The Daily Beast Podcast

Go to https://zbiotics.com/DAILYBEAST and use DAILYBEAST at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. David Rothkopf, the Daily Beast's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, joins Joanna Coles to explain why he is convinced history will judge Donald Trump as its most powerful, and biggest, idiot. In a wide-ranging and high-energy conversation, Rothkopf and Coles unpack Trump’s escalating clashes—from the Vatican to Iran—alongside the surreal spectacle of his self-styled “deity” posts and the global consequences of his decision-making. They also dive into the political fallout at home and abroad, including Viktor Orbán’s stunning defeat and what it signals for the future of right-wing populism. It’s a sharp, provocative look at power, instability, and the increasingly bizarre reality shaping global politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast #ad Mary Trump returns to the podcast to deliver a blistering psychological and political analysis of her Uncle Donald as fresh controversies swirl around Melania Trump’s eyebrow-raising Epstein statement, deepening fractures within the MAGA movement, and escalating global tensions. Drawing on her expertise as a clinical psychologist and her firsthand knowledge of the Trump family, Mary dissects Melania’s calculated messaging, questions Donald Trump’s cognitive fitness amid echoes of familial dementia, and warns of the dangers posed by a president under mounting pressure and losing control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive deep into the mystery behind Melania Trump’s stunning public statement and the explosive theories it has unleashed. From a high-stakes anti-SLAPP lawsuit and whispers of Epstein-era connections to a branding blitz, geopolitical intrigue, and speculation of a calculated move against her own husband, Wolff dissects the legal battles, power plays, and personal tensions driving the drama. As conspiracies swirl the episode exposes the fragile intersection of politics, marriage, and media, revealing how one unexpected speech has reignited scandal, shaken the White House narrative, and forced the world to scrutinize what may lie beneath the carefully constructed Melania mystique. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennifer Welch, co-host of the hit I’ve Had It podcast, joins Joanna Coles to dissect Melania Trump’s bombshell Epstein statement, sparking a blistering conversation that spirals from political hypocrisy and MAGA infighting to war tensions with Iran and the perilous stakes surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. With unfiltered candor, Welch unpacks conspiracy theories, culture wars, and the power struggles roiling Trumpworld, while exposing the strange alliances, simmering scandals, and high-stakes maneuvering shaping America’s future. From explosive revelations and eyebrow-raising rumors to sharp insights into the forces driving today’s chaos, this electrifying episode pulls back the curtain on a political drama that grows more shocking by the minute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/dailybeast with promo code dailybeast #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack how Trump’s bluster toward Iran—threatening to “destroy a civilization”—collapsed into a rushed two-week ceasefire that insiders say effectively handed leverage to Tehran, especially over the Strait of Hormuz. As tankers stall and global markets wobble, the episode reveals a White House in panic mode: JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and others are scrambling to distance themselves from a war gone wrong, leaking, positioning, and “plotting” to protect their own futures as the political fallout accelerates. With Iran tightening its grip on global shipping, Trump boxed into a corner he can’t escalate out of, and his inner circle quietly preparing escape routes, Wolff and Coles map the infighting, blame-shifting, and raw survival instincts driving a presidency at what they argue is its most dangerous breaking point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles welcomes back journalist Anand Giridharadas as they dissect Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric on Iran and what it reveals about power, language, and intent, before diving into what Giridharadas calls the most overlooked thread in the Jeffrey Epstein files: a disturbing email exchange that lays bare how elite institutions like Harvard and MIT enabled a system of influence built on money, access, and intellectual flattery, exposing a hidden network of “kept scholars,” transactional relationships, and quiet moral compromise where Epstein’s behavior was widely understood, carefully rationalized, and ultimately absorbed into the machinery of power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Go to https://zbiotics.com/BEAST and use BEAST at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ZBiotics is backed with a 100% money back guarantee. Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles as Donald Trump escalates his most dangerous bluff yet, threatening destruction on a scale not seen since World War II while cornered by a war he promised never to start. The threats grow louder as the options shrink: Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, global oil jitters mount, and the “no forever wars” president finds himself trapped by the war he started. Wolff argues the chaos is compounded by a shrinking circle of loyalists stripped of agency, a jittery JD Vance being quietly positioned to absorb blame, and a MAGA world already bracing for the political fallout. Wolff suggests this is most likely the beginning of his end: A president escalating because he’s cornered and a split base calling for mutiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Try QUO for free and get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.quo.com/BEAST In this explosive episode of The Daily Beast Podcast, host Joanna Coles sits down with David Rothkopf to unpack the mounting chaos surrounding Donald Trump—from inflammatory Easter posts and escalating tensions with Iran to growing fractures within the Republican Party and fears of institutional breakdown in Washington. As Trump lashes out at the Supreme Court, faces sinking poll numbers, and contends with internal dissent from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon, the conversation explores whether his leadership is entering a dangerous endgame. With sharp analysis on global ripple effects, military unrest, and the legal threats closing in, Coles and Rothkopf deliver a gripping, high-stakes look at a presidency under pressure and a political moment that feels increasingly unpredictable—and unprecedented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles speaks with models and activists Carré Otis and Stacey Williams as they rip the glamour off the fashion industry and expose a system they say functioned as a pipeline for exploitation, coercion, and trafficking—targeting teenage girls with promises of fame while trapping them in debt, silence, and fear. From midnight “fittings” and retaliatory blacklisting to alleged links with powerful figures like Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump, the conversation traces how agencies, photographers, and insiders allegedly operated with impunity for decades. Otis details being trafficked and abused as a minor, while Williams recounts the career cost of refusing advances—and the industry-wide normalization that kept it all hidden in plain sight. Now, with legislative momentum, the Model Alliance pushing reforms, and lawmakers like Ro Khanna demanding oversight, the episode zeroes in on a single question: what happens when one of fashion’s most protected systems is finally forced into the light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go tohttps://incogni.com/beast #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take you inside Trump’s White House where humiliation isn’t the exception but the operating system, as cabinet officials are discarded in real time and loyalty becomes a one-way transaction that always ends the same way. From Pam Bondi’s abrupt public takedown to Kristi Noem’s surreal orbit and Pete Hegseth’s escalating turmoil at the Pentagon, the episode tracks a pattern Wolff insists is inevitable: everyone gets used, exposed, and ultimately blamed. As the chaos spills into global stakes with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as the true battleground of a widening conflict, and even the Supreme Court becomes another pressure point in Trump’s world, Wolff and Coles connect the personal, political, and psychological threads driving it all—laying out a system where power, fear, and desperation collide, and where the next downfall is always just one decision away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty dissect what they call the most chaotic and politically damaging week yet for Donald Trump’s second administration—an unraveling marked by a humiliating Supreme Court showdown over birthright citizenship and a presidency increasingly defined by spectacle over strategy. From a stunned courtroom exit and a judge halting Trump’s vanity White House ballroom, to the abrupt firing of Pam Bondi, Coles and Dougherty trace a pattern of erratic decision-making and institutional strain. Layered on top: a bizarre Homeland Security scandal with national security implications, allies behaving like caricatures, and a White House struggling to project control as oil prices spike and global tensions rise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles react to the shock firing of Pam Bondi, signaling a new purge cycle inside Donald Trump’s unraveling inner circle—with one high-profile name already on the chopping block next. As Trump endures a brutal week marked by a faltering Iran narrative, a visibly strained Oval Office address, and a humiliating Supreme Court appearance that ended in a storm-out, the hosts trace a presidency slipping into chaos mode. Behind the scenes, weakened guardrails and rising paranoia are fueling a familiar pattern: blame, purge, repeat. Layered on top is the surreal and damaging Byron Noem scandal, adding fresh questions about judgment, vulnerability, and dysfunction at the highest levels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles sits down with leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian as their book, Trump’s Ten Commandments, dissects Donald Trump not as a politician, but as a pattern—revealing the repeatable tactics behind his rise, survival, and power plays. From a jaw-dropping personal story that begins with a brutal critique of The Apprentice and ends with Trump offering Sonnenfeld the presidency of Trump University, to a breakdown of how he flips enemies into loyalists, weaponizes lawsuits, and thrives on chaos, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the mechanics of influence. The authors map out Trump’s central tenets of leadership—from divide-and-conquer tactics to relentless distraction campaigns—arguing that his real power lies in instinct, not ideology. As tensions escalate globally and questions swirl around strategy, alliances, and control, the episode delivers a blunt, insider blueprint for understanding—and countering—the most unconventional leadership style in modern politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dissect the glossy Trump Presidential Library video that looks more like a luxury theme park than a legacy project. Wolff recounts a revealing private dinner with Trump, where even mentioning a “library” triggered visible discomfort—until Wolff floated the idea of a Trump theme park, a moment he now suspects helped shape the spectacle Eric Trump is promoting. They then zero in on a single, volatile question: what happens when Donald Trump declares victory in Iran while leaving a critical global oil chokepoint effectively in enemy hands. As the war drags into uncertainty, Wolff argues Trump is cornered between escalation and retreat, with neither offering a clean outcome, while Coles tracks the ripple effects inside a MAGA movement beginning to fracture under pressure. The episode exposes a White House operating in bursts of instinct rather than strategy, with key figures disappearing from view and others maneuvering for what comes next. It then pivots to Wolff’s latest Jeffrey Epstein installment, revealing a ruthless competition between Epstein and Trump for proximity to power involving Bill Clinton, and a deeper look at how media, money, and ego fueled Epstein’s rise. The result is a portrait of influence colliding with consequence at a moment when the stakes are no longer abstract. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf and Joanna Coles unpack a week of escalating global tension and political chaos, from mass protests at home to the very real prospect of U.S. troops on the ground in Iran, as insiders warn the situation could spiral fast. Rothkopf delivers a blistering assessment of Trump’s leadership style—driven by perception over strategy—while Coles presses on the risks of surrounding power with inexperience and ego. Together, they connect the dots between history, military reality, and the dangerous decisions unfolding in real time, exposing why threats alone rarely work and how this moment could reshape America’s role on the world stage. It’s a sharp, darkly funny, and deeply sobering conversation that builds toward a chilling conclusion about what may come next.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Daily Beast Political Reporter Sarah Ewall-Wice speaks with Alex Bores, a tech insider turned rising star of the Democratic Party, for a deeply pointed conversation on the collision between Big Tech, Trump’s inner circle, and the future of American democracy. Bores, a former tech insider turned candidate for New York's 12th congressional disctrict, sounds the alarm on what he sees as a billionaire-driven AI agenda shaping policy inside Trump’s White House—while also detailing his break with Palantir over its work with ICE. He then zeroes in on what he calls the most urgent threat: the expanding role of ICE under Trump, including warnings of agents being used to intimidate voters at polling places and a parallel push to undermine mail-in voting ahead of the midterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive into a chaotic stretch where Donald Trump’s impulses collide with global consequences, revealing a president driven less by strategy than by instinct, ego, and narrative control. From openly contradicting his own stance on mail-in voting to stamping his name on the dollar, Wolff and Coles track a pattern of behavior that prioritizes dominance and attention over consistency. As the Iran war enters a volatile phase with no clear objective, Wolff argues there was never a real plan—only improvisation now spiraling into risk—while Coles probes whether there’s hidden logic behind the scenes or just confusion layered with bravado. The conversation sharpens around Trump’s reliance on storytelling to survive political damage, his fixation on grievance as midterms loom, and the growing cracks inside his inner circle, from RFK Jr.’s instability to rising doubts about key figures tasked with executing policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Carville tells Daily Beast Political Reporter Sarah Ewall-Wice that Trump is in much bigger trouble than even the terrible polls are predicting. He says the Democrats are on track for sweeping midterm victories—pointing to double-digit overperformance in special elections, even in Donald Trump’s own backyard, and predicting a potential 55-seat Senate majority. Carville also warns that Trump could trigger chaos if he realizes the election is slipping away by undermining election legitimacy or escalating the Iran conflict. He dismantles Republican strategy, questions Trump’s grip on his own party, and argues that fear, defiance, and voter mobilization will define the months ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/dailybeast with promo code dailybeast. #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive deep into the most unsettling question at the center of Donald Trump’s presidency: what’s really going on inside his mind. Sparked by a revealing clip and Wolff’s firsthand time in Trump’s White House, the conversation traces a chilling throughline—from early confusion among insiders to the blunt assessment that unlocked everything, reshaping how those closest to power understood his behavior. They unpack Trump’s resistance to information, his aversion to reading, and the coping mechanisms that may have fueled both his rise and his governing style, while exploring how performance, repetition, and instinct can override logic on the world stage. Along the way, they reveal how allies, critics, and even longtime confidants struggled to reconcile the contradictions, and how those very traits may have become his greatest political asset, driving a presidency that defies traditional measures of intelligence and leadership in ways that continue to reverberate far beyond Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Rush joins Joanna Coles to revisit the moment he began digging into Jeffrey Epstein after the financier’s Palm Beach sweetheart deal, uncovering testimony from Virginia Giuffre, allegations involving Ghislaine Maxwell, and mounting fears Epstein was still recruiting girls. Rush, the famed New York gossip columnist, describes how his reporting triggered pressure from the newspaper’s owner after Epstein intervened—before landing a rare phone interview in which Epstein blamed victims, minimized the charges, and tried to steer coverage toward their lawyer. With hindsight, Rush reflects on Epstein’s manipulation tactics, his push to keep Maxwell out of print, and the explosive tape that nearly sent the reporter to jail when attorneys fought to obtain it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get 15% off Saily data plans at https://saily.com with promo code Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to root inside Donald Trump’s mind in real time, as the president wrestles with the Iran war, the spectre of Epstein, and the looming midterms. From bomb threats that evaporate into last-minute negotiations, to backchannel chaos no one can follow, Wolff dissects the whiplash of Trump’s decision-making and the relentless fantasy world he inhabits—where he alone knows more than generals, elections are perpetually stolen, and every problem has a Trump-branded solution. Along the way, the conversation touches on Trump’s obsession with image and the intricate theater of power he stages, showing how drama, delusion, and ambition collide in the mind of a man still convinced only he can save America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code beast at https://www.oneskin.co/beast #oneskinpod Kurt Andersen joins Joanna Coles to trace Donald Trump’s rise from Spy magazine punchline to the ultimate show-business president, arguing that Trump didn’t invent the con so much as perfect a distinctly American tradition stretching back to P.T. Barnum’s “clever humbug,” where attention matters more than truth and audiences happily play along. Andersen dissects Trump’s maximalist language—everything the “greatest,” the “best,” the “like nobody’s ever seen”—and warns that the same improvisational instincts that fueled his celebrity now shape foreign policy, including claims of negotiations with Iran that didn’t exist and a presidency run like an endless next episode. They close on Epstein, conspiracies, and the blurry line between con and belief—asking whether Trump the salesman now believes his own pitch, and what it means when politics becomes a spectacle with global stakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf returns to the podcast to deliver a chilling behind-the-scenes account of a war spiraling far beyond public spin, revealing that while officials defend the Iran conflict on TV, insiders across Washington are privately terrified by how badly it’s unfolding. Drawing on deep sources inside the military, intelligence, and diplomatic worlds, Rothkopf exposes a stunning lack of strategy, mounting fears of global economic shock, and a rapidly escalating conflict that experts warned would happen—and now can’t control. From skyrocketing energy prices and the risk of a wider regional war to the unnerving reality that key decisions are being driven by instinct rather than planning, Rothkopf details of a crisis that is not only failing abroad but threatening to destabilize alliances, markets, and America’s standing in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack a chaotic week inside the White House, from the Iran war’s growing political danger and fears of a midterm wipeout to the bizarre rise of “competitive Christianity” as rival factions weaponize faith for power. Wolff reveals how Trump’s erratic grip on reality is shaping the conflict abroad while aides scramble to contain fallout at home, even as tensions over Israel split his base and immigration crackdowns backfire. Meanwhile, in a surreal twist, Trump’s obsession with building a grand White House ballroom emerges as a defining fixation amid the crisis, and Wolff teases his explosive new Epstein series drawn from firsthand encounters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive deep into the unraveling chaos inside Trumpworld as the Iran war exposes a full-blown MAGA civil war, with Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Nick Fuentes clashing against Ben Shapiro, Laura Loomer and Mark Levin in a bitter fight over Israel, antisemitism, and the future of the movement. Wolff reveals shocking behind-the-scenes insights into the conspiratorial currents driving Trump’s base, the growing belief that shadowy forces are steering U.S. foreign policy and how figures like Jared Kushner are being recast in dark, dangerous narratives. As Trump stumbles through a conflict he never planned through, sidelining his own America First allies while embracing traditional hawks, the episode paints a portrait of a movement fracturing in real time—where ideology, opportunism, and resentment collide, and where the battle for control of MAGA may reshape American politics in ways few saw coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our listeners get the Flamingo Starter Set for just $7 at https://www.shopflamingo.com/beast #ad Joanna Coles speaks with legal analyst Glenn Kirschner about the legal chaos surrounding Donald Trump, as Chief Justice John Roberts issues a pointed but likely ineffective warning about attacks on the courts, underscoring a Supreme Court struggling to assert its authority. Meanwhile, Kristi Noem faces mounting scrutiny over potentially false testimony and a spiraling credibility crisis that could make leave her legally exposed, while Pam Bondi’s Justice Department is cast as an extension of Trump’s inner circle—accused of shielding allies, dodging accountability, and rewriting the rules of prosecution in real time. As legal norms erode and pressure builds across multiple fronts, Kirschner lays out how these converging flashpoints could determine whether the rule of law bends—or finally snaps under the weight of power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this debut episode of The Royalist, host Tom Sykes dives straight into the biggest royal scandals of the moment with a blockbuster interview featuring royal biographer Andrew Lownie, who explains why the fallout from Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein revelations could pose an unprecedented crisis for King Charles III and the monarchy—and gives his extraordinary solution. Iconic fashion editor Plum Sykes reports after the Cheltenham Festival with behind-the-scenes royal fashion and society gossip, while journalist Paula Froelich spills the latest tea on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Finally, Australian commentator Shauna Kay joins Tom for a fiery “Royal Roast” breaking down the backlash to Meghan and Harry’s controversial Australia plans. It’s a jam-packed first episode full of scoops, sharp commentary, and the royal drama everyone is talking about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles just as the sudden resignation from a top counterterrorism official over the war in Iran exposes cracks inside Trump’s own coalition. With MAGA figures turning on the conflict even as Trump insists he’s “obliterating” Iran’s military capacity, Wolff explains the blunt logic driving Trump’s thinking: If the generals said obliteration was possible, then the mission must be working—even as oil prices threaten to spike, Iran’s regime appears more entrenched, and the president finds himself trapped in the classic dilemma of a war he can neither win nor easily leave. They also unpack Trump’s bizarre insistence that a former U.S. president privately praised his Iran strategy, the quiet power struggles between Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance, Jared Kushner’s expanding influence over Middle East policy, and why the next phase of Trump’s presidency may look familiar: the search for someone—anyone—to blame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code beast at https://www.oneskin.co/beast #oneskinpod Anand Giridharadas joins Joanna Coles to unpack what the Epstein files actually tell us, not just about one disgraced financier, but about the elite network that worked with him. The bestselling author explains why so many of what he calls the Epstein class stayed in his orbit even after Epstein’s crimes were widely known. Coles and Giridharadas dig into the strange rituals of this rarefied class and examine emails involving figures like Larry Summers and former Obama White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler. They also confront the darker question at the center of the scandal: How a network built on access, status, and mutual advantage created a culture where no one ever seemed to break ranks—even when they knew the crimes Jeffrey Epstein committed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles speaks with Steve Schmidt about the mounting panic spreading through Republican circles as Donald Trump’s political and foreign policy instincts collide with a party increasingly worried about where it’s headed. From the growing anxiety inside the GOP about Trump’s escalating confrontation with Iran to the bizarre internal dramas of Trump World, Schmidt breaks down a series of moments that have Republicans whispering behind closed doors. The conversation dives into the stunning downfall of Kristi Noem after her controversial ad campaign helped push Trump to fire one of his own loyalists, the surreal optics of Marco Rubio awkwardly navigating Trump’s orbit, and the broader sense that the party’s leadership is trapped between loyalty to Trump and fear of the political consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take us inside the mysterious world of Susie Wiles—the quiet, rarely seen chief of staff who may be the most powerful person in Donald Trump’s orbit. While Trump famously trusts no one and burns through aides at lightning speed, Wiles has not only survived but brought an unexpected level of discipline to the chaos of Trump World. Wolff reveals how the Florida political operative who Trump once dismissed as “a refrigerator” quietly outmaneuvered rivals, crushed Ron DeSantis, and built a White House operation designed around one simple rule: never try to control Donald Trump. From her unusual strategy of staying out of the spotlight to the psychological tactics she uses to handle a president who refuses bad news, the episode uncovers the secrets behind the grandmother who may be the most important—and least visible—figure in the Trump administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack another dizzying week inside Donald Trump’s orbit, from the strange logic behind his Iran strike to the growing MAGA backlash that’s rattling the White House. As Trump pushes a controversial voting law he believes could secure victory in November, Wolff explains the “reality distortion” at the center of Trump’s decision-making—and why the former president still assumes he’ll get exactly what he wants. Meanwhile, tensions explode inside Trump’s own coalition over war, immigration crackdowns spark political panic among Republicans, and an unexpected primary battle becomes a test of Trump’s grip on the MAGA base. Plus, a rare Melania sighting, Wolff’s unfolding lawsuit drama, and the theory that Trump’s latest moves may be about distracting from the Epstein files. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Go to https://zbiotics.com/DAILYBEAST and use DAILYBEAST at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Joanna Coles sits down with The View co-host Ana Navarro for a blisteringly candid conversation about the chaos surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency—from a war abroad and a Pentagon obsessed with flattering photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to the growing power of what Navarro calls a party of “cowardly Republicans” unwilling to challenge a deranged Trump. Navarro pulls back the curtain on how figures like Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham transformed from fierce critics to loyal allies, explaining the political fear, ambition, and seduction of power driving the GOP’s dramatic shift. The conversation also dives into the fallout from Kristi Noem’s scandals, the lingering failures around the Epstein case across multiple administrations, and the uncomfortable questions about Trump’s health and America’s democratic guardrails. It’s an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at the personalities, betrayals, and power plays shaping Washington right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles discuss Trump’s war with Iran as it unfolds in real time—revealing a commander-in-chief who appears to be running a war the same way he runs a rally: by ad-libbing moment to moment. From the bizarre return of Trump’s old “fire and fury” threat to wildly shifting claims about victory, surrender, and bombing Iran “back into the Stone Age,” Wolff explains why insiders say there is no plan—only improvisation. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struggles to explain a strategy that may not exist, Republicans panic over rising gas prices ahead of the midterms, and Trump himself seems thrilled by the spectacle of it all. As the rhetoric escalates and the goals of the war remain undefined, Wolff and Coles expose the chaos, contradictions, and political risks behind a conflict that could end tomorrow—or spiral somewhere no one in Washington can predict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congressman Jake Auchincloss joins Joanna Coles to take on the chaos surrounding Donald Trump’s strikes in Iran—warning that the president may be waging a war without a clear strategy and without Congress’s approval. The former Marine questions Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, calls for the firing of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over alleged conflicts of interest, and explains why Democrats are already preparing for the possibility that Trump could try to undermine the 2026 midterm elections. The conversation ranges from the Democratic Party’s struggle to reclaim patriotism and define its economic message to the political power of tech titans like Elon Musk and the national security threat posed by TikTok—before ending with lingering questions about the Epstein Files. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles speaks with Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled, about the explosive new revelations tying Prince Andrew to the widening scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein—from disturbing details in the Epstein files to allegations that could shake the foundations of the British monarchy. Lownie lays out how Andrew’s relationships with Epstein’s network allegedly stretched from secret apartments in London to a web of wealthy associates and foreign contacts, raising questions not just about sexual misconduct but about national security and the royal family’s long effort to contain the damage. With police questioning, mysterious deaths connected to the saga, and pressure mounting inside Britain’s political establishment, the conversation explores how the scandal could reach all the way to King Charles III and the future of the House of Windsor—and why the story may be far from over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive back inside Donald Trump’s head as the Iran war enters its second week—and the president’s rhetoric grows stranger by the hour. From Trump’s bizarre Truth Social posts declaring Iran the “loser of the Middle East” to his cinematic demand for “unconditional surrender,” the pair unpack why Trump seems to be narrating the war as if he’s the hero in his own movie rather than a commander in chief navigating a global crisis. They also reveal the frantic reassurance Trump is reportedly seeking from journalists, the fear and aggression driving his language, and why allies around the world are struggling to interpret what any of it actually means. Meanwhile, chaos spreads closer to home: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is abruptly fired after a staggering $200 million self-promotional ad campaign blows up in her face, raising questions about who might be the next domino in Trump’s cabinet. And with bad economic news, rising oil prices from the war, and brutal polling ahead of the midterms, Wolff argues Trump may be approaching a rare political inflection point—one that could determine whether the second Trump era tightens its grip or begins to crack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Go to https://zbiotics.com/BEAST and use BEAST at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles break down the chaos surrounding Trump’s war with Iran, a conflict where even top officials, allies, and the media seem unable to explain what the strategy actually is. They unpack Trump’s obsession with “winning,” the backlash building inside MAGA world, and why rising gas prices could quickly turn the political tide at home. Wolff argues the real key to understanding Trump may not be in the Pentagon or the intelligence briefings—but inside the mind of Jared Kushner, the one person he believes truly understands Trump’s thinking and the potential Gulf money and postwar deals at stake. They also dive into the uneasy body language of figures like Marco Rubio and JD Vance, the confusion among world leaders, and the political stakes back home—from the Texas Senate battle to a stunning Kristi Noem hearing that may have been the final straw for Trump to fire her as DHS Secretary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Bolton joins Joanna Coles to help us understand what it’s like working with Donald Trump during moments of maximum peril, when generals and intelligence chiefs are trying to brief a president who, Bolton says, often prefers talking to listening. Drawing on his time as national security advisor during Trump’s first term, he describes a commander in chief uncomfortable in the Situation Room, dismissive of the structured National Security Council process created under the National Security Act of 1947, and prone to reversing decisions—even after operations were underway. As Trump weighs a potentially prolonged confrontation with Iran, Bolton assesses whether he has the patience to sustain it, why Benjamin Netanyahu has proved especially effective at influencing him, and how mixed messaging to Congress and allies weakens America’s hand when American lives are at stake in the Gulf. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go deep inside Donald Trump’s thinking at the precise moment war breaks out, unpacking his fixation on “winning,” his belief that declaring victory matters more than consequences, and why he sees global conflict the way a producer sees a TV series. As markets fall, allies fracture, and Iran escalates, they trace how Trump frames war as optics, distraction, and personal score-settling, revealing why the end of the story matters more to him than what comes after. Along the way, they connect MAGA loyalty, media spectacle, and Trump’s obsession with control into a single throughline that explains not just this moment, but how he has navigated power for more than a decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to argue that Donald Trump’s Iran war reveals a president who believes he governs like a king, not a constitutional commander in chief. Rothkopf, The Daily Beast’s unmissable columnist and Founder of the DSR Network, lays out the case that this is an illegal war launched without congressional approval, with just 21 percent public support, no coherent National Security Council process, and early casualties already compounding the chaos. He connects Trump’s impulsive strike to Benjamin Netanyahu’s political incentives, the risk of regional escalation, oil shocks ahead of the midterms, and the dangerous fantasy that regime change will somehow yield democracy in Tehran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to argue that the Epstein scandal is Donald Trump’s defining crisis, connecting global power, income inequality, corruption, and impunity. Rothkopf, The Daily Beast’s unmissable columnist and Founder of the DSR Network, explains how Epstein ensnared a network of elites like Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Peter Mandelson, and Wall Street titans, while raising deeper questions about obstruction, missing evidence, and intelligence entanglements. They also discuss how key players actively covered up wrongdoing to protect themselves and their allies, showing a world where privilege shields crime and the full truth may never see the light of day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a limited time, get 50% off for life, free shipping, and 3 free gifts at Mars Men at MenGoToMars.com. #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go deep inside the black hole of Trump’s sudden pivot to attack Iran, dissecting the airstrikes, the regime-change rhetoric, and the president’s instinctive need to declare victory fast. From the surreal whiplash of launching a Board of Peace days before bombs fall, to the gamble of shock-and-awe without boots on the ground, they trace how foreign policy becomes personal survival strategy in a “government of one.” Is this a calculated move, a headline reset, or simply Trump following his gut in the fog of war? Along the way, they unravel the politics of his speech to Iranians, the MAGA base’s unease with another Middle East conflict, and the looming midterms that may be shaping every decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to dissect the now tangible proof that Trump has lost touch with political reality. Beginning with a marathon State of the Union that was less a governing document than a 1-hour-and-47-minute exercise in self-mythology, aimed at his fan base, where reality was declared perfect even as polls told a different story. That disconnect between performance and public mood becomes sharper in Minneapolis, where a legitimate COVID-era fraud case that led to dozens of convictions was transformed by the ICE killings, tragedies so unpopular that it could cost Trump an easy political win. Now, JD Vance is dispatched to sell the punishment and absorb the blowback. Abroad, the stakes escalate: brinkmanship with Iran risks blowback Trump once vowed to avoid, while the grinding war in Ukraine—which he promised to end in a day—remains unresolved and increasingly perilous. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles sits down with Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey for a bracing conversation that moves from Trump’s State of the Union theatrics to what she calls a calculated effort to normalize chaos ahead of 2026. Gov. Healey unloads on the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files, slams RFK Jr.’s vaccine rollbacks, and details how she’s battling ICE crackdowns, slashed federal funding, and what she warns could be attempts to “federalize” elections and intimidate voters with troops and manufactured fraud claims. As Democrats wrestle with generational change, leadership, and how to win back voters battered by affordability crises, Healey argues the real fight isn’t 2028—it’s protecting the ballot and delivering tangible results right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles with a new window into the volatility inside the West Wing, describing what he says was a secret Situation Room tantrum by Donald Trump, a moment when military briefers could not give him the absolute guarantees he demanded, and the meeting spiraled. Wolff connects that flash of anger to the broader pattern he’s reported for years: a president who hates paper trails, avoids email, and warns aides never to “leave a record,” an instinct that now looms large as the Epstein Files fallout engulfs figures like Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson. Why, Wolff asks, do so many powerful men have receipts—while Trump seems not to? From the chaos-as-cover strategy to the Iran briefings where strength is performative, and doubt is intolerable, this is a portrait of a leader who equates uncertainty with humiliation and reacts accordingly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Liz Oyer joins Joanna Coles to expose what she calls Donald Trump’s “pardon economy”—a system that has transformed presidential mercy into something transactional and lucrative. Oyer, the former pardon attorney under Joe Biden, walks through the eye-popping cases: reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley freed after serving just 18 months; crypto titan Changpeng “CZ” Zhao pardoned after brokering billions into the Trump family’s crypto venture; electric truck founder Trevor Milton absolved before paying back investors; and even former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández released despite a 45-year sentence for massive cocaine trafficking. Along the way, they examine the erased restitution—over a billion dollars owed to victims—golf-course clemency pitches, surprise NFL pardons, and the political fallout inside Trump’s own Justice Department. If pardons are, as one scholar puts it, an X-ray into a president’s soul, what does this one reveal about Trump’s second term—and who benefits next? Sign up for Joanna's new Substack here: https://beast.pub/scream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. John Gartner joins Joanna Coles for a bracing deep dive into what he argues are the accelerating signs of cognitive and behavioral decline in Donald Trump—from garbled words and meandering stories to grandiosity, paranoia, and the spectacle of falling asleep at his newly formed Board of Peace. As they dissect Trump’s escalator conspiracy tale, obsession with looks, fixation on naming landmarks after himself, and late-night social media tirades, the conversation widens to the real stakes: nuclear codes, Middle East brinkmanship, the midterms, and what Dr. Gartner calls the dangerous mix of narcissistic injury and unchecked power. With references to Greenland, Gaza, Iran, the Justice Department, and even the shadow of the Epstein files, Coles presses on whether any institutional guardrails still hold—or whether impulse now drives policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles climb back inside Donald Trump’s mind at the very moment the Supreme Court humiliates him on tariffs—and he responds not with retreat, but with theatrical fury. From calling his own justices “fools” to turning a legal defeat into prime-time spectacle, they unpack how Trump transforms setbacks into legend, why the State of the Union could become a live-wire showdown with Chief Justice John Roberts, and what those colossal presidential banners draped across Washington really signal about dominance and power. Along the way, they dive into the bro-coded videos of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Pete Hegseth, the strange silence from Kash Patel on Epstein, and the unsettling mystery of a disappearance gripping the country—asking whether Trump governs as a president, a performer, or something closer to a monarch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles untangle a week where chaos seems to be the point, including the stunning arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the widening Jeffrey Epstein fallout. Meanwhile in Washington, Trump gathers his Board of Peace to bankroll his grand vision for Gaza while facing a far more combustible reality: a potential military showdown with Iran that he may neither want nor be able to control. As European partners keep their distance and troop buildups raise the stakes, Wolff and Coles probe whether Trump is orchestrating strategic distraction—or simply caught between looking weak and starting a war. With scandals colliding and global order wobbling, is this all part of a master play, or are we watching events slip beyond Trump’s grasp? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to break down the Trump administration’s strategy to protect itself ahead of the midterms. From the surreal RFK Jr. and Kid Rock government video spectacle to Donald Trump’s grip on evangelicals, Rothkopf, The Daily Beast’s unmissable columnist, explains why Trump’s obsession with election legitimacy is less about confidence and more about self-preservation. With foreign allies unsettled and domestic chaos mounting, he lays out how both parties are quietly planning for life after Trump—and what the fallout could mean for American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to examine why Donald Trump’s very public irritation may reveal more than any document dump. As the Epstein files unleash a rolling wave of headlines, Wolff argues the real story is not what’s newly uncovered but how the sprawling release has diffused attention away from Trump and onto a widening cast of peripheral figures—a dynamic he says Trump has repeatedly relied on to survive past crises. Drawing on Wolff’s firsthand encounters with Jeffrey Epstein and his introduction of Steve Bannon into Epstein’s orbit after Bannon’s White House exit, the conversation traces how resentment, rivalry, and obsession with Trump bound those men together, even as Trump now casts himself as the victim of a conspiracy involving journalists and old adversaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Sykes, The Daily Beast’s unmissable Royals columnist, joins Executive Editor Hugh Dougherty to examine how the fallout from Jeffrey Epstein has reignited a crisis around Prince Andrew that now threatens to engulf the wider monarchy. As new scrutiny revisits Andrew’s relationship with Virginia Giuffre and raises questions about what the Palace knew, Sykes argues that King Charles III is confronting a scandal no longer containable by tradition or silence—one already straining relations with heir Prince William and forcing a reckoning over accountability, reputation, and whether the royal family can still rely on deference in an era demanding transparency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tina Brown tells all about her shocking experience being named in the newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein case files, revealing how Jeffrey Epstein and his allies frantically tried to “neutralize” her and shut down The Daily Beast after her explosive reporting with Conchita Sarnoff blew open his web of abuse. In a gripping conversation with Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty, Brown recounts the panic inside Epstein’s circle, the chilling legal threats from powerhouse firms, the duplicity of social fixer Peggy Siegal, and the moral rot of an elite “club” that protected its own even after the truth was in plain sight. She reflects on the pre-#MeToo culture that dismissed victims, the powerful names orbiting Epstein—from Bill Clinton to Ehud Barak—and the industrial scale of exploitation enabled by Ghislaine Maxwell and recruiter Jean-Luc Brunel. It’s a bracing defense of investigative journalism, a warning about the corrosive power of extreme wealth, and a behind-the-scenes look at how close this story came to being buried—so what else is still hidden in the millions of unreleased files? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack the spiraling fallout from the Epstein files, Ghislaine Maxwell’s calculated silence, and the widening circle of elites caught in the “Epstein class,” before turning to something even more alarming: the Trump administration’s brazen willingness to lie in plain sight. From the El Paso airspace shutdown and the balloon-versus-drone fiasco to Fox News alumni now running Cabinet departments at odds with one another, they examine whether the chaos is incompetence—or a deliberate governing strategy built on fear, loyalty tests, and all-or-nothing stakes. As prosecutions stall, investigations fizzle, and reality itself seems negotiable, Wolff argues that the disorder may be the point—and that the risks are existential. Is this simply dysfunction, or is there a dangerous method behind the madness that we’re only just beginning to see? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff steps inside the chaos swirling around Trump World—from Wolff’s bombshell federal lawsuit against Melania Trump, which he says could finally force sworn answers about the Trump–Epstein relationship, to the extraordinary legal fight over where the First Lady actually lives. As Wolff argues that anti-SLAPP laws may become a frontline weapon against what he calls the White House’s assault on free speech, he and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty dissect the implications of Melania’s alleged full-time life in New York, her separate Trump Tower apartment, and the branding empire she’s quietly building. The conversation then widens to what Wolff portrays as a second administration defined by loyalty over competence: election denier Kurt Olsen rising to oversee election security, Pam Bondi’s combative Hill performance, and the bizarre El Paso airspace shutdown involving secret lasers, drone claims, and bureaucratic bedlam. Is this a White House tightening its grip—or a government spinning into incompetence so profound it can no longer explain itself? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Daily Beast’s Executive Editor Hugh Dougherty speaks with Professor Scott Galloway about his provocative new campaign, “Resist and Unsubscribe,” a call for consumers to hit what he calls the “soft tissue” of the Trump era—Big Tech’s revenue growth. Galloway argues that the only force Trump truly listens to is the market, and that even small acts—canceling Amazon Prime, downgrading ChatGPT, ditching Uber—can send outsized signals to CEOs and shareholders if done collectively. In a wide-ranging, fiery conversation, he explains why he’s selling his Apple stock, confronting corporate leaders he says privately agree with him, and betting that 10 companies controlling 40 percent of the S&P represent an Achilles’ heel for political power. From ICE protests to crypto grift, AI-fueled layoffs to the “manosphere” wobbling on Trump, Galloway lays out a theory of economic activism designed to rattle boardrooms before it rattles Washington—so can unsubscribing from a few tech platforms really shake the most powerful men in America? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to focus on one of Donald Trump’s most revealing tools: the telephone. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience—from Trump’s landline calls to New York Magazine in the 1990s to rambling, unsolicited calls as president—Wolff explains why Trump is almost never off the phone, why he hates email and paper trails, and how calling isn’t about exchanging information so much as asserting dominance, rehearsing grievances, and never being alone. It’s a portrait of a man who governs, leaks, vents, and connects almost entirely by voice—using the phone as both comfort object and command center—and a revealing look at how Trump’s constant talking shapes his politics, his relationships, and his presidency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles speaks with Rep. Maxwell Frost about the hate crime assault he was a victim of at the Sundance Film Festival—and why he says it’s part of a much darker national pattern tied to political rhetoric, emboldened extremists, and a collapse of accountability in Washington. Rep. Frost describes how GOP lawmakers acquiesce to Trump and remain silent out of terror of primaries, retaliation, or being singled out by the president. He argues that this spinelessness has real-world consequences, linking escalating political violence, authoritarian instincts, and a system increasingly warped by greed and profiteering. As Frost warns that democracy itself is under threat, the question lingers: will Republicans ever find the backbone to stand up to Trump—and what happens if they don’t? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Schmidt (political strategist and founder of The Warning) joins Joanna Coles and dives into Donald Trump’s monomaniacal urge to name the nation after himself, and pin down the long reckoning Schmidt says is coming for Trump’s cabinet, enablers, and allies. Schmidt, political strategist and co-founder of the Save America Movement, argues Trumpism will be scraped from the walls of American life, predicts collapsing approval numbers, and warns that the real danger isn’t Trump’s lies but the media and political class selling helplessness as destiny. From the Epstein files metastasizing across multiple countries to Tulsi Gabbard’s alleged election meddling to a startling ultimatum aimed at King Charles to legitimize Trump, Schmidt frames this moment as a constitutional emergency—and an awakening. Is Trump’s grip already slipping, or is the bill for a decade of depravity only just coming due? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unravel a week in Trumpworld that veers from grotesque to outright dangerous, starting with Donald Trump’s late-night Truth Social spiral and the racist meme depicting the Obamas that even members of his own party scrambled to disown. They dig into what aides privately describe as Trump “going over the edge,” why the media still struggles to describe these moments honestly, and how this behavior is no longer an exception but the operating system. From there, the conversation turns to Trump’s jaw-dropping demand to rename Penn Station after himself—holding billions in federal infrastructure funding hostage in exchange for another monument to his name—and what that reveals about power, domination, and his obsession with owning physical and psychological space. The episode also explores the next weaponized phase of the Epstein files, Ghislaine Maxwell’s looming testimony, and how conspiracy, grievance, and raw racism are colliding at the center of Trump’s presidency—so is this just another scandal to scroll past, or a warning sign of something far more unstable still to come? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles as Trump aids declare the White House an “Epstein-free zone” where his name cannot be spoken. Wolff reveals how Trump’s go-to tactic of personal attacks and distraction still works just enough to avoid answering the one question he can’t touch, why the Epstein revelations are quietly reshuffling internal crises, and how figures from Deepak Chopra to Peter Mandelson to Silicon Valley’s self-styled gurus keep orbiting the same corrupt universe. Then comes Trump’s most compulsive, self-destructive obsession yet: his push to rebrand the Kennedy Center, justified by his own near-assassination fantasy and driven by a need to overwrite history with his name—even as artists flee, audiences vanish, and the politics make no sense. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles speaks with Jason Zengerle, author of "Hated By All the Right People," about how Tucker Carlson went from dodging Donald Trump’s phone calls to becoming one of the most powerful forces shaping Trumpworld. Drawing from Zengerle’s new book, they unpack Tucker’s unusual method of influencing Trump through television, his spectacular fallout with Fox News, and why being fired may have supercharged his relevance. The conversation traces Tucker’s early skepticism of Trump, his carefully managed realignment to Trump, his role in boosting JD Vance, and how he helped mainstream Viktor Orbán’s authoritarian playbook while flirting with Putin apologism. Coles and Zengerle also explore the deeply personal roots of Tucker’s worldview, including his fraught relationship with his mother, who left when he was a child and later cut him out of her fortune—an abandonment that may help explain his hunger for control, audience, and power. Is Tucker a cynical opportunist, a true believer, or something more unsettling—a movement leader with ambitions that stretch well beyond media? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles as Trump predictably lashes out in the fallout from the Epstein files—targeting Wolff as his latest nemesis, threatening lawsuits he can’t afford to file, and insisting the real conspiracy is against him. They unpack Trump’s rambling, defensive response to questions about Epstein flights, island denials, and the newly resurfaced claim—now echoed in official documents—that Epstein introduced Melania to Trump, a detail Trump world once tried to bury with billion-dollar legal threats. From Bill Gates and elite denial to Epstein’s role as an information broker, the conversation widens to Trump’s current obsession: federalizing elections, re-litigating 2020, and quietly laying the groundwork to undermine the 2026 midterms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles for a blistering, wide-ranging conversation about a presidency defined by vulgarity, fear, and damage—starting with Rothkopf’s searing argument that Donald Trump is the ugliest expression of American power yet. From the White House’s gilded excesses and the planned hollowing-out of the Kennedy Center, to the Melania “bribe-umentary,” its Epstein-adjacent fallout, and the mounting contradictions exposed in the Epstein files themselves, the episode tracks how taste, corruption, and impunity collide. Rothkopf, The Daily Beast’s unmissable columnist and found of the DSR Network, dig into the murkier questions Trump can’t outrun—from Howard Lutnick’s shifting Epstein story to why so many powerful figures are suddenly caught in bald-faced lies—while also unpacking the strange Tulsi Gabbard whistleblower saga, Trump’s renewed fixation on “stolen” elections, and the quiet groundwork being laid to destabilize 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennifer Welch of the hit podcast ‘I’ve Had It’ joins Joanna Coles as the news cycle spins completely out of control—from Don Lemon’s arrest and what Welch calls a chilling test case for silencing independent journalists, to the sudden flood of Epstein files, DOJ lawfare, and Trump’s deep, decades-long vendetta against the press. Welch dissects the masculinity myth at the heart of MAGA, the submissive strongman worship that props it up, and the evangelical culture that looks away from abuse while preaching moral authority. Along the way, Welch connects grift, grievance, and repression into a single operating system powering Trumpism—and asks the question hanging over all of it: If this is Trump’s authoritarian testing phase, what comes next when the guardrails finally give? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles step inside Donald Trump’s head at a moment when spectacle, grievance, and power collide. They unpack what Melania’s glossy new documentary really reveals about her marriage, money, and leverage. Wolff explains why the newly released Epstein files are reopening uncomfortable truths inside Trump World. They then discuss how the federal response in Minneapolis offers a stark window into how Trump understands authority and force. As these threads converge, Wolff and Coles wonder: is Trump tightening his grip on power—or revealing the fractures that could define what comes next? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack Melania’s high-profile movie premiere flop and Trump’s crumbling White House operations. As Minneapolis reels under paramilitary forces and DHS overreach, Wolff reveals how Trump’s aides point to the president’s “cabinet of morons” as the root of the administration's flailing incompetence as they scramble to keep him happy and dodge accountability. Meanwhile, the First Lady leverages her office to secure a $40 million documentary deal, sparking questions of corporate bribery. With resignations, lawsuits, and the looming midterms, Wolff and Coles map the power plays, personal agendas, and unraveling strategy behind the headlines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Talarico, running for a Texas U.S. Senate seat, joins Joanna Coles to argue that America has hit a dangerous inflection point—one defined by government overreach, corruption, and the collapse of public trust. From ICE shootings in Minneapolis to Donald Trump’s broken promises, Talarico says extremism and billionaire greed have left even Republican voters feeling conned, while Democrats remain stranded in the political wilderness. A man of faith as well as a lawmaker, he takes on Christian nationalism, explains what Jesus might say to Trump, and makes the case that nonviolent protest—and a new generation of leadership—is the only way out of the crisis now gripping American democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack the Minneapolis ICE shootings that have sent the Oval Office into a frenzy—and exposed the real tripwire in Trumpworld. As Susie Wiles, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, and Corey Lewandowski turn on each other in a furious blame game, Wolff reveals why the president is suddenly “wobbling” on immigration, how ICE quotas and untrained agents led to disaster, and why Miller is now dangerously exposed with no bureaucratic buffer left. Looming over it all is a furious First Lady, whose long-planned Melania movie rollout has been eclipsed by bloodshed and scandal—and whose displeasure, Wolff argues, matters more to Trump than polls, politics, or public outrage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mary Trump describes a nation at a breaking point, as the killing of a Veterans Association ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents and the administration’s response expose what she sees as the Trump playbook in its most dangerous form. Speaking with The Daily Beast’s political reporter Sarah Ewall-Wice, Mary Trump argues that her uncle’s instinct has always been to deny responsibility, attack victims, and escalate rather than restrain violence—and that this pattern is intensifying as his cognitive decline, rage posting, and detachment from reality become harder to disguise. Mary Trump traces how decades of family enabling, transactional loyalty, and unchecked power have led to a presidency she believes no longer fears consequences at home or abroad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Bruce Davidson joins Joanna Coles to explain why a single, easily overlooked detail — President Trump’s reported daily dose of 325 milligrams of aspirin — convinced him the president likely suffered a prior stroke. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Davidson walks through why that dosage is prescribed, what it signals medically, and how it aligns with Trump’s public symptoms, from shuffling and garbled speech to sleep disruption, bruising, and what he describes as post-stroke “agitated depression.” As Coles presses on judgment, decision-making, and transparency, the conversation becomes a stark examination of presidential health, medical secrecy, and what it means for the country when warning signs appear in plain sight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles as a winter blizzard barrels toward Washington and a political storm gathers inside the White House, where Trump’s second term is no longer defined by dominance but by drift, bad polls, and creeping loss of control. From a Davos appearance that Trump insists was triumphant—but clearly wasn’t—to a rare and dangerous moment of international pushback led by Canada’s Mark Carney and echoed across Europe, Wolff argues the strongman illusion is cracking. The question hanging over it all: Is this just another chaotic chapter—or are we witnessing the first chapter of the end of Trump’s reign? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack why Trump’s latest global theatrics—from the Greenland takeover threat to the billion-dollar “peace board”—were never meant to happen at all. Drawing on Davos, disastrous polling, Minneapolis blowback, and Trump’s endless talent for distraction, Wolff explains how bluster without cost is the core of Trumpism: set fires, bask in the sirens, then walk away before consequences arrive. The question lingering after Greenland fades: Is this the moment the world finally stops chasing the fire engines, or is Trump already lighting the next match? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf, The Daily Beast’s unmissable columnist, joins Joanna Coles to unpack Donald Trump’s disastrous return to Davos and why it may mark a genuine rupture in the world order. What was once a gathering fueled by prestige and pretense becomes, this year, a summit driven by fear—of Trump’s bullying, his ignorance, his threats on trade, NATO, Greenland, and allies who once trusted the United States. Rothkopf explains why European leaders walked out, why markets rattled, why the EU froze trade talks, and why figures like Mark Carney are now openly warning that this is not a transition but a break. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to take apart the most durable myth of Trump’s presidency: the idea that there is some master strategist at work. As Ukraine remains unresolved, the economy wobbles, and Trump’s promised “day one” deals evaporate, Wolff argues that what actually sustains Trump is not strategy but performance — a relentless projection of dominance learned on reality television and refined in politics. They trace how Trump’s refusal to retreat, apologize, or show weakness keeps him squeaking through moments that logic says should break him, from Greenland to Epstein to Minneapolis, each distraction layered atop the last. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Graham Platner joins Joanna Coles for a blunt conversation about Donald Trump, power, and accountability, arguing that Trump’s abuses must be investigated and punished—not waved away. The insurgent Democratic Senate candidate from Maine takes on the Epstein files, the weaponization of ICE, tariff fallout, and why even Trump voters feel betrayed, while explaining why he’s challenging Susan Collins and defying the Democratic establishment in a race that’s become a test of whether the rule of law still applies at the top. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett joins Joanna Coles to discuss the high-stakes chaos gripping Washington and the threats facing members of Congress. From MAGA loyalty and the Epstein files to redistricting battles in Texas, Crockett lays out the unprecedented pressures on lawmakers navigating a government where fear, intimidation, and partisanship are the new normal. She also opens up about her Senate bid, the strategies behind expanding the electorate, and the mentors guiding her path, offering a rare, candid look at power, courage, and conscience in a fraught political moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack Trump’s latest high-stakes drama: the Insurrection Act and his escalating presence in American cities. From Minneapolis as ground zero to ICE agents wielding “absolute immunity,” Wolff breaks down how conflict and chaos have become Trump’s strategy, not his mistake. Joanna and Wolff explore the administration’s doubling down, the Democratic Party’s faltering response, and the curious absence of figures like Barack Obama and George W. Bush—two leaders with the authority to counter Trump’s moves. They also trace Trump’s foreign entanglements, from Venezuela to Iran, and the surprising ways reality continues to diverge from his proclamations. With Trump’s threats backfiring at home and abroad, the conversation exposes a presidency ruled by drama, distraction, and the relentless pursuit of power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to trace how a president cornered by Epstein, ICE violence, collapsing polls, and mounting legal exposure responds the only way he knows how: by grabbing territory, media, and attention at scale. From the Foxification of CBS News and the quiet corporate bargain behind it, to Trump’s fixation on Greenland, Venezuela, Iran, and elite cities he loves to demonize, this episode maps a presidency fueled by distraction, intimidation, and an audience of one. Wolff unpacks why Trump’s pressure-point politics now extend from network newsrooms to foreign policy theater, why even loyal institutions are bending under threat, and why the nightmare Trump is trying to outrun—Epstein. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeffrey Toobin joins Joanna Coles to explain how Donald Trump has tightened his grip on the Justice Department, why Republicans in Congress have fallen into line, and how a Supreme Court that once checked presidential power has largely enabled it. Toobin, author and New York Times Op-Ed contributor, breaks down the looming tariff case—and why even a loss at the Court wouldn’t stop Trump, who would simply rewrite the policy and dare the legal system to catch up—alongside what’s at stake in birthright citizenship and the broader expansion of executive authority. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to trace the oddly revealing logic now driving Donald Trump’s presidency: a man who knows the midterms are coming, knows the numbers are bad, knows Epstein, jobs, ICE videos, and his own health chatter are bleeding into the public consciousness—and who believes the only solution is something that “plays.” From Pam Bondi’s visible strain as Trump treats the Justice Department like his personal law firm, to his lifelong conviction that nothing is ever his fault, Wolff explains why loyalty always curdles into blame. The conversation moves outward to the foreign-policy theatrics he sees as risk-free wins: Venezuela as a headline-grabbing show of force, Greenland as a performative threat designed to make Europe bend, and war as branding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles for a blistering, darkly funny tour through what they argue is the accelerating late stage of Donald Trump: a president who can’t hold a thought, wanders off mid-meeting, and yet is being weaponized by Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, JD Vance, and others to push extreme agendas at breakneck speed. Along the way, they unpack Democratic paralysis, early signs of Republican and corporate peeling away, the politics of immigration as it tips from winning issue to liability, and why the real fight now is about stopping the madness before the midterms—plus, because it’s 2026, a detour into Doritos, Hollywood finally finding its voice again, and the Melania movie as protest art. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anthony Scaramucci joins Joanna Coles for a frank conversation about what Donald Trump is really doing in Venezuela—and why the chaos is the point. Scaramucci argues that the Venezuela move is driven less by democracy or security than by oil, money, and self-enrichment, and is shaped by conspiracy thinking and political pressure. He also breaks down Trump’s appetite for cruelty and spectacle, the warning signs in ICE’s escalating violence, the quiet sidelining of allies like Marco Rubio and JD Vance, and why Republicans who know better still fall in line. The takeaway: Trump isn’t unraveling—he’s focused, transactional, and increasingly willing to burn institutions to stay powerful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack the central illusion of Trump’s presidency: that someone, somewhere knows what is going on—when in fact nobody does, least of all Trump himself. From Iran’s uprising to Venezuela’s phantom “invasion,” Wolff explains how Trump exploits uncertainty by announcing conflicts he has no intention of prosecuting, using noise, grandiosity, and endless talking to stay at the center of attention while avoiding real risk or consequence. The conversation ranges from ICE and Minneapolis to Greenland, shoes, height, and the limits of loyalty, before landing on the most dangerous question of all: What happens when Trump’s talent for manufactured crises collides with a real one—Russia, Iran, or a nuclear threat he cannot simply talk his way out of? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack one of the most confounding political inversions of the Trump era: the moment when lying stopped being a liability and became a source of power. Wolff argues that while past presidents were undone by exposed falsehoods, Trump’s credibility has never been weaker—and yet it has only strengthened him. Together, they examine how shamelessness, repetition, and brute insistence on an alternate reality have replaced truth as a governing tool, leaving institutions, media, and public protest strangely inert. From the collapse of shared reality to the media’s inability to name what’s happening in plain language, this episode digs into why transparent lies no longer undermine authority—and what it means when reality itself stops working as a check on power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congressman Seth Moulton joins Joanna Coles for a no frills, clear account of the Venezuela crisis — and why he believes the administration is lying to Congress at every turn. From chaotic briefings where officials dodge questions, to Republican colleagues privately admitting they would be outraged if a Democrat did the same, Moulton argues the United States has no real plan, only escalation. He connects the timing to distractions over healthcare premiums and the Epstein files, criticizes Democratic leaders for failing to level with voters, and makes the case for generational change, age limits, and his own Senate run — while warning that a weakened Congress and normalized “crazy” are far more dangerous than most Americans realize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to examine how Nicolás Maduro’s dance mocking Trump became a genuine trigger for the president — and why humiliation lands harder than policy. Wolff explains how Trump turns foreign affairs into personal vendettas, and when Maduro refuses the deals, dances, and laughs, it pierces Trump at the level of ego, not ideology. Also, the conversation widens to Trump’s fixation on the MOCA test as proof of competence, the way distraction becomes a governing tactic, and how figures like Mark Kelly are pulled into the narrative to shift attention, rewrite the stakes, and keep the spotlight where Trump needs it most, namely away from Epstein. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to explain why Trump’s move in Venezuela looks less like foreign policy and more like a heist. Rothkopf walks through the rushed effort to topple Maduro, the boastful talk about “running” Venezuela, and the alarming reality that there was no plan for what came next — who governs, who controls the oil, or how any of it ends. Together, they examine what Rothkopf calls Trump’s “mafia doctrine”: kidnap the leader, seize the resources, ignore the law, and dare the world to respond. It’s chaotic, risky, and deeply consequential — for Venezuela, for America, and for everyone watching what comes next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. John Gartner joins Joanna Coles to explain why Donald Trump’s worsening paranoia, erratic behavior, and visible health problems point to a dangerous mix of malignant narcissism and possible frontotemporal dementia. Drawing on clinical practice and the shift toward observable diagnostic criteria, Gartner argues that Trump’s public performances reveal more than enough: the “25th time” fixation, the aspirin theories, the right-side weakness, and the drifting, rambling speeches. The conversation ends with a stark question: What happens when a country is governed by a man whose greatest vulnerability is his own deteriorating mind? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to probe the growing mystery around Melania Trump — the first lady who rarely appears, rarely speaks, and yet increasingly shapes the atmosphere around Donald Trump. Wolff explores why Melania’s absence feels deliberate, how lawsuits and the threat of depositions have sharpened attention on her, and why Trump’s team appears determined to keep her out of reach of process servers and cameras alike. Wolff examines why discovery terrifies Trumpworld more than accusation, why Melania’s distance reads like leverage, and how one reluctant witness can destabilize a carefully managed narrative. If the quietest person in Trump’s orbit may also be the one who knows the most, what happens when the courts — not the campaign — decide who gets to ask the questions? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles for part two, continuing their forensic account of Donald Trump’s long, combustible friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Drawing on years of interviews and firsthand reporting, Wolff argues that Trump and Epstein were not casual acquaintances but intimate allies, bonded by money, sex, models, and a shared outsider resentment of New York’s elite. The episode traces how that alliance curdled into rivalry and fear—through real estate betrayals, private planes, kompromat, and the moment Epstein believed Trump turned the authorities on him. Wolff details why Epstein obsessed over Trump even after their rupture, why other powerful men fell while Trump survived, and how Epstein’s arrest and death intersected with Trump’s presidency. If Epstein was the man who knew Trump best, what does it mean that this is the one story that still visibly unnerves him? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles looks back at her sit downs with Andrew Lownie to uncover the full scope of Prince Andrew’s scandals, from secret deals and Epstein entanglements to whispers of a royal escape. Lownie lays bare a monarchy in crisis, revealing corruption, systemic failures, and a family blindsided by decades of unexamined behavior. This episode traces Andrew’s personal downfall as the spine of a much larger story about power, privilege, and protection. With shocking claims of assassination plots and palace cover-ups, nothing about this saga is as simple as it seems. The only certainty: the story is far from over. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to trace the unsettling origins of Donald Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, long before public scandal or denial. Wolff begins with their bond in the late-1980s New York, where Trump was chasing Manhattan legitimacy and Epstein was emerging as a fixer fluent in money, women, and leverage. From Trump introducing Epstein as “my associate—Jeffy,” a pattern forms of shared ambition, cruelty, and secrecy. Wolff links those early dynamics to Trump’s financial near-collapse in the 1990s and Epstein’s claim that he helped Trump survive bankruptcy while keeping his tax returns hidden. If Epstein helped shape Trump’s instincts before power, what does that say about the secrets that still follow him now? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles dives into Trump’s troubled relationship with the U.S. military, unpacking disastrous parades, loyalty tests, and pep rallies that left generals cringing. With insights from Michael Wolff, David Rothkopf, and top retired brass, we reveal how strategy was sidelined for spectacle—and what it means for the country. Retired generals and lawmakers weigh in on the risks Trump’s style posed to U.S. readiness. We also get an inside look at Pete Hegseth and the chaos behind the scenes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles revisits her most eye-opening conversations with Dr. John Gartner, a leading expert who says the media has ignored the most urgent question about Donald Trump: his mental and physical health. From alarming changes in Trump’s language, gait, and impulse control to warnings about paranoia, narcissism, and cognitive decline, the doctor lays out why these signs matter far beyond one man. As Trump’s influence endures, this episode asks whether the real danger lies in what he can no longer hide—and what the country is still refusing to confront. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to peel back what Christmas looks like inside Donald Trump’s carefully staged world at Mar-a-Lago — a holiday less about family and warmth than performance, attention, and control. From the bored, rope-off table at the center of the patio to Trump’s late-night torrent of Truth Social posts, Wolff maps how even Christmas becomes another arena for validation. They examine Melania’s rare flash of animation beside her father, the eerie surge of hyper-religious messaging from Trump-world, and the rituals that feel rehearsed rather than heartfelt. As the conversation widens, they trace how sagging TV ratings, Hollywood power plays, and proximity to Trump himself still dictate the action around him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to unpack the one thing that drives Donald Trump more than policy, ideology, or even power: television. From The Apprentice to Fox News, Trump has always understood that fame is a currency, and the White House is just the ultimate reality show set. Wolff details how Trump doesn’t read briefings, rarely listens, and instead crafts his world based on ratings, Nielsen scores, and cable news cues. The former president treats lawyers like scripted TV characters, his cabinet as central casting, and the nation as an audience to captivate. From Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch to Sean Hannity and Bill Shine, Trump has manipulated media insiders to shape both his narrative and his presidency. This episode reveals why politics, for Trump, has never been about governance—it’s about performance, spectacle, and keeping the cameras rolling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles revisits some of The Daily Beast’s most disturbing and revealing conversations about Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Michael Wolff explains why Epstein’s shadow still looms over Trump, while Stacey Williams and Cleo Glyde recount encounters that expose the brazen culture of power and silence surrounding them. Tina Brown reflects on the scandal she helped uncover and why its consequences continue to fracture Trump’s world. Together, these voices reveal how wealth and influence conceal dark truths—and why the reckoning is far from over. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices