Podcast Summary: "Trump tries another distraction hours before DOJ is due to release some Epstein files to Congress"

The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (Host: Melissa Murray in for Lawrence) | August 22, 2025

Overview

This episode delves into escalating partisan battles over congressional redistricting, especially in Texas and other key states, examining how these moves threaten minority representation and democracy. The conversation explores Republican efforts to gerrymander electoral maps, Democratic responses, and the critical role of the Supreme Court in voting rights. The episode also covers growing discontent over President Trump’s unpopular tax and spending bill, his ongoing attempts to distract from the brewing DOJ/Epstein files scandal, and broader authoritarian trends in his domestic agenda. Through a series of expert interviews and sharp commentary, the show scrutinizes both the immediate political fights and the longer-term implications for American democracy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. GOP Gerrymandering and the Texas Map Fight

(00:53–05:58)

• Texas Republicans have passed a new congressional map designed to net the GOP five more seats in the 2026 midterm elections.

  • Democrats and civil rights leaders are sharply critical, arguing the new map is “illegal and discriminatory” and further diminishes minority representation.
  • Quote (03:03, Gavin Newsom):
    “Nothing conservative about this. This is radical rigging of a midterm election...destroying, vandalizing this democracy, the rule of law...We're fighting fire with fire and we're going to punch these sons of bitches in the mouth.”

• Lawsuits have already been filed challenging the Texas maps as violations of the Voting Rights Act.

  • Excerpt (02:02, Marina Jenkins, National Redistricting Foundation):
    “The Texas Legislature is pushing forward a congressional map that includes even fewer minority opportunity districts than the current discriminatory map...grafting a new, more extreme gerrymander onto an existing gerrymander. That adds even more insult to injury for communities of color...despite the fact that they make up 60% of the state population.”

• Other states are becoming redistricting battlegrounds (Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio), with the GOP openly targeting minority-held seats.

  • Quote (05:15, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove):
    “Not only are they working to gerrymander the maps to give Republicans more seats, but they are also doing it to silence Latino representatives and to get rid of African American representatives...it is a race based playbook because they know who the folks are who show up and who are voting to keep Planned Parenthood, to keep healthcare, to make sure that costs are down, to make sure that we have jobs, make sure that we have manufacturing.”

2. The National Democratic Response & CBC Perspective

(08:23–13:40)

• Interview with Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Congressional Black Caucus:
  • Warns of a “race to the bottom” and decries Republican claims that maps are “race blind” as disingenuous.
    • Quote (08:23, Rep. Moore):
      “For all of those viewers out there who thought that, oh, we had ended racism, that everyone had a right to vote, this is exhibit one. What is happening in Texas...”
  • Expresses frustration at Democratic and CBC powerlessness due to legal and political limitations; relies on courts and public mobilization.
    • Quote (13:32, Rep. Moore):
      “I think we find ourselves very much sidelined in power.”

3. Supreme Court’s Role: Race-Based vs. Partisan Gerrymandering

(13:40–18:10)

• Interview with Prof. Leah Litman (University of Michigan Law):
  • Explains the Supreme Court’s doctrine: Federal courts can’t remedy partisan gerrymanders; only racial gerrymanders remain challengeable—but the lines between them are increasingly blurred.
    • Quote (15:31, Prof. Litman):
      “Republicans are so entitled to engage in partisan gerrymandering...that courts should look the other way when they are alleged to have also engaged in racial gerrymandering...”
    • The Supreme Court may soon gut even the remaining protections of the Voting Rights Act.
  • Key insight: The judiciary is increasingly unwilling or unable to protect minority voting rights, leaving disenfranchised communities with little recourse.
    • Quote (18:07, Prof. Litman):
      “So they could eliminate that possible check as well.”

4. Trump’s Spending Bill and Economic Fallout

(20:04–26:40)

• Trump’s signature tax and spending bill is deeply unpopular—polls show more Americans disapprove than support, especially among the nation’s poorest.
  • Data: CBO estimates the bottom 10% lose $1,200/year, while the top 10% gain $13,000.
• Medicaid cuts and new tariffs are projected to worsen outcomes for vulnerable groups, especially Black women and children.
• Jennifer Rubin (The Contrarian, MSNBC):
  • Argues that the bill's unpopularity is why the GOP is "grabbing seats" via redistricting and distracting the public with culture war issues.
    • Quote (23:18, Rubin):
      “If this were so popular, they wouldn't need to go grab five seats in Texas...they would be out talking about this bill every day. But there's a reason why they're not doing it, and that's because it stinks and people know it stinks.”
  • Democrats are using the issue to highlight the administration’s totalitarian moves and to rally opposition.

5. DOJ, Distraction, and the Epstein Files

(28:43–35:38)

• House Oversight Committee on verge of receiving DOJ's Epstein files after repeated delays and missed deadlines.
  • Chairman James Comer (29:17):
    “We’re going to review and we’ll work as quickly as we can. We’re going to be transparent. We, we're doing what we said we would do. We’re getting the documents...”
  • Rep. Robert Garcia & SDNY Judge:
    The DOJ’s “drip, drip, drip” strategy is criticized as an “illusion of transparency” and as distraction from the real issues.
• Andrew Weissman (former FBI/DOJ):
  • Warns the approach likely to backfire, only heightening suspicion about the files.
    • Quote (31:30, Weissman):
      “Even if they try to bring out something salacious about some political adversary, it's just going to underscore that they haven't released everything...they are not releasing everything when they could.”
• Controversy over DOJ appointments:
  • Alina Haba, serving as acting US Attorney in NJ, ruled not legally authorized; part of Trump’s pattern of appointing unqualified loyalists without Senate confirmation.

6. Authoritarianism, Whitewashing History, and Trump’s Power Grab

(36:04–44:39)

• Trump’s rhetoric and moves (deploying National Guard, seizing police power, targeting DC and cities) frame cities as dystopian, stoke fear and justify harsh measures.
  • Quotes both local leaders and residents rejecting this manufactured narrative:
    • D.C. resident (37:37):
      “D.C. has been one of the safest places I’ve been...They’re trying to make it less and less safe and make you more and more scared. So I hope people will just stand up...most people do not want this.”
• Attack on immigrants and higher education:
  • Mass visa review aims to find grounds for deporting lawfully present immigrants.
  • New cultural campaign: Reviewing Smithsonian museums for “woke” content; complaints about focus on America’s history of slavery.
• Interview with Prof. Jason Stanley (University of Toronto, ex-Yale):
  • Connects Trump’s push to control historical narrative with classic authoritarian tactics.
    • Quote (41:06, Stanley):
      “Fascism requires a mythic past because the idea is that liberals are making us ashamed of our past. And you need a strong leader to restore this pride and the supposed past...If you destroy that memory, then you destroy democratic practice itself.”
  • Asserts that whitewashing history and limiting empathy is a deliberate threat to democracy.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• (03:03, Gavin Newsom): “Radical rigging of a midterm election, destroying, vandalizing this democracy, the rule of law…We’re fighting fire with fire and we’re going to punch these sons of bitches in the mouth.”
• (08:23, Rep. Gwen Moore): “This is exhibit one. What is happening in Texas…leading a sort of race to the bottom.”
• (15:31, Prof. Leah Litman): “Republicans are so entitled to engage in partisan gerrymandering…courts should look the other way when they are alleged to have also engaged in racial gerrymandering…”
• (23:18, Jennifer Rubin): “If this were so popular, they wouldn’t need to go grab five seats in Texas…But there's a reason why they're not doing it, and that's because it stinks and people know it stinks.”
• (31:30, Andrew Weissman): “This is going to be death by a thousand cuts...Even if they try to bring out something salacious about some political adversary, it's just going to underscore that they haven't released everything.”
• (41:06, Jason Stanley): “Fascism requires a mythic past because the idea is that liberals are making us ashamed of our past…If you destroy that memory, then you destroy democratic practice itself.”

Important Segment Timestamps

| Topic/Guest | Timestamps | |--------------------------|--------------| | Texas gerrymandering/Radical redistricting | 00:53–05:58 | | Dem responses/CBC/Rep. Gwen Moore Interview | 08:23–13:40 | | Voting Rights Act & Supreme Court (Leah Litman) | 13:40–18:10 | | Trump’s Budget & Jennifer Rubin Interview | 20:04–26:40 | | DOJ/Epstein Files & Andrew Weissman | 28:43–35:38 | | Authoritarianism, Culture Wars, Jason Stanley Interview | 36:04–44:39 |

Tone and Style

• Sharp, urgent, and deeply critical of the Trump administration’s tactics—combining legal and political expertise with moral clarity.
• Candid and sometimes fiery language (especially from Newsom, Moore, Rubin).
• Emphasis on defending democracy, voting rights, and accountability.

Conclusion

This episode exposes how the Trump-aligned GOP is waging a multifaceted campaign—through redistricting, legal maneuvering, and culture war distractions—to entrench minority rule, suppress dissent, and erode democratic institutions. Democratic leaders and experts are alarmed, urging legal, political, and civic action in defense of voting rights and democratic norms. The show warns that the fight is not simply about partisan advantage but about the very future of American democracy.