MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell gave viewers on Thursday some Trump administration palace intrigue fan fiction, speculating that Vice President Vance wants to use the letter published by the Wall Street Journal yesterday to force Trump out of office and seize the presidency. In a tweet Thursday evening, Vance posted: “Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter [BS]. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?” “If J.D. Vance wanted to harm Donald Trump tonight, wanted to start forcing him out of the presidency, demanding to see the letter would be a very good way to do that,” O’Donnell commented.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL, MSNBC: The worst thing that could happen to Donald Trump is for The Wall Street Journal or anyone else releasing publicly a copy of that letter. The worst thing that could happen to Donald Trump is exactly what his vice president, J.D. Vance, is demanding tonight-J.D. Vance, the person who would move up to the presidency if this issue becomes so difficult that it drives Donald Trump out of the presidency through impeachment or resignation. We have seen this happen to a president before, and Donald Trump has never been weaker. And J.D. Vance-J.D. Vance, of all people-is saying, show us the letter, demanding to see the letter. Donald Trump did not dare to say where is the letter? in his social media post tonight, which occurred 40 minutes after J.D. Vance’s social media post tonight. Donald Trump is not asking to see that letter. Donald Trump doesn’t want you to see that letter. But J.D. Vance wants you to see that letter. If J.D. Vance creates a groundswell demand by more and more Trump supporters for the release of that letter, that could do more damage to Donald Trump than anything that has ever happened to Donald Trump in his entire political career. And it’s J.D. Vance who’s doing this. If J.D. Vance wanted to defend Donald Trump tonight, no one-absolutely no one-would have advised him to say where is the letter? No one would have advised him to try to provoke Rupert Murdoch tomorrow to release that letter. No one would have advised J.D. Vance to provoke The Wall Street Journal tomorrow, or someone else, to release that letter. That is the most dangerous thing J.D. Vance could have said tonight, if J.D. Vance wanted to harm Donald Trump tonight, wanted to start forcing him out of the presidency, demanding to see the letter would be a very good way to do that.