Lawrence O'Donnell mocked President Trump after he signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, calling the president's announcement a "surrender and humiliation." The measure passed both chambers in a near‑unanimous vote after months of dispute and an 11th‑hour Situation Room meeting. O'Donnell criticized Trump for claiming credit while having resisted the bill until defeat was certain, and he noted the unusual silence among Republican senators before the vote.
O'Donnell Mounds Over Trump's 'Humiliating Surrender' After He Signs Epstein Files Transparency Act
Lawrence O'Donnell mocked President Trump after he signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, calling the president's announcement a "surrender and humiliation." The measure passed both chambers in a near‑unanimous vote after months of dispute and an 11th‑hour Situation Room meeting. O'Donnell criticized Trump for claiming credit while having resisted the bill until defeat was certain, and he noted the unusual silence among Republican senators before the vote.
01:53 AM, 11/21/2025Politics
MS host Lawrence O'Donnell criticized President Donald Trump after Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, calling the move a "surrender and humiliation" following a prolonged fight over the measure.
The dispute stretched for months and — according to reporting — included an 11th‑hour pressure meeting in the Situation Room. Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate approved the bill to release the Epstein files in a near‑unanimous vote.
Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday night announcing he had signed the bill and, in the same post, claimed credit for the measure's passage. O'Donnell called that claim misleading given Trump's resistance to the bill until it became clear he would lose the vote.
O' DONNELL: "Tonight, Donald Trump put his surrender and humiliation in writing in capital letters in a tweet saying, 'I have just signed the bill to release the Epstein files.' While he was at it, Donald Trump once again treated his true believers as if he believes they are the stupidest people in the world."
O'Donnell argued that Trump repeatedly fought the legislation and only conceded when warned he would be defeated in both chambers — particularly the Senate, where procedures such as unanimous consent can be used to stall or block measures. He noted the surprising silence from many Republican senators in the days before the vote: few publicly pledged to block the bill, and none mounted a visible procedural effort to stop it.
O'Donnell also highlighted Trump's post claiming he asked Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator John Thune to move the bill forward — a claim O'Donnell said misrepresents the president's earlier opposition and the reality of how the vote unfolded.
The segment concluded with O'Donnell urging viewers to watch the full discussion on his program for more context on how the bill advanced despite the president's objections.