In a riveting late-night appearance that has ignited fierce debate across the political spectrum, MS Now host Rachel Maddow pulled no punches on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Thursday night, painting a chilling portrait of President Donald Trump’s second term as a descent into unprecedented authoritarianism.

Drawing stark parallels to some of America’s darkest historical moments—from Richard Nixon’s downfall to the World War II internment of Japanese Americans—Maddow warned that Trump’s unpopularity, coupled with his administration’s aggressive tactics against citizens, could spark a national reckoning.

“He’s really unpopular,” Maddow declared, comparing Trump to Nixon just before his resignation.

“And the violence that he’s using against the American people while telling us he doesn’t care what we think is pretty unique and it’s pretty radical.”

The interview, aired just days after U.S. airstrikes on Venezuela and a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis that has sparked nationwide protests, comes at a pivotal moment.

With Trump’s approval ratings plummeting to historic lows—surpassed only by Nixon’s in the lead-up to Watergate—Maddow’s commentary has fueled outrage among liberals and drawn sharp rebukes from conservatives, who accuse her of fearmongering.

Supporters of the president argue that his tough stance on immigration and foreign policy is necessary for national security, while critics see it as a blatant power grab.

This explosive exchange has already gone viral, amassing millions of views on social media and prompting calls for congressional investigations into the administration’s actions.

A Presidency in Crisis: Failures on Promises and Escalating Violence

Maddow, an Emmy and Grammy-winning journalist known for her incisive political analysis, didn’t hold back in dissecting Trump’s presidency.

She highlighted a litany of broken promises that have eroded public trust. “If you thought he was going to do something about inflation, he hasn’t. 

And his tariffs made it worse,” she said, referencing the economic fallout from Trump’s trade policies that have driven up costs for everyday Americans. Healthcare premiums, she noted, “are going through the roof” due to administration decisions, directly contradicting campaign vows to improve affordability.

But it was Trump’s foreign and domestic aggressions that took center stage. Just one week into 2026, the U.S. launched airstrikes on Venezuela, capturing former leader Nicolás Maduro in what the White House framed as a decisive blow against “narco-terrorism.”

Maddow called it out as evidence of Trump’s disregard for international norms: “Maybe you thought he wasn’t going to start foreign wars. All this stuff that you maybe thought was on offer from him is not.” 

The strikes, which have drawn international condemnation and no United Nations Security Council mandate, have been labeled illegal by experts, with Reuters reporting Trump’s assertion that U.S. oil interests could “pay for” the operation—echoing pre-Iraq War rhetoric.

Domestically, the conversation zeroed in on the tragic ICE shooting in south Minneapolis on January 7, where a 37-year-old U.S. citizen named Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an immigration raid.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and eyewitness accounts, Good—a mother who was not the target of the operation—was unarmed and attempting to drive away when agents opened fire. 

“She was not doing anything violent,” Maddow emphasized. “Had she been trying to drive into those federal agents, she would have steered toward them, not away from them.”

 Video footage of the incident, captured by protesters, has contradicted official narratives, with Maddow accusing ICE of spreading “lies” to cover up the truth.

This incident has escalated tensions in Minneapolis, where clashes between protesters and police erupted in the aftermath.

Governor Tim Walz activated the National Guard, and additional federal agents were deployed, per The New York Times. 

Maddow linked the shooting to broader patterns of federal overreach, including unmarked agents conducting raids in cities like Portland, where similar unrest has flared.

“They’re covering up their faces and they’re covering their badge numbers and they’re not identifying themselves,” she said, urging Americans to “believe our own eyes” against government spin.

The Power of Peaceful Protest: A Tipping Point?

Amid the chaos, Maddow spotlighted the growing wave of peaceful protests as a potential game-changer. Citing political science’s “3.5% rule”—the threshold at which nonviolent demonstrations have historically toppled authoritarian regimes—she argued that the current mobilization against Trump is nearing that critical mass.

“Once you have three and a half percent of a population protesting nonviolently against a dictator or an authoritarian, that is essentially an unstoppable force,” she explained.

With millions taking to the streets in cities nationwide, from Minneapolis to Portland, Maddow suggested these actions are unnerving the administration precisely because they expose its vulnerabilities.

Conservatives have dismissed this as alarmist, with Fox News commentators labeling the protests as “radical left agitation” funded by shadowy interests.

Yet, Maddow’s invocation of history has resonated with civil rights advocates, who point to the video evidence from Minneapolis as proof of systemic abuse.

“The foremost thing people are doing is videotaping them, putting them on record,” she said, highlighting how citizen journalism is countering official disinformation.

Unlikely Alliances and Historical Echoes

In a surprising personal revelation, Maddow shared her attendance at former Vice President Dick Cheney’s memorial service, invited by his daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney.

Despite ideological chasms—Maddow dedicated her first book to critiquing Cheney’s legacy—she praised the Cheneys’ stand against Trump as “heroic” and “public-spirited.” 

“We’re all more than our political views,” she reflected, a statement that has sparked backlash from progressives who view any olive branch to Republicans as naive, while others hail it as a call for unity in defense of democracy.

Tying it all together, Maddow promoted her new six-part podcast, “Burn Order,” which delves into Executive Order 9066—the WWII decree that led to the internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans. She drew direct parallels to Trump’s reported plans for “temporary relocation camps” and massive detention facilities, as revealed by The Washington Post.

“They want a series of temporary relocation camps where they’re going to hold people for weeks and then send them to about 10 big warehouse-style facilities,” she warned.

“That’s exactly the structure they used for Japanese American incarceration.” 

The podcast, available on Apple Podcasts and MS Now, explores the heroism of those who resisted the order, offering a timely cautionary tale.

A Nation Divided: Sparks of Controversy and Calls for Action

Maddow’s appearance has polarized viewers, with #MaddowKimmel trending on X (formerly Twitter) alongside hashtags like #TrumpDictator and #FakeNews. Supporters praise her for sounding the alarm on what they see as Trump’s assault on democratic norms, including his hints at ignoring election results if he loses in 2028.

Detractors, including White House spokespeople, have called her comments “unhinged” and accused MS Now—fresh off its rebrand from MSNBC in November 2025—of liberal bias. The network, now standing for “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World,” has seen viewership growth amid the turmoil, according to Forbes.

As protests swell and investigations into the Minneapolis shooting intensify—with the FBI taking over amid state-federal tensions—the interview raises urgent questions: Is Trump consolidating power through fear and force, or is this necessary enforcement of law and order?

Maddow’s words echo a broader anxiety: “We’ve never had a president who thinks he should rule without being subject to elections.” With the nation teetering on edge, one thing is clear—this is no ordinary presidency, and the fight for America’s soul is just beginning.