‘We’ll see how that one goes. Thank you, Rachel.
‘Well, today, President Trump visited Texas, but he forgot to bring any empathy with him.
‘But he did bring a hat. A hat that is for sale.’
(An MSNBC staffer is overheard saying something inaudible)
‘What’s going on? Why am I losing this? Why don’t I have sound?
‘Alright, it’s back. Someone’s pressing buttons and turning my sound off.
‘Who’s asking for a Labor Day rundown in my ear?
‘Someone in that control room is out of control.
(An MSNBC staffer says: ‘Twenty seconds.’)
‘F***in.
‘G******it.
(An MSNBC staffer says: ‘Ten seconds.’)
‘Get… (O’Donnell slams his fists on the table apparently in response to something heard in his earpiece)
‘So the president went to Texas today and as Politico reports, he did not meet a single storm victim, see an inch of rain, or get near a flooded street.
‘…born in horrific disaster and tragedy, and into that tragedy today stepped the president of the United States.
‘There’s insanity in the control room tonight.’
(An MSNBC staffer counts down the seconds until O’Donnell goes back on air)
‘If you think the president’s language was a little too celebratory about the sudden fame that can happen to people during hurricane coverage, a fame no one should welcome, if you think the president’s language…’
(The video jumps to another segment)
‘Gets closer and closer to the president himself. One of the deaths in Houston that was ignored by President Trump is Police Sgt. Steve Perez, who had been missing since Sunday morning.
‘You have insanity in my earpiece.
(As a staffer approaches O’Donnell and offers to replace the earpiece, O’Donnell angrily tells him: ‘Don’t. Leave it there.’)
‘It’s not my earpiece. It’s somebody talking on our lines.
‘F***.
‘President Trump did not mention Sgt. Perez today, and he was not tweeted…’
(The clip jumps to another segment)
‘…People are in shelters across Texas tonight. Here is Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, this afternoon.
‘Every time we go to a SOT (a TV term meaning ‘sound on tape’ segment), there’s a woman talking in my ear about something that has nothing to do with what we’re doing here.
‘Joining us now, James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic and former speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter.
‘Also with us Josh Earnest, former White House press secretary for President Obama. He’s an MSNBC political…’
(The video cuts to another segment)
‘James Fallows and Josh Earnest, thank you both for joining us tonight. I really appreciate it.
‘Coming up….Is Donald Trump going to be called to testify to Congress? Michael Isikoff has the latest on that.’
(Thumping noises are clearly heard in the background, prompting O’Donnell to come out of his chair)
‘Stop the hammering!
‘Stop the hammering up there. Who’s got a hammer? Where is it? Where’s the hammer?
‘Go up on the other floor. Somebody go up there and stop the hammering.
‘Stop the hammering.’
(An MSNBC staffer says: ‘I think it’s coming from downstairs.’)
‘I’ll go down to the g****ned floor myself and stop it, keep the g*****ned commercial break going.
‘Call f***ing Phil Griffin, I don’t care who the f*** you have to call. Stop the hammering.
‘Empty out the g******ed control room and find out where this is going on.
‘It’s either there or there. Or out there somewhere.
‘The woman talking in my ear was talking about the Labor Day special repeatedly every time we went to a SOT.
‘What do you mean in the conversation? Not in the Bush SOT, no.
‘F***ing out of control s***.’
(An MSNBC staffer is heard saying: ‘One minute.’)
(The video then jumps to another segment)
‘… harass and intimidate people of color. The new sheriff of Maricopa County who beat Joe Arpaio joins us next.
‘I don’t know why I bother to say how to cut the slots when you don’t do it.
‘I just. I don’t why I just…
‘Now I have to chase those stupid g*****n end trails that you allowed him to stick out there.’
(O’Donnell then angrily throws a small object to the ground)
‘Jesus Christ. Crazy f***ing sound coming in my ear. This f***ing stupid hammering.
‘I told you why I wanted those f***ing words cut.
‘It just f***ing sucks. It f***ing sucks to be out here with this out-of-control s***.
‘Any f***ing thing can come into my ear at any moment. That’s what I know. Anybody can get into my f***ing ear at any time.
‘Some woman talking about what we’re doing after the show.’
(O’Donnell takes a lengthy pause as he reads his notes)
‘These f***ing things.
‘There’s a reason these words have to be cut precisely.
‘And everyone in the audience who is going to complain about what that guy just said is absolutely right.
‘How do you say this guy’s last name?
‘F***ing guest’s faces coming up in the middle of a f***ing script.’