails were outrageous. Not what the vice president said, not what the president said. They stood by them as somehow young pranksters. It is a pattern of just tolerating and encouraging the most toxic behavior. It is just shocking to watch the lack of criticism and the fact that we are on the 21st day of this shutdown and my colleagues say nothing while the president builds ballrooms, goes golfing and is not here and willing to work on this solution. It is so past time that we put the American people first and that's what Democrats are going to keep showing up to do.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Democratic Whip Congresswoman Catherine Clark, thank you very much for coming to the Last Word.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

Thank you, Jonathan.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Coming up today, Arizona's Attorney general filed a lawsuit against the House of Representatives for the delay in seating Congresswoman elect Adelita Grijalva. Speaker Mike Johnson's refusal to seat her is hurting not Democrats, but voters in a state Trump won. That's next. It's Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Lifelock is here with tips to help protect your identity. Use strong passwords, set up multi factor authentication and report phishing scams. And for comprehensive identity protection, LifeLock is your best choice. Lifelock alerts you to suspicious uses of your personal information and also fixes identity theft, guaranteed or your money back. Stay smart, stay safe and stay protected with a 30 day free [e-mail] Specialoffer terms apply.

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[Congressman Greg Stanton]

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[Jonathan Capehart]

Breaking news today, Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays filed a lawsuit against Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson over his delay swearing in Democratic Congresswoman elect Adelita Grijalva. The lawsuit argues that Speaker Johnson is hurting Arizona voters, writing, quote, defendants refor refusal to promptly seat Ms. Grijalva and to treat her as a member of the House injures her by denying her the ability to exercise the authority of a member of the House, for example, to sign petitions, sponsor bills, obtain and provide information to her constituents about federal programs and matters pending before federal agencies and advocate with federal agencies, all on behalf of her constituents. The lawsuit also is asking the court to allow anyone other than Speaker Johnson to swear in Ms. Grijalva. The Constitution does not specify who must administer the oath, only that representatives must take it. The State and Ms. Grijalva therefore request that this court enter a declaratory judgment that Ms. Grijalva shall be deemed a member of the House of Representatives once she has taken the oath prescribed by law. If Speaker Johnson has not administered the oath, the oath may be administered to Ms. Grijalva by any person authorized by law to administer oaths. Speaker Johnson has claimed that the delay has nothing to do with the fact that Grijalva just happens to be the 218th signature needed on a bipartisan discharge petition that would force a vote to release the Epstein files. I asked Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell about Speaker Johnson's changing reasons last night on this program. Let me get your reaction to what Speaker Johnson said earlier today about why he's not swearing in the congresswoman elect. I will administer the oath to her.

[Congressman Greg Stanton]

I hope on the first day we.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Come back legislative session.

[Congressman Greg Stanton]

I'm willing and anxious to do that. In the meantime, instead of doing TikTok videos, she should be serving her constituents. She could be taking their call. She could be directing them, trying to help them through the crisis that the Democrats have created by shutting down the government.

[Jonathan Capehart]

I'm sorry.

[Congressman Greg Stanton]

No, no.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Dumb, dumb. She doesn't have constituents. She's not a member of Congress. She doesn't have a budget to help anybody. Again. He has a new answer for this every single time he is asked, but the motive remains the same. He is a pedophile protector. He is protecting Jeffrey Epstein, and he's protecting Donald Trump from all of us learning just how close Trump is to Epstein. Today, Congresswoman elect Rajalva responded to Speaker Johnson's claim that she could be helping.

[Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva]

Her Constituents, Today is day 28 since my election. And I think that it's really important that we appreciate that 812,000 Arizonans do not have representation in Congress. I do not have access to provide services in district. And I think that it's. I also don't have a budget. So this back and forth coming back and forth is on my miles that I had stored up because I don't have a budget. But respectfully, there's so much that cannot be done until I am sworn in. And so every moment that passes that I'm not able to provide constituent services or be a voice for Arizona, I can't bring the issues forward that they sent me here to do. And so while we're getting a lot of attention for not being sworn in, I'd rather get the attention for doing my job. And I can't do that right now without being sworn in.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Joining us now, Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton of Arizona. He's a member of the Foreign affairs and Transportation and Infrastructure committees and the former mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. Congressman, thank you for coming. In a tweet, Congresswoman Elect Rajalva said, Arizona Attorney General Mays and I are going to court to ensure that 800,000 plus Arizonans in Arizona's 07 are no longer silenced. Speaker Johnson's obstruction has gone far beyond petty partisan politics. It's an unlawful breach of our Constitution and the democratic process. Congressman Stanton, are you worried that this move by Johnson will become the new playbook for Republicans to simply ignore elections they don't like?

[Congressman Greg Stanton]

Yes, I am. You could imagine if Mike Johnson actually has the power that he now seems to claim that he has, which is to decide when a member of Congress, a duly elected president, elected member of Congress, one in this case, who won overwhelmingly over 70% of the vote, he gets to decide under the circumstances that they get sworn in. Imagine, take it to his logical conclusion how far that could go. He gets to decide which members get sworn in, when he could use it to manipulate legislation. Four weeks. Four weeks. Today she was elected overwhelmingly by the people in Arizona. District 7 in Pima County. If any sense of reasonableness is gone and the Attorney General of Arizona did the right thing standing up, it's not about our Lady Grijalva. It's about the people of her district, our fellow Americans who do not have representation in Congress. And so all Americans should be upset by this. When you elect someone for a position, they have to take the position that we live in a democracy. And Mike Johnson does not have the power that he thinks he has. And I think that will be proven in court.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Well, Congressman, be a little more specific. What are Congresswoman elect Rajalva's constituents not getting because Speaker Johnson has left, left them without a representative?

[Congressman Greg Stanton]

The most important thing, we are in a shutdown. So there are no votes going. There could be votes going on. It's Mike Johnson's decision not to bring us back to Congress. I'm here in Arizona right now. I should be in Washington. We should be negotiating with the Republicans on how to protect health care and how to reopen this government. But he's made this very poor choice to keep the Republicans away from the Capitol for five weeks. Can you imagine, five weeks we haven't had any votes. But even during that time, the most important job of a member of Congress is constituent service. Adelina Grijalva and her district has veterans that served our countries in wars that need services from the Veterans Administration and may not be getting them. Our job is to advocate for our veterans to make sure they get the services upon which they deserve. She could be serving her constituents who may be treated unfairly by the Internal Revenue Service, making sure they get their appropriate tax refunds. What about Social Security benefits? Many people struggle to get the Social Security benefits that they need, particularly in a time when the Trump administration has fired so many Social Security employees and taking making customer service much smaller than it used to be. They need an advocate in Congress. So separate apart from the votes and signing on the bills and petitions, etc. The constituent service function can only be done when you are a sworn in member of Congress. And that is what the people of our district right now are missing out on.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Congressman Stanton, let me get you on one more thing. The University of Arizona has become the seventh American university to reject President Trump's attempt to push his conservative agenda on college campuses. A deal that came with priority funding attached. Are you concerned about Trump using federal dollars to enforce his agenda on college campuses? What can Congress do?

[Congressman Greg Stanton]

Hell yes, I'm concerned. And all Americans should be concerned. I mean, our greatest competitive advantage on this planet is that we have the best universities in the entire world. They are the envy of the world. And academic freedom is such a major part of why we have the best universities and the quality of the scientific research. So many of the major companies in America, including the semiconductor industry, those advances, those innovations were formed on university, university campus and research. And that needs to be done on a truly competitive basis. Research grants should not be given out based on who's cut a deal with the Trump administration, who has bent the knee to the Trump administration that will destroy our higher education system if we continue in that direction. And the Trump administration suggests that scientific research should be based on who's friends with the administration, who's bent the knee that will hurt us, not just in universities but our economic competitiveness on this globe. So hell yes, I'm concerned.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Congressman Greg Stanton of Arizona, thank you very much for coming to the Last Word. Coming up, Donald Trump is so afraid of next year's midterms that he's trying to steal seats in any way possible. North Carolina has become Trump and his Republican allies latest target in their midterm election redistricting scheme. We'll discuss that next with North Carolina's Democratic Party Chair, Anderson Clayton. When the flu is keeping you up at night, don't try to tough it out. Knock out your flu symptoms with NYQUIL Intense Flu. You got this. It provides powerful relief of your flu symptoms so you can sleep well through the night. Nyquil Intense Flu the nighttime sniffling, aching, aching fever. Best sleep with a flu medicine. Use as directed. Keep out of reach of children.

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Not all patients are eligible. Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Consult a healthcare provider to determine if treatment is right for you. With just over a year until the 2026 midterm elections, Donald Trump and House Republicans are running scared. Images of the massive no Kings protests across the country this past weekend are giving Democrats new momentum as they work to flip the House next fall and rein in Donald Trump during the final two years of his presidency. But instead of trying to win votes fair and square, Republicans would rather just tilt the playing field in their favor. The GOP's redistricting scheme, started in Texas this summer, is now spreading two other Republican controlled states. Their latest victim North Carolina. The New York Times reports Republican state senators in North Carolina approved a new congressional map on Tuesday to further favor their party and help the Trump administration's efforts to retain control of the US House in the midterm elections next year. The new map would likely give Republicans an extra House seat. The state House of Representatives is likely to approve the new map later this week. Republicans currently hold large majorities in both chambers and Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, cannot veto redistricting plans per the state constitution. Protesters, some with signs left over from the no Kings rally on Saturday, showed up to the state Capitol in Raleigh today to show their opposition to the Republican plan to gerrymander the North Carolina congressional map.

[Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva]

I am here because the North Carolina General assembly has absolutely regularly been screwing us over the last couple years in every way possible, and this is just another way that they are taking away our rights. Today it's about voting. A couple months ago it was about Duke Energy being able to raise our utility rates, however they felt like it. A couple months before that it was our public school system. North Carolina is not working for the people. When you see Phil Berger and Destin hall making these tweets on things like Twitter and X saying that they are doing this to advance the agenda of Donald Trump over the will of the people, that that is a problem. I'm pissed. I am pissed that our representation is falling into what is happening all over the country. I was just in no Kings this weekend to demonstrate nationally and now I'm here in my Capitol because it's top down and it's not good anywhere and we have to stand up and fight back.

[Jonathan Capehart]

The new North Carolina congressional map will not be representative of the state by any means. It is poised to deliver 11 seats to House Republicans in 2026, which is more than three quarters of the 14 seats North Carolina has available. That is not even close to the split of statewide votes in North Carolina last year, with Donald Trump winning the state with just over half the vote and Democratic Gov. Josh Stein winning his 2024 election by more than 14 points. The map is also poised to disenfranchise black voters in North Carolina. North Carolina opponents have been frank in their criticism of the map, arguing that it undermines the voting power of the state's rural black voters in the Northeast 1st congressional district, who for decades have been represented by black lawmakers. Republicans leading the charge to redistrict have steered clear of any discussion on the map's impact on black voters. Instead, they have described the new map on purely partisan terms, a simple and singular effort to maintain GOP control in Congress. The first Congressional District is where my people are from. Listen to this protester who was at the Capitol in Raleigh today. I grew up doing Jim Crow in.

[Congresswoman Catherine Clark]

Asheville and I know what it is.

[Jonathan Capehart]

To be shut out of politics and not have the ability to vote. And so when you see the sign make America great again, in my humble opinion, it is going back to the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. And so this is what Donald Trump intend to do. So with this gerrymandering, they'll have the votes to be able to do this. Joining us now, Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Anderson, great to see you again. The Republicans did this in 2024. Hakeem Jeffries would likely have been speaker if the go hadn't gerrymandered three North Carolina seats. Now they're doing it again.

[Anderson Clayton]

I mean, yeah, this is the fourth time in the last five years that we've had new maps in North Carolina. We're not new to the process of gerrymandering the state. And unfortunately, our Republicans in North Carolina don't like to abide by the sort of rule that after a U.S. census is when you would actually consider redistricting a state. And right now all they're interested in is a power grab for Republicans in Congress.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Can you describe the no Kings protests in North Carolina this weekend? What was the turnout like there?

[Anderson Clayton]

Electrifying all across the state. We were lucky that we had fantastic state representatives, people like Representative Phil Rubin out in places like Pittsburgh and making sure that we were getting all across North Carolina, people like Lindsey Prather out in Buncombe and Asheville and making sure that they were representing their districts and showing up for people and Republicans.

[Jonathan Capehart]

What Donald Trump won your state in 2024 after making big promises to areas ravaged by Hurricane Helene. The Washington Post reports more than a year after Helene Yancy and other storm battered counties across this region are still waiting for the federal government to make good on its promises to pay back millions upon millions of dollars that local officials have spent or allocated for recovery. That delay has upended local budgets and hindered reconstruction. Anderson, do you think this will be a major factor in the midterms?

[Anderson Clayton]

Absolutely. And what we're seeing right now, just all across the country is that Republicans can't Govern from a 21 day federal shutdown to 113 day budget lapse that Republicans have let North Carolina go through right now with our state budget not being passed. You know, Republicans that represent western North Carolina right now, the place that you just talked about that has been impacted by Hurricane Helene and also that the federal government is upholding the rest the of of FEMA and federal relief funding too, for not just FEMA, but also USDA.small businesses in North Carolina that need to see that relief and communities on the ground that need to see that help. Right now, people like Senator Ralph Heiss on the floor of the legislature today voting to overturn and make sure that these maps passed instead of actually making sure that western North Carolina got help. We know where Republican priorities are right now in North Carolina, and it's not with the people of the state.

[Jonathan Capehart]

North Carolina State Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, thank you as always for coming to the Last word. Coming up, there are shocking revelations in a new book by Virginia Giuffre, victim of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, published after her untimely death this spring. Journalist Amy Wallace, the co author of Giuffre's memoir, joins us. Two halves of a wicked whole. That is how Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who bravely spoke out against sexual predators, Jeffrey Epstein and his co conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, described her abusers in her new posthumous memoir released today, titled Nobody's A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice. Co written with our next guest journalist Amy Wallace, it is a deeply powerful, courageous account of a woman who managed to escape victimhood, to fight back against her abusers, inspiring others to speak out and hold them accountable, but who struggled until her death by suicide early this year with the trauma she suffered. The memoir details the painful cycle of sexual abuse that Virginia Roberts Giuffre endured as a child, which, as she writes for the first time, began with her father between the ages of 7 and 11 years old and included her father trading her to a family friend who also abused her writing quote, Sometimes what they each did to me was so similar that I suspected they were comparing notes. Her father denies the accusation. The family friend served time in prison for abusing another young girl. It was experiences like that, an abusive and neglectful home life, that led her to run away, live on the streets and being sent to a facility for troubled youth so terrible it was eventually shut down, that led her to write, quote, for so many years, I had been sexualized against my will and had survived by acquiescing, even as a girl on the precipice of womanhood I was a pleaser even when pleasing others cost me dearly. For 10 years, men had cloaked their abuse of me in a fake mantle of love. Epstein and Maxwell knew just how to tap into that same crooked vein. She chronicles how her father got her a job at Mar A Lago, where, as she was hoping to turn her life around, she met Ghislaine Maxwell, or G Max, as she'd like to be called, who procured her for Jeffrey Epstein. She recalls how she was trafficked to dozens of men, including Prince Andrew, who denies wrongdoing but was stripped of his royal titles and settled a civil lawsuit with her and an unidentified prime minister, who she says raped her so badly that she begged Jeffrey Epstein not to send her to him again. I don't know if Epstein feared the man or if he owed him a favor, but he wouldn't make any promises, saying coldly of the politician's brutality, you'll get that sometimes. Virginia Roberts Giuffre describes in detail not only the abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and the men he trafficked her to, but also Ghislaine Maxwell's participation in the sexual abuse, saying, quote, maxwell began lashing out at me during our threesomes. If I complained, she hurt me. More as read by her lawyer In a statement at Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing hearing, Virginia Roberts Giuffre said, quote, ghislaine, you deserve to spend the rest of your life in prison, in a jail cell. You deserve to be trapped in a cage forever, just like you trapped your victims. Joining us now is Amy Wallace. She is the co author of Nobody's A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice. Amy, thank you for being here. There's an honesty and bravery to this book. Tell us about your experience working with Virginia Roberts Giuffre and the courage it took for her to tell her story in the face of threats and fear of retribution.

[Amy Wallace]

Well, we worked on this book together for four years, and it was a real testament to her strength that she wanted to do it and the effort that she put into it. She and I became very close because, as you would imagine, she was telling me some of the worst things that had ever happened to her in her life. But it was all in the service of trying to help other abuse victims, not just victims of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, but anyone who'd ever been coerced into sex against their will. Her hope was that she could, with this book, make those people feel less alone. She wanted them to know that she, too, struggled, and she was very adamant about including things in her life that were difficult. She didn't want to gloss over any of those things because she thought it would bring more shame to victims. So that was her goal. Today was our publication day, and I think she would be if she were here. I wish she were very proud that it has actually come out and now people can actually read it and hopefully be helped by it.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Amy Several times, Virginia acknowledges how tough the subject matter is and gives the reader a break. And I'm quoting here, I know this is a lot to take in. Imagine if a trauma reel like this played in your head all the time, as it does in mine, and not just on the pages of a book. You can put down if you need to, just for a moment to steady your nerves. But please don't stop reading. Amy. She wants to protect the reader from her own harrowing experiences, right?

[Amy Wallace]

Yeah. I think we both realize that the first half of the book, particularly, is a description of abuse that she suffered as a child in her own home and elsewhere. And then she is trafficked to other people. Then she meets Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. As you noted, when she's 16 years old and working at Mar a Lago, that very same day she is taken. She agrees to go to Epstein's house, and Ghislaine Maxwell is there. And that very moment, they abuse her for the first time together. Both of them sexually abused her that day. So we knew that this was some rough road for readers. It was necessary to share it, but she wanted to help the reader, and she knew how hard it was. And so we developed a sort of device in the book where she does speak directly to the reader and say, you know, come with me. I'll help you. And we have various breaks that she helps you, helps you see her in her present, singing in the car with her kids. You know, there are several scenes where we let you know that she has made it out even while you're in the midst of that early, early abuse.

[Jonathan Capehart]

You know, Virginia writes this about Epstein, and I'm quoting here today, I know that Epstein made the following chilling distinction. I'm not a sexual predator. I'm an offender. It's the difference between a murderer and person who steals a bagel. I didn't know that then. Today I see how little he cared about the girls and women he abused. But for a long time, I couldn't see it, or maybe I didn't want to see it. Virginia may not be here, Amy, to see the impact of telling her story, but how do you hope this book furthers the conversation?

[Amy Wallace]

Well, I think an obvious place to start, and you've referenced it many times, times on msnbc, is people are clamoring for the Epstein files right now. And there's a good reason for that. Often so much emphasis and so much burden is placed on the victims of sexual abuse to not just come forward once or twice, not just talk to the law enforcement, but to repeat and repeat and repeat the most horrible things that have happened to them and be disbelieved along the way. A lot of these women, now women who were girls when they were abused, were told they were liars, they were whores, they were sluts. They loved it on the private jets. They were just in it for the money. That narrative continues. And so I think it's important that we shed light on those things and also that the Epstein files be released. And that was what Virginia wanted.

[Jonathan Capehart]

Amy Wallace, thank you very much for coming to the Last Word. Virginia Giuffre's book, which you co wrote with her, nobody's A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for justice, is out today. We'll be right back. That is tonight's last word.

[Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva]

You open the fridge, there's nothing there.

[Jonathan Capehart]

So what's it gonna be? Greasy pizza? Sad Drive Thru Burgers?

[Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva]

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