MS NOW's Jen Psaki Laughs Through Segment Mocking Trump as Lawrence O'Donnell Criticises Pentagon

President Donald Trump was mocked on MS NOW this week as host Jen Psaki laughed through a segment that cast him as an awards-obsessed figure while Lawrence O'Donnell ridiculed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Pentagon's treatment of reporters.

The exchange aired on Tuesday 25 March as the Trump administration faced renewed criticism over press restrictions during the Iran conflict, with Trump, Hegseth and the White House again colliding with the media in full public view.

Trump, Pete Hegseth And A Pentagon Press Crackdown

The immediate trigger for the mockery was Trump's Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and his role fronting the administration's new line on access for reporters. On Tuesday night's edition of The Last Word on MS NOW, O'Donnell introduced Psaki with a barbed question that set the tone for the segment.

'Hey, Jen. How does it feel to be one of the many people who are braver than Pete Hegseth,' he asked, as the pair burst into laughter on the 25 March broadcast.

O'Donnell then pressed the point, accusing Hegseth of avoiding scrutiny. 'Willing to actually face — face reporters' questions? What does that feel like?' he continued.

Psaki, who previously served as White House press secretary before becoming a television host, replied that the administration's behaviour sat awkwardly with its rhetoric about the conflict.

'The bar is low there, Lawrence, but it does feel like if you're so proud of this war, why are you knocking all the press corps out to the annex in the parking lot of the Department of Defense?' she said.

O'Donnell accused Hegseth of preferring friendly interviews to genuine questioning. 'And you're so proud of your war that you can only take easy questions from friendly reporters, propagandists like yourself. That's his official position, I guess,' he said.

The two hosts framed Hegseth as both architect and beneficiary of the new media regime around the Pentagon. O'Donnell argued that the one thing Hegseth 'cannot do' is what Psaki used to do for a living, namely stand at a podium and take unscripted questions on camera. 'He has now proved that he's afraid to do that. He'd never try to do that. And it makes you one of many, many people actually way braver than Pete Hegseth,' O'Donnell told her.

Psaki went further, tying Hegseth's comments on Iran directly to the administration's strategy. Referring to reports of a 15‑point proposal being sent to Tehran, she said, 'He talked about how he's part of the negotiation by bombing the same day that they reportedly sent, who knows? It could be one page, we don't know, a 15‑point plan over to the Iranians. He kind of is. He's got like one speed and one trick.'

Jen Psaki Brands Trump An 'Insecure Man Baby'

The laughter at Trump's team on The Last Word was only the start. On her own programme, The Briefing with Jen Psaki, the 47‑year‑old host turned her fire directly on the president and his Republican allies on Capitol Hill.

Psaki told viewers that Senator Markwayne Johnson and other Republicans had created 'yet another participation trophy' for Trump, in the form of a new 'America first' award. She described it as something designed 'to give their very special boy in the White House to make sure he feels good about himself'.

'I know what you're thinking. Did the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize winner really just take home the inaugural America first award? What are the chances the same guy who also won the undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal award just last month. Is that even legal?' she said.

Referring to Trump's growing collection of ceremonial honours, including the 'America First' award and a previous 'Beautiful Clean Coal Award', Psaki said, 'It's like the EGOT for insecure man baby presidents, all of these awards together,' she told viewers.

In entertainment, an EGOT refers to someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.

'And look, any other adult in this country would feel completely embarrassed by the patronizing way that Trump is showered with fake awards on a near-daily basis,' she concluded.

War, Words And A President Under Media Fire

The exchanges on MS NOW took place as Trump's critics continued to raise concerns about his conduct during the Iran conflict and his attitude towards the press. The report notes that the president claimed he had been advised not to refer to the Middle East crisis as 'a war'.

According to the report, the Pentagon had imposed new limits on journalists covering defence briefings, only for a federal judge to overturn those restrictions. In response, the Department of Defense closed its media offices and said they would be replaced with an annex outside the main building.

Trump and his team have launched what was described as a 'relentless stream of attacks' on the media over their war coverage. Supporters of the president argue that many outlets treat him unfairly and misrepresent his policies. His opponents, including O'Donnell and Psaki, counter that efforts to sideline reporters and stage‑manage appearances are part of a broader pattern of hostility to scrutiny.