The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

By Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC

What's The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell about?

Drawing upon his experience as a former chief of staff on the Senate Finance Committee and as an Emmy-winning executive producer and writer of ‘The West Wing,’ Lawrence O’Donnell examines the compelling and impactful political stories of the day. Join him every weeknight.

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Wondery Presents The Next B...

01.21.2020

Presidential Candidate, Andrew Yang, asks what you would do with an extra $1,000 of FREE MONEY every single month? Would you start a savings account for retirement? Would you go back and finish your degree? Or would you just spend ...

The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell episodes:

01.21.2020 Wondery Presents The Next Big Idea Presidential Candidate, Andrew Yang, asks what you would do with an extra $1,000 of FREE MONEY every single month? Would you start a savings account for retirement? Would you go back and finish your degree? Or would you just spend ...
01.21.2020 The Eve of Trump on Trial Lawrence O’Donnell talks to his expert guests about the rules Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to use to govern the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Senator Richard Blumenthal tells Lawrence that it is a race against the clock ...
01.18.2020 House releases new texts, audio, pics from Parnas Tonight on the Last Word: The House Judiciary Committee releases new impeachment documents ahead of the Senate trial. Also, Republican presidential candidate Fmr. Gov. Bill Weld talks to Ali about how Trump’s impeachment trial is a consequential time for Republican ...
01.17.2020 New Parnas info as Senate trial starts Tonight on the Last Word: Some senators want to hear more from Lev Parnas after his revealing interview with Rachel Maddow. Also, Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe talks to Lawrence about his former student John Roberts. Plus, presidential candidate Sen. ...
01.16.2020 Parnas: Trump “knew exactly what was going on” Tonight on the Last Word: Rachel Maddow breaks down her exclusive interview with Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani. Also, Neal Katyal returns to discuss how the last 24 hours impacts the case against Trump. Plus, the House ...
01.15.2020 House Dems release additional evidence ahead of Senate impeachment trial Tonight on the Last Word: The House Intelligence Committee releases a new batch of impeachment inquiry evidence, including information turned over by Lev Parnas, the indicted former associate of Rudy Giuliani. Also, Sen. Chris Van Hollen joins Ali to talk ...
01.14.2020 NYT: Russia hacked Ukrainian gas company at center of Trump impeachment scandal Tonight on the Last Word: The New York Times reports that Russia hacked Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company that is central to the impeachment of Trump. Also, presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet joins Lawrence to discuss potentially being a juror ...
11.16.2019 State Dept. aide testifies he heard Trump call with Sondland the day after 7/25 Trump-Zelenskiy call Tonight on The Last Word: David Holmes testifies he heard Trump ask Gordon Sondland if Ukraine was “going to do the investigation,” referring to Ukraine investigating Trump’s political rival. Also, Glenn Kirschner, Mieke Eoyang, and Fmr. Amb. Wendy Sherman return ...
11.15.2019 Pelosi accuses Trump of “obstructing” firsthand witnesses from testifying in impeachment inquiry Joy Reid fills in for Lawrence O’Donnell tonight on The Last Word: Republicans complain there aren’t firsthand witnesses in the impeachment hearing but it is President Trump who is blocking the testimony his defenders are asking for. Public testimony continues ...
11.14.2019 First day of impeachment hearings ties Trump more directly to Ukraine pressure campaign Tonight on The Last Word: Trump's top envoy to Ukraine, William Taylor, reveals new details about a phone call that happened a day after the president spoke with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, which led to the impeachment inquiry. Also, Rep. Peter ...
11.13.2019 House Dems hone in on bribery as possible impeachment charge Tonight on The Last Word: House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff claims there is a case for impeaching Trump for bribery. Also, Stephanie Ruhle joins Ari to discuss John Bolton revealing damaging information about Trump ahead of the first public impeachment ...
11.12.2019 Pentagon Official: Ukrainians knew about Ukraine aid freeze before public reports Tonight on The Last Word: According to the recently released transcript of Laura Cooper’s deposition testimony to impeachment investigators, Ukrainian officials apparently knew that Trump was withholding military aid to them before the hold was made public in news reports. ...
11.09.2019 Key impeachment witnesses testify Ukraine quid pro quo was coordinated by Acting Chief of Staff Mulvaney Tonight on The Last Word: Newly released transcripts from two key witnesses in the impeachment inquiry detail the “explicit” push by the Trump administration to investigate Trump’s political rivals in exchange for military aid. Also, Dan Friedman and Natasha Bertrand ...
11.08.2019 State Dept. official: Rudy Giuliani spread ‘campaign of lies’ Tonight on The Last Word: George Kent, a senior State Department official, told House impeachment investigators that Trump "wanted nothing less than President Zelenskiy to go to microphone and say investigations, Biden, and Clinton" and that that happened in part ...
11.07.2019 Top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine ties Trump to quid pro quo Tonight on The Last Word: Impeachment investigators release the deposition of Bill Taylor, in which Taylor testified that military aid to Ukraine was tied to demands that the country launch political investigations to help Donald Trump. Also, Barbara McQuade and ...
11.06.2019 NBC News: Democrat Andy Beshear is apparent winner in the Kentucky governor race Tonight on The Last Word: Democrat Andy Beshear defeats Trump-backed Matt Bevin for Kentucky governor. Also, Virginia Democrats take control of the state house and senate for the first time in more than two decades. Plus, David Frum and Jonathan ...
11.05.2019 Lawrence: No defense of Trump from Republicans in newly released impeachment depositions Tonight on The Last Word: In the first batch of transcripts released from the impeachment investigation depositions, House Republicans make no attempt to defend Trump and fail to undermine the expert witnesses who testified. Also, Laurence Tribe discusses the legal ...
11.02.2019 New witnesses called to testify before impeachment committees Tonight on The Last Word: A top White House lawyer at the center of the Trump-Ukraine scandal is subpoenaed to testify in the impeachment inquiry while Energy Secretary Rick Perry becomes the first member of Trump’s Cabinet to be asked ...
11.01.2019 Party Lines After another momentous week in the impeachment inquiry, Kristen Welker, White House Correspondent for NBC News, recaps events in Washington. Witnesses from the White House and State Department provided corroborating evidence against the president. But on Thursday, a House vote ...
11.01.2019 House votes 232-196 to advance impeachment inquiry Tonight on The Last Word: The House passed a resolution approving procedures for its impeachment inquiry of Trump, opening a new and public phase of the investigation. Also, Neal Katyal returns to discuss what happened in two different federal courts ...
10.31.2019 Democrats invite John Bolton to testify in impeachment probe Tonight on The Last Word: House Democrats leading Trump’s impeachment inquiry invite John Bolton to testify behind closed doors, but Bolton’s lawyer says that Bolton will not appear voluntarily. Also, Rep. Peter Welch talks about the possibility of Gordon Sondland ...
10.30.2019 Vindman testified that memo of July 25th call omitted Trump talking about Biden to Zelensky Tonight on The Last Word: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testifies that one ellipsis in the Trump-Ukraine call memo was Trump talking to Zelensky about Joe Biden. Also, Democrats move to try and keep Republicans from outing the whistleblower in closed-door ...
10.29.2019 Top WH Ukraine expert who heard Trump's Ukraine call voiced his concerns to superiors Tonight on The Last Word: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman plans to tell House impeachment investigators that he heard Trump appeal to Ukraine’s president to investigate one of his leading political rivals, a request the aide considered so damaging to American ...
10.26.2019 Judge orders DOJ to hand over Mueller docs to Dems Katy Tur fills in for Lawrence O’Donnell: A judge has ordered the Department of Justice to turn over grand jury documents from the Mueller investigation to House Democrats. Rudy Giuliani accidentally butt-dialed an NBC reporter and left voicemails regarding “needing ...
10.25.2019 Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on impeachment proceedings and Zuckerberg hearing Tonight on The Last Word: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes her first appearance on The Last Word to discuss the latest headlines in the impeachment investigation, her endorsement of Bernie Sanders, and yesterday’s congressional hearing with Facebook founder and CEO Mark ...
10.24.2019 Pentagon official testifies about Ukraine aid after Republicans disrupted deposition at secure location Tonight on The Last Word: Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official overseeing U.S. policy regarding Ukraine, was deposed by House impeachment investigators after a five-hour delay caused by a group of House Republicans. Also, former Sen. Bill Bradley joins Lawrence to ...
10.23.2019 Top U.S. diplomat contradicts Trump's claim that there wasn't a quid pro quo Tonight on The Last Word: The top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine told Congress that the president's choice to withhold security assistance to Ukraine until it agreed to dig up dirt on the Bidens would endanger the lives of Ukrainians. Also, ...
10.22.2019 NBC News: House Dems zero in on “abuse of power” in Trump impeachment inquiry Tonight on The Last Word: NBC News reports that House Democrats are framing the impeachment case against Trump around “abuse of power” involving Trump’s actions regarding Ukraine. Also, Mimi Rocah and Matt Miller return to discuss the Trump Justice Department ...
10.19.2019 Trump-GOP divide grows as impeachment support increases Tonight on The Last Word: Republicans struggle to credibly defend Trump after his actions in Ukraine, Syria, and with the G7. Tony Schwartz, co-author of Trump’s “Art of the Deal,” talks about why the fear of impeachment has made Trump ...
10.18.2019 Article II: Behind Closed Doors Introducing Article II: Inside Impeachment, a new podcast from NBC News. Seven witnesses have now appeared before Congressional committees to share what they know about the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine. But why is so much of this process behind ...
10.18.2019 White House chief of staff admits quid pro quo with Ukraine Tonight on The Last Word: Mick Mulvaney confirmed that military aid to Ukraine was held up as Trump pushed Ukraine to pursue political investigations. Also, Brett McGurk joins Lawrence to discuss Trump’s actions in Syria. Plus, Bill Kristol and Rick ...
10.17.2019 Dem leaders walk out of White House meeting after Trump “meltdown” Tonight on The Last Word: Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood up to Trump during a White House meeting on Syria after Trump’s “meltdown.” Also, E.J. Dionne and Ben Rhodes join Lawrence to discuss the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passing a bipartisan ...
10.16.2019 State Dept. official George Kent said he was told to “lay low” after raising concerns about Rudy Giuliani Tonight on The Last Word: George Kent, a senior State Department official, told impeachment committees that he raised concerns about Rudy Giuliani's role in Ukraine matters as far back as March. Also, the Wall Street Journal reports that former Republican ...
10.15.2019 NBC News: White House tried to limit testimony of Trump’s former top Russia adviser Fiona Hill Tonight on The Last Word: Correspondence between Fiona Hill's lawyers and White House Deputy Counsel Michael Purpura obtained by NBC News show that the White House tried to limit what Fiona Hill could say to Congress by raising the issue ...
10.12.2019 Yovanovitch: Removal based on “unfounded” claims by people with “questionable motives” Tonight on The Last Word: Fmr. Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch delivers damning testimony about the Trump administration’s foreign policy. Also, New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt shares his scoop about federal prosecutors in Manhattan investigating whether Rudy Giuliani broke lobbying ...
10.11.2019 Giuliani associates arrested on campaign finance charges Tonight on The Last Word: Rudy Giuliani associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, were arrested for campaign finance violations on indictments brought by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. Also, the Washington Post reports that at least four ...
10.10.2019 Rpt: Trump once ordered Tillerson to help Giuliani client facing DOJ charges Tonight on The Last Word: Bloomberg reports that Trump pressed Rex Tillerson to help persuade the Justice Department to drop a criminal case against one of Rudy Giuliani’s clients. Also, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris talks to Lawrence ...
10.09.2019 Pelosi to Trump: "You will be held accountable." Tonight on The Last Word: The New York Times reports that the whistleblower wrote a memo describing a White House official who heard Trump’s Ukraine call as “visibly shaken by what had transpired.” Also, Laurence Tribe analyzes the validity of ...
10.08.2019 Second whistleblower emerges on Trump & Ukraine Tonight on The Last Word: Lawyers for a second whistleblower say that he has “firsthand knowledge” of the Trump-Ukraine controversy that supports the original whistleblower’s claims. Also, the Washington Post reports that House Democrats are considering extreme measures to protect ...
10.05.2019 NYT: 2nd official may blow whistle on Trump’s Ukraine dealings Tonight on The Last Word: The New York Times reports that a second whistleblower may come forward about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. Also, Rachel Maddow joins Lawrence to discuss her new book, “Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the ...
10.04.2019 A day of smoking guns in the growing Trump impeachment investigation Tonight on The Last Word: Trump calls on Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his family. Also, the New York Times reports that Trump’s envoys to Ukraine drafted a statement that would have committed Ukraine to pursuing Trump’s ...
10.03.2019 Rudy Giuliani admits he provided some documents the State Dept. IG flagged to House Committees Tonight on The Last Word: Rudy Giuliani confesses to providing some of the conspiracy-filled materials on Ukraine the State IG flagged to House committees. Also, Sen. Chris Murphy shares his reaction to Mike Pompeo’s admission to being on the Trump-Ukraine ...
10.02.2019 House Chairmen: Pompeo has conflict of interest re: Trump-Ukraine call Tonight on The Last Word: The Chairmen of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight Committees send a letter to the Deputy Secretary of State saying that Mike Pompeo is a fact witness in the House impeachment inquiry and demanding ...
10.01.2019 New reports raise Pompeo, Barr “cover-up” questions Tonight on The Last Word: Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN), Matt Miller, and Nicholas Kristof join Lawrence to discuss new reports about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr. Plus, presidential candidate Senator Cory Booker returns to discuss ...
09.28.2019 Rpt: Trump comments to Russians prompted W.H. officials to limit access to remarks Tonight on The Last Word: The Washington Post reports that Trump told Russian officials in 2017 that he wasn’t concerned about election interference. Also, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine resigns after being named in the whistleblower complaint. Plus, Julian ...
09.27.2019 Whistleblower: WH tried to “lock down” records of Trump’s Ukraine call Tonight on The Last Word: The impeachment investigation of Trump kicks off with acting DNI Joseph Maguire’s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee. Also, former NSA Inspector General Joel Brenner gives Lawrence his assessment of the now-unclassified whistleblower complaint. Plus, ...
09.26.2019 More House Dems come out for impeachment inquiry after reconstructed Trump-Zelenskiy call released Tonight on The Last Word: Larry Pfeiffer, President Obama’s former Director of the White House Situation Room, returns to talk to Lawrence about the memo of Trump’s conversation with President Zelenskiy of Ukraine. Also, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), a ...
09.25.2019 Speaker Pelosi formally announces impeachment inquiry Lawrence interviews Assistant Speaker Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and two freshmen Democrats, Rep. Abigail Spanbger (D-VA) and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) about the swift movement of the House Democratic caucus toward an impeachment inquiry. Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Kamala ...
09.24.2019 Trump admits discussing political rival with Ukraine Tonight on The Last Word: House leadership calls for members-only caucus meeting to discuss impeachment inquiry. Also, Former governor and Republican presidential candidate Bill Weld reacts to a new Washington Post report that Trump ordered a hold on Ukraine military ...
09.21.2019 Rpts: Trump repeatedly pressed Ukraine president to investigate Dem opponent Tonight on The Last Word: Ellen Nakashima of The Washington Post shares the latest developments in news alleging that Trump asked Ukraine to look into Joe Biden’s son in July. Also, Bill Kristol and Evan McMullin return to discuss the ...

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