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Ben Wikler: “No one stood up to Elon Musk and said, I don't answer to…”

Featuring: Ben Wikler, Democratic | Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only

Published March 8, 2025 | Video Starts at 11:44

And of course, Trump lied straight face to the news cameras about what actually happened. But what happened is this. No one stood up to Elon Musk and said, I don't answer to you, I don't serve at the pleasure of Elon Musk. And no one forced Donald Trump to admit, oh, yes, you do. What does Marco Rubio think? His job actually is to advise and influence Trump's foreign policy. (11:44–11:53)

CLAIM

Asserts that no one in the meeting challenged Musk's authority.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Ben Wikler

“The National Institutes of Health [NIH] is probably the best return on investment for your taxpayer dollar there is in America.”
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“These GLP1s, ozempic things like this, you know, people associate with weight loss, but they're really to fight diabetes.”
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“Discovered by two scientists working at the NIH under a taxpayer funded grant.”
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“We all think Novo Nordisk came to market with these things, they commercialized it.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 00:37-00:42
“This wholesale cutting of things is going to hurt us a lot.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 01:39-01:43
“Elon Musk is the richest man on earth. Wealth created in no small part thanks to your taxpayer dollars.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 02:39-02:45
“Elon Musk reportedly has 14 kids with four different women.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 02:46-03:00
“Elon Musk claims to be running multiple companies and the US Government simultaneously while posting a thousand times a week on social…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 02:46-03:00
“We had [an Iranian nuclear deal] until he [Donald Trump] pulled us out of it.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 03:10-27:54
“Mr. Rubio had been privately furious with Mr. Musk for weeks, ever since his team effectively shuttered an entire agency that was supposedly…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 03:30-08:52
“The unelected billionaire berating Trump's Senate confirmed Cabinet secretary with DEI boogeyman and accusing that secretary of straight up…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 06:03-06:13
“Musk lieutenants have obtained access to systems with your bank account, your Social Security number, and all kinds of sensitive and very…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 07:12-07:22
“The actual Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant, was not at the Cabinet meeting because he was on the road defending the Trump tariffs.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 07:31-07:42
“Elon Musk showed once again that he is in charge more than Trump, more than the Cabinet members.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 12:17-12:26
“The Times reports, quote, this account is based on interviews with five people with knowledge of the events, end quote.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 12:36-12:45
“There is tension between Elon Musk and the Cabinet secretaries.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 14:45-14:50
“Elon Musk, who is unaccountable to the American people because nobody voted for him, is a problem.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 17:28-17:34
“Elon Musk funded Donald Trump's campaign.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 18:01-18:04
“Donald Trump is upending the last 80 years of geopolitical order on this planet, siding with a murderous invader named Vladimir Putin…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 19:59-20:11
“The U.S. decision to suspend the flow of military intelligence to Ukraine this week has aided the Russian advance.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 21:44-21:51
“Much of the aid we give Ukraine is spent in the United States.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 25:59-26:03
“The US economy added 151,000 net new jobs in February, falling short of economists expectations of 170,000 jobs.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 31:02-31:12
“The unemployment rate rose from 4% to 4.1%.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 31:11-31:17
“Federal government employment fell by 10,000 thanks to Doge.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 31:16-31:21
“Billionaire Elon Musk is pouring millions of dollars into Wisconsin's Supreme Court race.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 38:09-38:14
“Tesla is suing the state over a decision that prevented the company from opening dealerships in Wisconsin.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 38:36-38:43
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court did [reject Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the will of Wisconsin voters] in a 4 to 3 decision.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 39:07-39:11
“Liberals gained a 4:3 majority on the court after 15 years of conservative control.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:14-41:19
“They threw out legislative maps that gave Republicans commanding majorities in the state House.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:18-41:24
“Reinstated the use of absentee ballot drop boxes.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:23-41:27
“Accepted cases that will decide whether abortion remains legal in the state.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:26-41:31