MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell on Tuesday lambasted President Donald Trump for insulting critics of his steep international tariffs, and noted during a scorching monologue on “The Last Word” that nearly two-thirds of Americans are opposed to the trade policy.
“Sixty-five percent of Americans oppose the Trump tariffs and Donald Trump’s response to that is to call them ‘fools,’ with an exclamation point,” said O’Donnell. “Sixty-five percent of the country knows that Donald Trump’s tariffs are causing inflation.”
“Sixty-five percent know that the Trump tariffs are economically hurting them,” he added. “And Donald Trump calls them ‘fools’ — and then says he wants to send them all a check for $2,000 to compensate for the economic harm that his tariffs have caused those people.”
O’Donnell noted that even The Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial board has objected to Trump’s premise that these trade levies are popular, writing Sunday that “if tariffs are a free economic lunch, and their benefits abound, why offer a rebate?”
O’Donnell was citing a Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos survey that found 65% of U.S. adults disapproved of Trump’s tariffs in an Oct. 24-28 poll. This was notably up from 61% of people who disapproved in a Pew Research Center poll from August.
“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS!” Trump wrote Sunday on his Truth Social platform. “We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401K’s are Highest Ever.”
Trump announced in that same social media post: “A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
“Donald Trump is the most inconsistent, incoherent, ignorant federal elected official in history on the subject of tariffs,” O’Donnell said Tuesday, arguing that the president’s daily “madness” has distracted the media from reacting to Trump’s insult with the outrage it deserves.
Then he asked viewers to imagine what would happen if a Democratic president had said something like that.
“Imagine the number of articles that would pour forth out of the Washington news media about ‘how elitist and out of touch that Democrat is’ for saying 65% of the American people are fools,” he said, arguing that the press has been “understandably” worn down.
Trump announced a sweeping 10% baseline tariff in April on all imported goods, with levies on select countries set even higher. The specifics have fluctuated since, while the initial announcement sent markets into upheaval — sparking fears of a global recession.
U.S. Supreme Court justices last week appeared skeptical about Trump even having the authority to impose those tariffs without congressional approval, which he has done by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Trump appeared nervous about this on social media Tuesday, as a ruling in the case is expected early next year. He warned losses from reversing the tariffs would “not be possible” and would cost $3 trillion, prompting a fact check from O’Donnell.
“That is a complete lie,” the pundit countered Tuesday.
“Only $195 billion has been collected in Trump tariffs and all of that could easily be refunded,” O’Donnell said. “The IRS refunds that much every year in overpaid income taxes … and it’s just as easy as the refund that the Treasury sends to millions and millions of taxpayers every year.”
