The Daily Beast Podcast

The Dire Plan Trump Really Has for Legacy: Wolff

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 [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

I Know Why Trump Keeps Getting It Wrong: Rothkopf

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 [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

I Know Trump’s Secret Plan to Scare Voters

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 [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Trump Secretly Admits Top Goon ‘Is Crazy’

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 [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Carville’s Shock Prediction Will Terrify Trump

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 [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]