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There’s a word that — in my opinion — many cable news hosts often lack: conviction. The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, seen on MSNBC, rarely lacks conviction.
Let me take that back. There are plenty of hosts who operate with performative conviction. But it’s clear that Lawrence O’Donnell has an authentic conviction, especially during his monologues.
At least, that’s the perception I have of him. While others in the cable news primetime space — namely Jesse Watters of Fox News — feature a more sarcastic approach to the opening monologue (which I’ll always have an appreciation for), few rival the ability of Lawrence O’Donnell to deliver the serious-as-a-heart-attack monologues.
I sat down to watch Tuesday’s episode of The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell to see if that perception actually mimicked reality.
In his show on Tuesday, Lawrence O’Donnell broke down Donald Trump’s claim that if he “returned the tariff money he illegally took,” the U.S. would experience a “1929-style result.” O’Donnell treated the statement not as a slip of the tongue, but as a window into the way Trump frames the economy — with himself at the center of every equation.
The good in this portion of the show was easy to spot. O’Donnell’s pacing was deliberate…until it’s time to land the punch. Then his tone shifted between mock-seriousness and incredulous critique. He has a knack for distilling the perceived absurdity into plain English. By pointing out that tariffs aren’t personal funds to “return,” he grounds the audience in basic economic reality before dismantling the hyperbole. It’s sharp, concise, and undeniably watchable.
There is weakness, however. It comes in the form of insulation. There’s an assumption by O’Donnell that his viewers already share the outrage. There isn’t a bridge built to viewer who might not completely agree with the premise of the argument, which isn’t unheard of in cable news. The sarcasm is sharp enough that some of the nuance could be lost on anyone not already on his wavelength. Perhaps just a touch more setup — would have made the segment more accessible without losing its sting.
Still, in less than five minutes, O’Donnell stripped away the bluster, undercut the logic, and left no doubt about where he stands. It’s a textbook example of how to control a segment from open to close.
What sets Lawrence O’Donnell apart from so many other cable news hosts is that his outrage is rarely empty. He isn’t in the business of tossing gasoline on a story just to watch it burn; he wants viewers to understand why the fire started in the first place. That’s a subtle but important distinction, and it’s why The Last Word continues to thrive in a crowded prime-time environment.
O’Donnell’s authority comes from more than just the anchor desk. He’s been on the inside of Washington politics as a Senate aide and behind the camera as a writer and producer on The West Wing. That background gives him a working knowledge of how policy is made, how power is exercised, and how political narratives are built. When he unpacks a statement like Trump’s tariff prediction, he isn’t just rolling his eyes — he’s placing it in a larger framework of political messaging and economic history.
His delivery is part of the appeal. O’Donnell knows how to use silence and pacing as weapons. He can start with a slow, deliberate read of a quote, letting its absurdity hang in the air, before driving home his critique with an unmistakable edge. It’s the same style that makes his monologues compelling, whether you agree with him or not. You can feel that he’s building toward a point rather than just reacting in real time.
Of course, there’s risk in that approach. O’Donnell has had moments where his zeal has outpaced his caution, most famously in 2019 when he had to retract an unverified Trump-Russia story. But that retraction is also part of what makes him credible. In an industry where doubling down is the default, O’Donnell admitted the error and moved on. That willingness to own mistakes is rare, and it reinforces the idea that his commentary is rooted in more than partisanship. It doesn’t, however, make him bulletproof. But I also don’t think he pretends to be, either.
His staying power also says something. Ratings are the currency of cable news, and O’Donnell consistently outperforms his competition in the time slot, often beating CNN’s offering and holding second place only to Fox News’ Gutfeld! in total viewers. That doesn’t happen without a connection to the audience. He’s built trust with his viewers by being a consistent voice — the same analytical, occasionally cutting perspective night after night.
There’s also a human side that slips through, even if only occasionally. Earlier this year, he took time off, citing exhaustion from covering the relentless pace and chaos of the Trump presidency. That kind of candor isn’t always common in primetime. It’s a reminder that behind the sharp wit and the political acumen is someone who understands the personal toll of doing this work night after night.
O’Donnell is not without his detractors, and there are nights when his sarcasm leaves little room for persuasion. But persuasion isn’t always the point. His show isn’t designed as a debate stage. The segment about tariffs is a perfect example — he could have mocked it and moved on, but instead he dissected it, laid it against economic reality, and left viewers with a clearer understanding of both the claim and the claim-maker.
That’s the job of an opinion host. It’s not to be the loudest voice in the room, but to be the one whose argument survives after the volume comes down. The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell does that as well as anyone in cable news.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.