The Rachel Maddow Show

Episode: Democrats Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory (Again)
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Rachel Maddow (MSNBC)
Notable Guests: Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont), Liz Oyer (Former DOJ Pardon Attorney)

Episode Overview

Rachel Maddow delves into a turbulent post-election week in American politics, where Democrats, fresh off a sweeping victory in national and local elections and bolstered by historic public protests, unexpectedly cave on a key issue in the Senate. The episode explores why Democrats couldn't capitalize on their momentum, the continued chaos and politicization in the federal justice system under Trump, and the far-reaching implications of Donald Trump’s latest bulk pardons—this time targeting many involved in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Guests Senator Bernie Sanders and former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer offer sharp, candid insights on the Democratic Party’s internal fractures, the dangers of unchecked presidential pardon power, and how these actions threaten democratic norms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Veterans Day, National Protests Against Trump’s Policies

[00:57–07:30]

• Maddow opens by clarifying the meaning of Veterans Day and highlighting a wave of nationwide protests under the banner “Vets Say No”, especially in response to Trump’s militaristic threats against U.S. cities.
• Quote:

  “Veterans Day is celebratory...this Veterans Day, there’s going to be a ton of protests against the Trump administration under the banner of Vets Say No.” — Rachel Maddow [01:30]

• She recounts creative and diverse protests across the country—including mothers in civil disobedience, medical professionals in white coats, and a Portland protest where participants “sweat out the fascists” in 1980s aerobics gear.

2. Democratic Election Sweep—and Immediate Disarray

[07:35–14:15]

• Democrats achieved unprecedented wins across multiple states (“probably their best election outcomes in like a decade”), boosting expectations of a strengthened opposition to Trump.
• Despite predictions that Trump would respond with dramatic stunts, his subsequent actions were “the regular amount of craziness”—including ostentatious parties, falling asleep in public, and efforts to redirect attention.
• Trump’s administration continues policies broadly unpopular with the public (cuts to food stamps, ostentatious White House redecorations, cabinet scandals).
• Quote:

  “He’s not taking any steps at all to improve that [approval], even when the polling last week showed that the public was blaming him and the Republicans for the ongoing shutdown disaster.” — Rachel Maddow [11:25]

3. The Democratic Senate Collapse: Caving Without Concessions

[14:20–22:00]

• Eight Democratic senators broke ranks, ending a 41-day government shutdown with little or no policy gains, especially failing to obtain protections against GOP-led health care cuts.
• Maddow is sharply critical:

  “The people who intervened to change the story, to stomp on the tail of that Democratic victory...were, of course, the Democrats themselves.” [13:50]

• Chuck Schumer opposed the deal and may lose his leadership, but was unable to prevent Democratic defections.
• She previews upcoming interviews with Bernie Sanders (on the Senate deal) and Liz Oyer (on the legal chaos and pardons).

4. Legal Chaos: Trump Allies Head Key Justice Posts, Prosecute Political Enemies

[22:05–29:00]

• Hallmark U.S. Attorneys' offices now led by Trump loyalists with dubious qualifications:
  • Eastern District of Virginia: Lindsey Halligan, a Florida insurance lawyer, leads controversial prosecutions against James Comey and Tish James, cases “described as buffoonish and wrong” by the presiding judge.
  • Washington, D.C.: Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro leads the office, focusing on showy prosecutions for political gains and firing veteran prosecutors.
  • Southern District of Florida: Launches surprise Russia investigation subpoenas (years after the fact), signed not by prosecutors, but by the HR chief, prompting resignations and ethical concerns.
• Pattern of IGs and veteran prosecutors being fired for not advancing Trump’s political agenda.

5. Wave of Trump Pardons

[29:00–41:00]

• Trump issues 77 pardons for those involved in the fake electors scheme and other efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including prominent players like John Eastman, Sidney Powell, and Rudy Giuliani (“the whole Four Seasons Total Landscaping goon squad”).
• Maddow details a disturbing string of crimes (post-pardon) committed by earlier January 6th convicts, all direct beneficiaries of Trump’s clemency.
• She sets up the forthcoming discussion with Liz Oyer, former DOJ pardon attorney, on the scope and consequences of these pardons.

6. Senator Bernie Sanders Interview: Democratic Divisions and Consequences

[32:26–38:07]

Segment Highlights

• Bernie Sanders, who voted against the deal, lambasts it:
  Quote:

  “It is a terrible vote...It’s going to pave the way for 15 million Americans to be thrown off of Medicaid...some 50,000 will die unnecessarily every year.” — Sen. Bernie Sanders [32:37]

• Sanders faults the Democratic leadership and consultant class for being out of touch: Quote:

  “The division that we’re seeing in the Democratic Party right now are those who get a whole lot of money from wealthy campaign contributors ... and there’s the other wing.” [34:58]

• On primaries and Schumer’s leadership: Quote:

  “Look what you got right now. Chuck Schumer is part of the establishment, and I’m sorry to say that many people in the Democratic caucus are part of it ... The issue right now is doing primaries, getting people involved in the political process.” [37:03]

7. Liz Oyer Interview: Pardons as an Authoritarian Tool

[42:40–45:54]

Segment Highlights

• Oyer’s blunt assessment: Quote:

  “Donald Trump just issued a blank check to break the law in the name of Donald Trump ... He is telling his supporters, ‘Do what you have to do in support of Donald Trump. I’ve got your back.’” — Liz Oyer [42:50]

• She explains that Trump’s pardon proclamation overreaches by attempting to forgive state, not just federal, offenses (which the president does not have the authority to pardon): Quote:

  “This pardon broadly purports to forgive any crimes related to the overturning of the 2020 election, whether state or federal, and that far exceeds the established boundaries of the pardon power under law.” [44:58]

• Oyer notes the current pardon attorney, Ed Martin—a MAGA loyalist—likely wrote a self-pardon into today’s announcement: Quote:

  “Ed Martin may have sort of just written a pardon for himself today ... It’s very broad worded to apply potentially to hundreds of people who were involved in these types of activities, not just the 77 people who are listed in this document.” [45:04]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Democrats just worked their tails off to win these huge election victories...And so eight Democratic senators decided to cave in, in exchange for nothing.” — Rachel Maddow [14:00]
• “Nothing says confidence or swagger quite like a California Democrat going to Texas and doing it like this...” — Rachel Maddow introducing a Democratic victory rally in Texas [29:15]
• “You’re going to have a president who says, ‘See, I always told you the Democrats are weak. Yes, I’m an authoritarian. I want more and more power and you can’t stop me.’ That’s what this vote was about.” — Bernie Sanders [33:58]
• “Donald Trump seems to be testing the limits of the president’s constitutional authority by pardoning what are really state law offenses ... That far exceeds the established boundaries of the pardon power under law.” — Liz Oyer [44:58]

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |:-----------:|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:57–07:30 | Veterans Day, nationwide protests against Trump’s policies | | 07:35–14:15 | Democratic victories, Trump’s lack of response, ongoing administration chaos| | 14:20–22:00 | The Senate caving on the shutdown, Democratic disarray | | 22:05–29:00 | Legal chaos in DOJ, politicized prosecutions, Trump loyalists in power | | 29:00–32:26 | Trump’s new pardons, string of criminal re-offenses by pardon recipients | | 32:26–38:07 | Interview: Bernie Sanders on Senate cave-in, Dem divisions | | 42:40–45:54 | Interview: Liz Oyer on the scope and riskiness of Trump’s mass pardons |

Tone & Style

• Rachel Maddow’s signature mix: sharp critique, dry wit, and dense fact pattern exposition
• Equal parts exasperated and analytical; guests speak plainly and with candor
• The show toggles between deeply serious threats to democracy and the absurdity (and dark humor) of the political spectacle

Summary Takeaways

• Democrats, despite historic electoral wins and public protests, fracture at the moment of maximum leverage, handing Trump a significant victory on health care and the government shutdown without policy concessions.
• Trump’s reshaping of the Justice Department continues unimpeded, with unqualified loyalists appointed to top posts, agencies wielded for political retribution, and new legal scandals brewing.
• The power of the presidential pardon is being used in increasingly authoritarian ways, offering blanket impunity to Trump loyalists—including self-dealing by the pardon attorney himself.
• Both Bernie Sanders and Liz Oyer offer dire warnings about the direction of the Democratic Party leadership and the dangers of unchecked executive power.

For anyone who missed the episode:
This episode is a must-hear for understanding the Democratic Party’s strategic failures even in victory, the fracturing of crucial institutions of American democracy, and the growing alarm even among seasoned insiders about the future of rule of law under Trump.