The Daily Beast Podcast

David Rothkopf and Joanna Coles preview the midterm elections with a look at the races that could reshape the Democratic Party, from Abdul El-Sayed’s battle with Mike Rogers in Michigan to James Talarico’s challenge to Ken Paxton in Texas, while unpacking the fallout from Haley Stevens’ stunning decision to back a Republican. They also examine the issues breaking through with voters, including health care, corruption, immigration, affordability and the war, and what a Democratic surge could mean for the 2028 presidential race. Plus, they get into Elon Musk’s extraordinary influence on the election, the growing backlash against tech billionaires, Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior, his fixation on the White House renovation and the disturbing reports about his thinking on nuclear weapons. As election night approaches, Rothkopf and Coles weigh the final Senate polls and consider whether Trump is beginning to realize that his grip on power may be slipping.

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Ben Meiselas, co-founder of MeidasTouch, joins Joanna Coles to explain why he thinks Trump and MAGA are headed for a crushing midterm defeat. Watching Trump’s full rallies, Meiselas says, reveals an erratic closing message that short news clips fail to capture. He points to Democratic gains in special elections, then tells the story of how a family group chat with his brothers Brett and Jordi grew into an independent media network. Drawing on their new book, WTF America, Meiselas traces the rise of right-wing media from Roger Ailes to today’s online disinformation campaigns and argues that winning an election alone will not undo their influence. He lays out what he wants Americans to do after the votes are counted.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles head into the midterms with a look at the fights gathering around Donald Trump. Wolff shares an update on his legal battle with Melania Trump, then the hosts turn to former Trump lawyer Alina Habba’s reported $50 million deal and her clash with Trump over money and influence. Wolff argues that the dispute could be an early sign of a wider scramble among people close to the president. They also size up vulnerable MAGA candidates, ask whether falling Fox News ratings signal trouble for Trump and consider what Tuesday’s results could mean for his grip on the Republican Party.

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Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty break down a chaotic final stretch of Donald Trump’s midterm campaign, as hecklers hijack his rallies and even some of his biggest supporters turn against him. From Democrats gaining ground in deep-red states to Trump losing Joe Rogan and JD Vance’s increasingly desperate attempts to dodge questions about the economy, the cracks in MAGA are becoming harder to ignore. With Election Night approaching, Joanna and Hugh examine whether Trump’s political machine is heading for a major reckoning.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look inside a White House bracing for the midterms, where losing the House may be expected but losing the Senate could put nearly everyone around Trump in danger. Wolff describes how election night could unfold inside the residence, why Susie Wiles and Attorney General Todd Blanche may be especially exposed and why Natalie Harp appears to be the one aide whose job is safe. Then he and Coles make their calls on eight Senate races, including the strange contest in Alaska where two men named Dan Sullivan are on the ballot. They also consider whom Trump would blame for a defeat and why his fixation on other people’s looks reveals so much about how he sees himself.

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