MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell Slams Republicans for Calling Trump’s Win a ‘Landslide’

MSNBC’s The Last Word host Lawrence O’Donnell has sharply criticized Republicans who have referred to former President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2020 election as a “landslide.” O’Donnell vehemently disagrees with the characterization, stating, “If you hear anyone calling this election a landslide, please stop listening.”

He argues that the term “landslide” is being misapplied, pointing out that the results of the 2020 election, where Trump won by a relatively narrow margin in the Electoral College, do not meet the historical threshold for what is commonly understood as a landslide.

O’Donnell emphasizes that real landslides in U.S. political history have been much more decisive, both in terms of the popular vote and the electoral results, referencing the overwhelming victories of past presidents like Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.

To further illustrate his point, O’Donnell cites the 1996 election, where Bill Clinton won re-election by 9 points, yet the media did not refer to it as a landslide. He compares this to Reagan’s 1984 re-election, where he won 49 states, or Nixon’s 1972 victory, which also saw him winning 49 states and defeating George McGovern by a staggering 23 points.

These were victories that were so sweeping in their scope that they qualified as true landslides, according to O’Donnell. The historian and political commentator contrasts these substantial margins with Trump’s 2020 victory, which, while significant, was much narrower, with a divided electorate and a contentious battle in key swing states.

O’Donnell wraps up his criticism by reflecting on the historical precedent of what a real landslide looks like in U.S. elections. He recalls Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 landslide victory, where Democrats not only secured the White House in a dramatic fashion but also saw massive gains in Congress, adding 97 seats in the House of Representatives and 12 seats in the Senate.

This, in O’Donnell’s view, is what constitutes a landslide: a commanding, overwhelming win that reshapes the political landscape. In contrast, Trump’s win, while important, did not meet the scale or impact of these historical examples, and O’Donnell believes it should not be mischaracterized as such.