VP Vance Pushes Back On The Gerald Ford Comparison

Please consider $upporting GDPolitics by scanning the QR code below or clicking on this link

On the 11/12/25 edition of The Last Word with Lawrence Oโ€™Donnell, host Lawrence Oโ€™Donnell made a striking observation: current Vice President J.D. Vanceโ€™s near-silence on the swirling Jeffrey Epstein files scandal mirrors the posture then-Vice President Gerald Ford assumed as Richard Nixonโ€™s presidency was collapsing under the weight of Watergate. Oโ€™Donnell pointed out that Ford, sensing the sinking of Nixonโ€™s Presidency, deliberately kept his head downโ€”he knew the ghosts of Nixon would dog his tenure if he didnโ€™t distance himself.

By the same logic, Oโ€™Donnell argued, Vance appears to be doing exactly that: he knows the Epstein files may blow up and run Donald Trump out of office, and thus is doing everything he can to not get sucked into the scandal, to avoid becoming the next Ford.

As expected, social media erupted following Oโ€™Donnellโ€™s segment. I posted a clip of the show, and to my surprise the reaction came from none other than the Vice President himself. Thatโ€™s how provocative the comparison proved.

In his response, Vance strongly objected to Oโ€™Donnellโ€™s suggestion that he was intentionally silent about the Epstein scandal. Vance pointed out that he had addressed the issue in prior TV appearancesโ€”citing his interview on Hannity scheduled for 11/13/25, which coincided with the date I posted the segment.

Interestingly, in that very 11/13/25 show Oโ€™Donnell claimed Vance had in fact ignored the Epstein issue entirelyโ€”and reaffirmed: โ€œHeโ€™s still Gerald Ford.โ€

Now that the โ€œGerald Fordโ€ comparison has caught Vanceโ€™s attentionโ€”and by implication, the Presidentโ€™sโ€”it will be fascinating to watch how it plays out going forward.

MSNBCโ€™s Lawrence Blasts President Trump Over His โ€œEnemies Listโ€

On the October 9, 2025 edition of The Last Word, MSNBC host Lawrence Oโ€™Donnell launched a blistering critique of President Trumpโ€™s growing pattern of targeting perceived political foes. Oโ€™Donnell accused the president of using the Justice Department as a weapon against his โ€œenemies list,โ€ a tactic he compared directly to the disgraced legacy of former President Richard Nixon. Drawing a chilling parallel, Oโ€™Donnell reminded viewers that Nixonโ€™s presidency โ€œdidnโ€™t end well,โ€ warning that Trump could face a similar collapse if his administration continues to blur the lines between justice and political vengeance.

The controversy intensified after the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan, brought high-profile indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James โ€” two officials long vilified by Trump in public remarks and social media tirades. Halliganโ€™s actions have fueled speculation that sheโ€™s become Trumpโ€™s de facto enforcer, using the machinery of federal prosecution to settle old political scores.

Critics argue that Halliganโ€™s pattern of cases mirrors the tone of Trumpโ€™s personal grievances, targeting figures who embarrassed or challenged him during his presidency. Observers have noted that while Trump portrays these prosecutions as โ€œjustice being served,โ€ the timing and selection of defendants make the process look less like impartial law enforcement and more like a coordinated campaign of retribution.

Legal analysts on MSNBC suggested that Halliganโ€™s aggressive posture โ€” and her proximity to Trumpโ€™s political orbit โ€” could backfire. By appearing to criminalize dissent, the administration risks creating a perception of authoritarian overreach, echoing the very abuses of power that ended Nixonโ€™s career. As Oโ€™Donnell put it, this โ€œenemies list revivalโ€ may serve as both a warning and a reminder: presidents who weaponize justice to punish critics rarely escape the consequences.