The Daily Beast Podcast

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