About (Late) Last Night: Lawrence O' Donnell says 'NBC has created a monster and it is called Donald Trump' [Video]

In the wake of President Obama's news conference in conjunction with the release of his birth certificate Thursday, most commentators took the opportunity to blast Donald Trump, the quasi-presidential candidate and "Celebrity Apprentice" star who's taken up the mantle of birtherism. But MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell took a different tack.

On his show "The Last Word," O'Donnell blasted Trump's employers -- and his own corporate cousins -- at NBC. "NBC has created a monster, and it is called Donald Trump," he began.

Like many others, O'Donnell is convinced that Trump's flirtation with a presidential run is nothing but a shameless grab for publicity. "Trump needs media attention the way the rest of us need air to breathe. He will obviously say and do anything to get media attention."

Once Trump announces he's not running -- which O'Donnell accepts as a given -- "He will be forced to retake his place at the bottom of the celebrity pile with Snooki and the Situation."

In his own Wednesday morning news conference in New Hampshire, Trump said he could not announce his candidacy until "Celebrity Apprentice" winds down May 22. O'Donnell debunked this claim as well, arguing that Trump was not subject to equal-time claims because he hosts an entertainment show, and because simply announcing a candidacy is not the same thing as becoming a legally qualified one.

His conclusion? "Trump is now hiding behind NBC when asked the single most important question in front of him ... and NBC is allowing him to hide behind NBC."

O'Donnell urged his peers in the media to call NBC and ask what the network's plans were for next season with regards to Trump, whom he also called the "most deranged egomaniac" in the network's history. "Those NBC executives should not be allowed to survive another day of involuntary entanglement in the Trump hatred campaign without being asked everything they know about Donald Trump's professional commitments and performance obligations to NBC," he said.

The network announces its fall line-up on May 16, but O'Donnell says the time is now for NBC to distance itself. "NBC has created a monster who is using his NBC fame to spew hatred reeking with racist overtones and undertones about the president of the United States. NBC can no longer stand idly by, not for one more day."

Do you agree?

-- Meredith Blake

twitter.com/MeredithBlake

Comments

[Aundra]

Lawrence O'Donnell is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. And he is the only member of the media who has shown the personal integrity and human decency needed to expose the self-aggrandizing opportunistic motives behind Trump’s carnival side-show. Mr. O’Donnell is on the right track in calling on NBC to reveal the fact that that ridiculous reality TV show has already been renewed, thus exposing Trumps “I can’t announce yet” colossal lie. Donald Trump has a lengthy racist history going back many years, having denied rental opportunities to “the blacks” in his New York apartment buildings. His latest exercise in race bating does not surprise me. But what I find most disturbing is what the media is allowing this lying, arrogant, vulgarian, serial philanderer to get away with. Right before our eyes. In a climate of hatred that was already intensifying, dormant angers are being stoked, fragile psychoses exploited, and irrational thinking is being encouraged by this hate-mongering “carnival barker”. Let’s hope that Lawrence O’Donnell’s pleas to NBC are soon heard and produce some action.

[C]

Dear Mr. O'Donnell, God Bless you for calling it as you see it.
I am having a tee shirt made with the following;
" Birther and Tea Party, code name for Racist"

please continue to beat those Rats back in their holes, now that we know their faces, God promises to reveal our enemies and boy O' boy has he kept his word.
What can we do to get him back in is HOlE?

[حجوزات فنادق]

Good post....thanks for sharing..

[tygirl]

NBC has lost me as a viewer. If any network can allow some ego maniac insult THE PRESIDENT of THE UNITED STATES in the manner THE CLOWN TRUMP has, they are not worthy of me as a viewer. I don't even turn my tv on NBC. Not anything on NBC for me. The NBC affilates has become the second most terriosts channel in this country.

[Patrick O'Brien]

NBC should cancel Donald Trump's program. If they don't, they are s guilty of racism as is he. If they don't, they will undoubtedly see their advertising pocketbook become depleted. It's about time for corporations to stand up to racism and realize it is not only morally right but that it is in the best interests of their bottom line. As with Glenn Beck on Fox, the public will implore advertisers to abandon Mr. Trump. When clowns run the circus, the circus is broken.

[prw58]

I think Trump is more ignorant than a racist.....He is a opportunist and and a disgrace to America and it's a mystery to me why NBC would want to be associated with this buffoon.

[Nick Maes]

Thank you for describing this country as aRacist country. I feel O'Bama
is a brilliant President & I felt the same for President Clinton. I loved the
way he drove those Republicans crazy. After watching you last night, I
started watching the McLaughlin Group with his Republican allstars, Pat
Buchanan, Monica Crowley & of course McLaughlin who are complaining
about the Hispanics in this country. Too many Hispanics, oh my goodness
what is this country coming to. Well lets see, in 1492 Columbus sailed the
ocean blue. Now who hired Columbus, the Spanish Crown, Queen Isabella.
Who was here first beside the native Indians the Hispanics. My family goes
back to 1500's. They had Spanish land grants in the Southwest. My family
has served this country as far back as the civil war. We have served this
country from the 2nd World War to the present. I served for 20 years .
My question is this , where did these two individuals serve. These were two
Deferment Specialists. VP Cheny had five & I wander how many these two
had. I enjoy your show & keep up the good work

[M Schwartz]

The only one spewing hatred is Lawrence O'Donnell.

Please stop trying to deflect questions or criticisms about Obama by pulling the race card. He's President, he's big enough to handle some scrutiny just as Bush was.

[John]

Absolutely --the man has made himself a pariah and rapidly becoming the most hated man in America.

Someone should do some investigating because he may be going broke and unable to make enough money to pay his bills. His mansion cost 1mil alone for taxes. Is what we hear is his tantrums of his ego being deflated and his money dwindles?

This is an idiot that claims he "has a lot...really really a lot of money" He sounds like a 5 year old with a piggy bank. So he wants to build a large ballroom onto the White House if he is president and he said "its also near a golf course and I am really a good golfer and would love to be invited to play golf with Obama and the winner will be president" Stupidity in its highest form. What good is a big ballroom going to be for the people of this country or golf course.

[cj]

Mr Odonnell I think it is time to cancel your program or better yet take a cap salary of $40,000 per year. You are always talking about the rich and the republicans being on the side of the rich. I think it would be wonderful for you to take the lead for us poor middle class citizens. In fact you could live in a neighborhood with some of stupid middle class citizens who are god fearing. No more parties with the stars, cocktail parties, country club memberships etc. You are always fighting to get us lower folks get new social programs so I think all of you high paid news commentators should tell msnbc that you do not want the high salaries or benefits anymore and want to live like us low to middle class citizens.