MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell derided President Donald Trump’s claim that he has “the best numbers for any president in many years” — and submitted decades worth of receipts to test the proposition.

As Trump gaggled with reporters aboard Air Force One this week, he appeared to rule out a third term for himself, and lamented “I have my highest poll numbers that I’ve ever had. And, you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run. So we’ll see what happens. It’s a very interesting thing. I have the best numbers for any president in many years, any president. And I would say that if you read it, it’s pretty clear I’m not allowed to run.”

On Wednesday night’s edition of MSNBC’s The Last Word, O’Donnell opened the show with a marathon commentary on the the third term issue, but paused to deride the claim about his poll numbers:

Today on Air Force One, while speaking to reporters lobbing the softest of softball questions as usual, Donald Trump was asked, “Sir, Speaker Johnson says that he told you that there’s no time to amend the Constitution to allow you to serve a third term. Is that an accurate representation of the conversation you have?” Donald Trump, “I don’t know. I don`t want to even talk about that because, you know, the sad thing is I — I have my highest numbers that I`ve ever had.”

Okay, let’s pause for a parenthetical on those highest numbers he’s ever had. The highest approval rating Donald Trump has ever had was 49 percent during his first term as president, according to Gallup. His approval rating is currently 41 percent. In other words, like his first term, Donald Trump is carrying an approval rating that would make it impossible for him to win reelection to the presidency.

Every Republican president in the history of polling has had higher poll numbers than Donald Trump has ever had. George W. Bush’s top approval polling was 90 percent. His father before him, George H.W. Bush, reached an 89 percent job approval. Ronald Reagan won 49 states in his reelection campaign as a Republican president.

And the Republican president who was never elected, President Gerry Ford, hit a high of 71 percent for his job approval rating. Richard Nixon, who left office in disgrace, won his second term by winning 49 states.

General Dwight Eisenhower, who won World War II in Europe, became President Eisenhower in 1953 and had approval ratings far above Donald Trump’s best day. There has never been a Republican president in the history of polling, which began in the 1930s, who did not hit much higher approval ratings than Donald Trump has ever had.

Donald Trump finished his rambling response to that reporter by saying, quote, you know, based on what I read, I guess I’m not allowed to run, so we’ll see what happens.

He doesn’t read anything, so he doesn’t mean the Constitution.

The next question to Donald Trump was, “Speaker Johnson says you’re trolling when you talk about a third term. Are you trolling or are you serious?” To which Donald Trump said, “I don’t think he said that. I don’t think he used that term.”

Oh, really?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The Trump 2028 cap is one of the most popular that’s ever been produced and he has a good time with that, trolling the Democrats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O`DONNELL: Yeah, Donald, he said trolling.

Donald Trump`s next line was also a lie. Quote, “It’s a very interesting thing. I have the best numbers for any president in many years, any president.” Lie, of course.

Watch above via MSNBC’s The Last Word.

The post MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell Derides Trump’s ‘Best Numbers’ Claim With Gleeful Pile of Receipts first appeared on Mediaite.