The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet as the fighting continues in Ukraine. Also, the Justice Department rescinds an order to take over the Washington, D.C. police. And Rep. Ro Khanna plans to introduce a bill to repeal tariffs on coffee. Timothy Snyder, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (ret.), Amb. Michael McFaul, Ben Rhodes, Lisa Rubin, and Rep. Ro Khanna join Ali Velshi.

Tonight on The Last Word: California Gov. Gavin Newsom fights back against the Texas redistricting scheme. Also, AARP finds 96 percent of voters say social security is “important.” Plus, Donald Trump breaks his “day one” vow to lower costs as prices rise since his election win. Trump deflects again from his failed campaign promise to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. And ethics questions are raised over Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s assets. Rep. Eric Swalwell, Sen. Ed Markey, Jared Bernstein, David Rothkopf, and Alan Rappeport join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee question the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer. Also, Donald Trump refers to Saint Petersburg by its Soviet-era name. And The New Yorker reports the Trump family has made an estimated $3.4 billion off his presidency so far. Rep. Jamie Raskin, Amb. Wendy Sherman, and David Kirkpatrick join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump is trying to distract from the Epstein scandal. Also, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says Trump’s Justice Department “doesn’t care about truth or law.” And Trump lashes out at criticism of his tariff chaos. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Paul Krugman join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: A federal judge rejects the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts in Ghislaine Maxwell’s case. And the Congressional Budget Office reports Donald Trump’s tax law boosts income for the rich while leaving the poorest Americans with less. Rep. Daniel Goldman, Andrew Weissmann, and Rep. Brendan Boyle join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Texas Republicans’ attempt to remove Democrats goes to the state Supreme Court. Also, the Justice Department requests for the unsealing of the grand jury exhibits and transcripts in the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases. Plus, nearly two million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits. And the Supreme Court is poised to come for the Voting Rights Act. Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Heather Long, Conor Lamb, and Melissa Murray join Jonathan Capehart.

Tonight on The Last Word: Trump officials met at the White House and discussed Jeffrey Epstein. Also, The New York Times reports Donald Trump delayed a Medicare change after receiving a $5 million donation. And Trump adopts Project 2025’s warped view of U.S history. Lisa Rubin, Ken Vogel, and David Blight join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats introduce a resolution opposing clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell. Also, Donald Trump sets off a congressional redistricting battle. And new reporting finds Elon Musk gave $15 million to support Trump and Republicans amid their public feud. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, and Joe Miller join Lawrence O’Donnell.

August 5, 2025, 10pm; Tonight on The Last Word: The House Oversight Committee issues subpoenas for Epstein documents. And Donald Trump defends firing a labor official after a weak jobs report. Rep. Ro Khanna, Andrew Weissmann, and Paul Krugman join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Ghislaine Maxwell is moved to a lower-security prison after meeting with the Trump Justice Department. And Texas Democrats flee the state to block a gerrymandered GOP map. Andrew Weissmann, Texas Rep. Mihaela Plesa, and Texas Rep. Erin Zwiener join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: The U.S. economy adds just 73,000 jobs in July. Also, international outrage over starvation in Gaza is growing. Plus, Democrats pledge to fight Donald Trump and the GOP on gerrymandering. And the Smithsonian removes references of Trump’s impeachments from an exhibit. Dan Osborn, Ben Rhodes, Colin Allred, and Garrett Graff join Ali Velshi.

Tonight on The Last Word: The family of Virginia Giuffre speaks out against a potential Trump pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. Also, Donald Trump unveils a wave of new tariffs hours before the August 1 trade deadline. Plus, a new Gallup poll shows momentum moving towards Democrats. And Trump escalates a war of words with a top Russian official. Rep. Robert Garcia, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Suzan DelBene, and Amb. Michael McFaul join Jonathan Capehart.

Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats eye an obscure law to force the release of the Epstein files. Also, Donald Trump pushes Texas gerrymandering to help House Republicans. Plus, the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid is marked by deep Trump-GOP cuts. And a former Navajo president launches a campaign to unseat Arizona GOP Rep. Eli Crane. Harry Litman, Heather Long, Rep. Julie Johnson, Rep. Glenn Ivey, Norm Ornstein, and Jonathan Nez join Jonathan Capehart.

Tonight on The Last Word: The House Oversight Committee rejects Ghislaine Maxwell’s immunity request. Also, former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper launches his U.S. Senate bid. Plus, Trump fails to “make America affordable again.” And Democratic attorneys general sue to block Trump’s SNAP data order. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Barbara McQuade, Jennifer Rubin, Anderson Clayton, Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown join Jonathan Capehart.

Tonight on The Last Word: Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is granted limited immunity during meetings with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Also, Axios reports Nevada swing state voters are turning on Donald Trump. Plus, the Trump administration backs down and releases over $5 billion in Education Department funds. And a Republican congressman is caught misrepresenting his grandfather’s “legal” immigration story. Lisa Rubin, Rep. Wesley Bell, Margaret Talev, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, and Chase Woodruff join Ali Velshi.

Tonight on The Last Word: A Trump Justice Department lawyer meets with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Also, Sen. Ruben Gallego calls out Donald Trump and the Justice Department for the Epstein “coverup.” And The New York Times reveals Ghislaine Maxwell’s letter to Jeffrey Epstein in the birthday book. Andrew Weissmann, Christopher O’Leary, Sen. Ruben Gallego, and Barry Levine join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Bradley Edwards, an attorney for over 200 of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, joins Lawrence O’Donnell for an exclusive interview and reveals that he believes the Jeffrey Epstein birthday book with a letter bearing Donald Trump’s name as reported first by The Wall Street Journal is in possession of the Epstein estate. Rep. Ro Khanna and Andrew Weissmann also join to react to the breaking news.

Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats back the push to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Also, the Senate advances Emil Bove’s federal judge nomination. And a recent poll finds Americans are opposed to Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Rep. Ro Khanna, Mimi Rocah, Tim O’Brien, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump remains silent today on the Epstein files scandal. And Harvard University argues in court that Trump’s funding cuts are illegal. Rep. Daniel Goldman, Rep. Ro Khanna, and Laurence Tribe join Lawrence O’Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump sues the Wall Street Journal over the story on the alleged letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein bearing Trump’s name. Also, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is investigating Epstein’s financial network. And the White House dodges one reporter’s question after Trump tells an imagined story about his uncle and the Unabomber. Mimi Rocah, Tim O’Brien, Matthew Goldstein, and Andrew Feinberg join Lawrence O’Donnell.