In a rare instance of intra-media criticism, MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell unleashed a scathing monologue on his show “The Last Word” on Monday, October 6, 2025, targeting CNN and its host Jake Tapper for conducting what he described as a questionable “text message interview” with President Donald Trump.
O’Donnell argued that the format undermines journalistic integrity, as CNN has no way to verify that Trump himself was responding to the questions.
The controversy stems from a segment aired on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, where Tapper presented responses purportedly from Trump via text messages. The questions covered topics like Trump’s recent public statements and policy positions, but O’Donnell dismissed them as “softballs” that failed to hold the president accountable.
He further highlighted that CNN disclosed Trump had declined to answer several queries, yet the network proceeded to broadcast the incomplete exchange without further scrutiny.
“And so yesterday morning, CNN presented an interview with Donald Trump that they can’t even prove was Donald Trump,” O’Donnell stated during his broadcast, emphasizing the potential for staffers or aides to have crafted the responses instead.
While O’Donnell avoided naming Tapper directly in parts of his segment, the criticism was clearly aimed at the CNN anchor, who has been a prominent figure in political coverage.
This exchange has sparked reactions across social media, with users on X (formerly Twitter) sharing clips and articles, some mocking the media infighting as a “cat fight” between outlets, while others echoed O’Donnell’s concerns about verification in journalism.
Conservative commentators, in particular, have highlighted the irony of left-leaning networks clashing over coverage of Trump, with one post calling O’Donnell a “buffoon” for his outburst.
Neither CNN nor Tapper has publicly responded to O’Donnell’s remarks as of October 8, 2025. The incident comes amid ongoing debates about media access to high-profile figures like Trump, who has frequently opted for non-traditional interview formats since his return to the White House. Critics argue such methods allow for curated responses, while supporters see them as efficient in a fast-paced news cycle.
This episode underscores tensions within the cable news landscape, where competition for exclusive content can sometimes lead to unconventional approaches—and subsequent backlash from peers.
