On his show, MS NOW, Lawrence O’Donnell applauded ABC News reporter Rachel Scott for her bold questioning of President Donald Trump.
During a press briefing, Scott asked Trump about his earlier commitment to release the full video of a U.S. military operation involving alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean. Trump denied making any such promise, but Scott reminded him that he did. After airing this exchange, O’Donnell declared, ‘That’s how you do it.’
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O’Donnell stressed that every reporter should confront Trump decisively like Scott did. When Trump responded to Scott, claiming she was spreading ‘fake news’, Scott shot back, asserting that Trump had in fact mentioned he would address the release.
O’Donnell emphasized the importance of standing firm, remarking that ‘you don’t let him spin his lies.’
Scott pressed Trump about his commitment to share footage of the controversial strike from September 2, which seemingly included a strike on survivors of the operation, raising serious ethical concerns over potential war crimes.
Trump had mentioned just a week before that he would ‘definitely release’ the footage, but during the press conference, he denied ever saying anything of the sort, leading to Scott reminding him that the decision lay with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
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In a frustrated outburst, Trump told Scott, ‘You are the most obnoxious reporter here… and you always ask the same questions.’ He tried to deflect by saying Hegseth’s decisions were acceptable to him.
O’Donnell noted how quickly Trump altered his narrative following Scott’s pointed questioning, revealing the complexities behind the footage only after Scott mentioned Hegseth’s review status. After further questioning, Trump ended up saying, ‘Whatever he [Hegseth] decides is fine by me.‘
O’Donnell then stated, ‘It’s clear Trump would instruct Hegseth to release the video, or not, believing it might appear damning.‘
In recent press engagements, Trump has repeatedly hurled insults at female journalists, especially regarding the September incident, leading to a heated moment with CNN host Kaitlan Collins last week.
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O’Donnell wrapped up by pointing out that Trump’s administration has previously shared graphics of other military strikes on social media, calling into question why they wouldn’t permit the release of this one.
Concluding his segment, O’Donnell issued a rallying call for all reporters: ‘If Trump hasn’t called you a terrible reporter or the most annoying one, you’re not doing your job correctly — you’re missing the mark.‘
