The Daily Beast Podcast

Kurt Andersen and Joanna Coles dive into the spectacle, symbolism, and political theater surrounding Donald Trump’s latest White House ambitions, from plans for a UFC-style event on the South Lawn to a MAGA-branded America 250 celebration that’s already losing major performers. Andersen explains why Trump’s embrace of entertainment, celebrity culture, and grievance politics was visible decades ago, tracing the roots of what he calls America’s long-running “Fantasyland” obsession with self-created narratives. Along the way, they unpack the cabinet’s astonishing displays of loyalty, Trump’s fixation on revenge, the unraveling politics around Iran, and a startling 1991 MAD Magazine cartoon that seemed to predict Trump’s future with uncanny accuracy. It’s a conversation about power, performance, and why some of the strangest moments in American politics may reveal more than the biggest headlines.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack another week of chaos inside Trumpworld, from a judge forcing Donald Trump to strip his name from the Kennedy Center to a court challenge threatening his controversial $1.8 billion IRS settlement fund. They dig into Trump's newly disclosed weight gain, his obsession with public enemies, and why Wolff believes targeting figures like E. Jean Carroll matters more to Trump than winning in court. The pair also explore the growing influence of Todd Blanche, the fallout from the Epstein files controversy, and signs that Trump may already be turning on J.D. Vance as a potential successor. Along the way, they re-open the book on Usha Vance's baffling podcast, the deepening Iran crisis that Trump can't seem to escape, and the reality-show logic that continues to drive the presidency.
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Jennifer Welch returns to the Daily Beast Podcast and unloads on the “broken people” surrounding Donald Trump, from Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth to JD Vance, Jeff Bezos, and the billionaire class she says has traded conviction for obedience and spectacle. In a blistering conversation with Joanna Coles, Welch argues Trump is entering a “deathbed confession era,” openly admitting the impulses that now define his presidency as cabinet members compete to flatter him, Democrats stumble through what she calls a once-in-a-generation political layup, and MAGA figures turn loyalty into humiliation rituals. They dive into Trump’s obsession with punishing perceived disloyalty, the escalating “rat-fucking” of JD Vance, the strange psychology of the ultra-rich bending the knee to Trump, the return of the Epstein fallout, and why Welch believes Democrats are still failing to meet the moment even as Trump openly declares he doesn’t care about the midterms.
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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles trace the panic, paranoia, and raw volatility swirling around Donald Trump as he insists he “doesn’t care” about the midterms while privately sounding trapped, furious, and increasingly dangerous. From comparisons to Stalin’s inner circle and the cult-like loyalty inside Trump’s cabinet, to the political gamble of backing scandal-plagued Ken Paxton in Texas, the episode dives deep into a presidency that appears to be running on grievance, chaos, and reality-show instincts. They unpack Trump’s escalating obsession with E. Jean Carroll as the Justice Department targets her after she beat him twice in court, explore how Iran may be outmaneuvering him in the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and examine why Trump’s promise to avoid endless wars is collapsing in real time. Plus, Michael reveals another surreal chapter from his Jeffrey Epstein encounters involving Bill Gates, billionaire fantasies, and the strange power games unfolding inside Epstein’s Manhattan mansion.

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David Rothkopf and Joanna Coles dive into the unraveling chaos surrounding Donald Trump’s latest political gambles, from the shocking rise of scandal-plagued Texas firebrand Ken Paxton to mounting questions about Trump’s health after yet another visit to Walter Reed. Rothkopf tears into MAGA’s “doubling down” strategy as polls collapse, Trump allies turn on each other, and the White House transforms into what he calls a gaudy monument to excess with a $60 million UFC spectacle on the South Lawn. The conversation veers from Trump’s physical decline and Jeff Bezos’ defense of the administration to the fallout from America’s escalating Iran crisis, stalled oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and fears that the country is becoming dangerously weaker on every front.

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