Lawrence O’Donnell Criticizes MSNBC Colleague for Ending Show 1 Minute Late

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell turned a one-minute delay into an awkward on-air moment with a colleague on Wednesday.

O’Donnell, who hosts the 10:00 pm ET hour, was apparently kept waiting by MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin. Mohyeldin, who was hosting the previous hour, extended his final segment a little longer than scheduled. After wrapping up his guest conversation at around 10:01, Mohyeldin handed off to O’Donnell, who tersely remarked:

Good evening, Ayman, thanks. We’re about a minute over time with that one. Thank you.

Mohyeldin responded with “Sorry about that,” as the camera shifted to a visibly annoyed O’Donnell, who then began The Last Word.

O’Donnell often engages in friendly, extended handoffs with Rachel Maddow, a sharp contrast to the moment with Mohyeldin. O’Donnell and Maddow regularly engage in banter lasting several minutes.

However, in fairness to O’Donnell, cable news shows operate on precise timing. Show rundowns are often planned down to the second, and a minute-long delay can cause significant disruption. Such delays force producers to hastily adjust each segment to make up for lost time. O’Donnell’s on-air frustration likely mirrored what his control room staff was feeling.