On Monday, Lawrence O’Donnell, host of MS NOW, criticized President Donald Trump by calling him “the stupidest litigant in history to ever sue himself.” This comment followed Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to secure $1.8 billion in taxpayer money, with a federal judge declaring the lawsuit “improper.”
In January, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service after a contractor leaked his tax returns during his first term. He later sought to withdraw the case in exchange for a $1.8 billion fund intended for individuals who claimed they were unfairly targeted by the Department of Justice.
U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams delivered a strong rebuke to Trump with her ruling on Monday.
O’Donnell highlighted Judge Williams’s methodical dismantling of Trump’s lawsuit, spanning 56 pages, and her strategic use of Trump’s own admission on page 43. O’Donnell described this as a dramatic revelation, quoting Trump as “the stupidest litigant in history to ever sue himself.” he said.
During his show, “The Last Word,” O’Donnell played a clip of Trump from October where he stated, “I’m sort of suing myself, I don’t know.” Judge Williams used this statement as evidence, asserting the lawsuit was filed for an “improper purpose” and suggesting sanctions against Trump’s lawyers.
O’Donnell pointed out that Trump admitted to effectively suing himself by seeking funds from an entity he controls, doing so even after the statute of limitations expired. Additionally, Williams used arguments from Trump’s own allies to counter his case.
According to O’Donnell, Williams meticulously based her findings on Supreme Court cases authored by Trump’s supporters, emphasizing that everyone in the executive branch operates under the president’s direct control.
The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that Trump attempted to establish aimed to support his followers, including those involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, and others who allege victimization by the DOJ during Joe Biden’s presidency.
“Judges have a responsibility to ensure the courts remain open to all to pursue claims in good faith,” Williams wrote Monday. “They have an equally important responsibility to ensure courts are not abused for improper purposes.”
The federal judge continued, directly citing Trump himself, “Certainly, a court should not be a forum for a party that cynically views a lawsuit as a vehicle to achieve a predetermined outcome: ‘I’m suing myself.’”
O’Donnell argued in his monologue Monday that Trump’s continued attempts to enrich and empower himself are brazenly transparent, stating, “The judge can see what everyone in America can see when the Trump Cabinet is gathered on TV to publicly worship him.”
He concluded, “Every member of the Trump Cabinet was chosen for their flawless cowardice.”
