MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell sharply criticized Vice President JD Vance on Thursday, comparing him to former Vice President Gerald Ford over what he characterized as Vance’s silence regarding newly released Jeffrey Epstein emails that reference President Donald Trump.
On his program “The Last Word,” O’Donnell drew a pointed parallel between Vance’s current posture and Ford’s behavior during the Watergate scandal. O’Donnell compared JD Vance’s current silence to that of Gerald Ford during the final days of the Nixon presidency, noting that, just as Ford remained quiet when Nixon was in deep political trouble, Vance has chosen not to speak out. According to O’Donnell, “Tonight, JD Vance is Gerald Ford.”
The remarks followed the House Oversight Committee’s release of Epstein emails on Wednesday. Among the documents, one email showed Epstein calling Trump “evil beyond belief.” The committee’s release sparked renewed questions about Trump’s past association with the convicted sex offender.
Vance responded to O’Donnell’s criticism on Thursday, posting on X that he had conducted two media interviews that day. He said that one was airing in a few hours and shared O’Donnell’s 18-minute statement.
One of those interviews was with Fox News host Sean Hannity. However, O’Donnell noted that during the Hannity conversation, the vice president never addressed the Epstein controversy. Vance did not mention Epstein during his Fox News appearance.
O’Donnell addressed Vance’s social media response during Thursday’s broadcast, stating that the vice president never said the word Epstein and never said the words Ghislaine Maxwell during his Fox News appearance. He emphasized that Vance stayed absolutely silent about what he termed the worst challenge Trump is facing.
The MSNBC host also criticized Trump’s own silence on the matter. He noted that Trump, whom he described as the most talkative president in history, spent the day in silence about the story.
O’Donnell emphasized that in one email, Epstein called Trump “evil beyond belief.”
O’Donnell returned to his comparison with Ford, explaining that Ford said nothing during Nixon’s darkest days. He suggested Vance’s silence might stem from similar calculations.
In a follow-up post on X Thursday night, O’Donnell directly addressed Vance’s claim about conducting interviews, writing: “Not a single question or answer about Epstein. Your silence continues. You are Gerald Ford tonight.”
The exchange highlighted the ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s former relationship with Epstein and the political calculations being made by those in his administration as the House Oversight Committee continues releasing documents from Epstein’s estate.
