MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell Temporarily Departs Show, Cites ‘Exhaustion’ After Trump’s First 52 Days
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell announced that he is stepping away from his show, The Last Word, citing exhaustion after President Donald Trump’s first 50 days in office. The liberal host, known for his sharp criticism of Trump, admitted that he needed a break from the relentless coverage of the administration’s successful start.
During a conversation with fellow MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on The Rachel Maddow Show, O’Donnell explained that he found it difficult to keep pace with Maddow’s commitment to covering the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.
“This is day 52; I thought it was day 92,” O’Donnell remarked.
“So I’m going to take next week off. And I’m telling you that now because I know you don’t like it when I just drift away. Just taking next week off. Then I’m going to come back and go with you all the way to the 800 days. I can’t. I know,” he added.
Maddow, visibly disappointed but attempting to remain supportive, responded, “We all tell each other you have to take care of yourself, you have to pace yourself, you have to be in this for the long haul. So I can’t hold it against you, but I’m very sad.”
O’Donnell, acknowledging the ongoing political developments he would be missing, joked, “Can you hold this against me? Can you hold this against me? I’m going to get a head start by taking tomorrow off.”
The timing of O’Donnell’s decision comes as Trump continues pushing forward with his agenda, delivering on key promises and reshaping Washington.
His admission underscored what many have long suspected—liberal media figures are struggling to cope with the success of Trump’s presidency.
O’Donnell’s frustration with the Trump era has been apparent in his on-air rhetoric. Recently, he made headlines after claiming that Trump’s brain was “broken” and “badly damaged” simply because the president criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as Trending Politics reported.
“So America is at this hour completing the 52nd day of having a President of the United States whose brain does not work,” O’Donnell claimed on air.
“Donald Trump’s brain is broken, badly damaged, as he exhibits every day. And once again, today, Donald Trump said something that would have gotten any other president rushed to the hospital for a neurological examination and an evaluation for dementia, for starters.”
Despite his claims about Trump’s mental state, O’Donnell took a starkly different tone when interviewing former President Joe Biden. While Biden’s frequent mental lapses have been widely documented, O’Donnell used their interview to praise Biden and his policies instead of raising concerns.
O’Donnell’s career has long been tied to left-wing politics. Before his role at MSNBC, he worked as a legislative aide to Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and served as a staff director for the Senate Finance Committee. Additionally, he was a producer and writer for the political drama The West Wing.
His decision to step away, even briefly, highlights the growing difficulty for left-wing media figures to maintain their narrative amid Trump’s continued political momentum.
O’Donnell was heavily criticized online over his decision, with users claiming that the MSNBC host suffers from “Trump derangement syndrome” (TDS).
“Estrogen-filled whiny leftist host Lawrence O’Donnell needs a week off due to YDS,” X user Attila the Fun wrote.
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