The Daily Beast Podcast

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look at the Republicans’ desperate final stretch before the midterms, starting with a campaign ad so cruel that even members of their own party are recoiling. Why are Donald Trump and JD Vance standing by Vivek Ramaswamy as his attack on Ohio rival Amy Acton backfires? Wolff explains what the uproar reveals about Trump’s faith in a tactic that has worked for him before, while a ballot fight in Alaska raises fresh questions about how far his administration will go to contest a loss. They also turn to Melania Trump’s claim of a huma...

Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty expose the latest chaos swirling around Donald Trump’s White House, from Melania Trump’s stunning claim that she brokered a Ukraine ceasefire—and the potential Nobel ambitions and reality-TV motives behind it—to growing questions about the president’s health as his rallies shrink and protests grow. They also examine Elon Musk’s extraordinary power over Ukraine’s military communications, the millions he’s pouring into Republican midterm races, and a potentially explosive Justice Department investigation into Trump ally Corey Lewandowski. But the biggest bombshell may involve Jared Kushner: a new book alleges Russian hackers...

In this special live show edition of Inside Trump's Head, Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take the stage in Los Angeles to ask what Trump wants from the presidency and what he might do if Democrats win the midterms. Wolff shares what a source close to Trump told him about the president’s staggering financial ambitions, then explains why he believes money drives Trump’s fixation on Vladimir Putin. He and Coles consider how Trump could react to an election defeat, whether he might return to bombing Iran and why Wolff doubts JD Vance can inherit the MAGA movement. The...

Chrystia Freeland, former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, speaks to Joanna Coles about what she learned negotiating face to face with Donald Trump and why she believes world leaders make a costly mistake when they give in to him. Trump called her “the killer,” then attacked her when Canada retaliated against his tariffs. Freeland explains how his personal charm can disarm an opponent, why Canada answered his tariffs dollar for dollar and how allies could use the same playbook now. She also weighs in on Mark Carney’s leadership, warns that Trump is siding with Vladimir Putin against Ukraine and ar...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look ahead to the morning after the midterms and ask what happens if Donald Trump loses control of Congress. Wolff, who watched Trump’s inner circle confront him with the 2020 results, explains why he believes the president cannot accept a loss and how a defeat could become an excuse to blame Susie Wiles, Mike Johnson and Republicans who kept their distance from him. Coles presses Wolff on a closer, messier result: Could recounts and challenges leave the country in weeks of chaos? They also imagine who will be at Trump’s side as the retu...

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to sound the alarm on Donald Trump’s stunning betrayal of Ukraine and America’s decades-long fight against Russia. As Trump cozies up to Vladimir Putin, lifts sanctions and blames Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rothkopf warns that the president is actively undermining U.S. security to advance Moscow’s interests. With the midterms looming, Trump’s poll numbers tanking and Democrats eyeing a historic wave, the pair examine the growing desperation inside the White House, the Russian ties surrounding Don Jr.’s lavish wedding and the alarming implications of Trump’s foreign policy. Plus, the Democrats mounting a s...

Terry Moran returns to the Daily Beast Podcast to tell Joanna Coles what he found on the ground in Maine and Iowa, where voters’ frustration could upend the midterms without giving Democrats an easy path to victory. He sizes up Susan Collins’ fight to keep her Senate seat, then explains why Trump’s increasingly coarse language may reveal more than a change in campaign style. The former ABC White House correspondent also delivers a blunt assessment of new press secretary Katie Zacharia’s first briefing and what her sudden appointment says about the operation around Trump. As questions swirl around c...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go inside the chaos of Trump’s White House, where a disastrous press secretary debut, a sudden firing, and Susie Wiles’ uncertain future expose a West Wing running on ego, loyalty, and dysfunction. As Trump’s revolving door of female aides keeps spinning, Wolff explains why even his own chief of staff may be on borrowed time. Plus, Elon Musk is pouring another $300 million into the midterms, raising the stakes in a series of nail-biting Senate races and giving one billionaire extraordinary power over American democracy. With control of Congress hanging in the balance, Wolff...

Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty reveal the backstabbing, bruising rivalries and spectacular missteps tearing through Trump’s inner circle. As Susie Wiles fights to keep her footing and press secretary Katie Zacharia faces the music, Kristi Noem and Kimberly Guilfoyle bring fresh drama to an already chaotic Washington. With egos colliding and loyalty wearing thin, nobody in Trump’s orbit looks safe.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles ask whether Susie Wiles is running out of time as Trump reportedly calls around to ask what people think of his chief of staff. Wolff explains why that question can be the kiss of death inside Trump’s White House and predicts what could happen after the midterms. They also take on new press secretary Katie Zacharia’s rocky debut and the questions surrounding her claims to be a lawyer. Then Wolff offers a theory about Kimberly Guilfoyle’s abrupt exit as ambassador, her split from Don Jr. and what she might do next. The co...

Eric Deters reveals to Joanna Coles how his friendship with Kimberly Guilfoyle unraveled after, he says, she asked him for $100,000 to pay an American Express bill while awaiting confirmation as ambassador to Greece. The longtime Trump supporter describes the texts he released, the moment Guilfoyle warned that the dispute could cost her the job and an awkward day he spent with her and Don Jr. as their relationship was falling apart. Deters also explains why he turned to Trump’s inner circle for help on behalf of hundreds of former patients who allege they received unnecessary spine surgeries. Now he...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dig into Kimberly Guilfoyle’s abrupt exit as ambassador to Greece and the leaked messages that preceded it. Why was she pushed out, and what does she know about the Trump family? Wolff argues that her fall exposes a familiar pattern in Trump’s circle: people using power to chase money, status and the next job. They also discuss new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia and why Wolff thinks Trump picked her to be the face of his administration. As the midterms approach, they consider what happens if Trump loses control of Congress but...

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to sound the alarm on Donald Trump’s jaw-dropping betrayal of America, from pumping money into Putin’s war machine to potentially helping fund attacks on U.S. forces. As Trump’s administration embraces authoritarian tactics and threatens a televised execution, Rothkopf explains how the president is torching America’s global standing. Plus, Marco Rubio’s presidential ambitions collide with the growing scandal engulfing Kimberly Guilfoyle in Greece, while a disastrous Republican debate performance and a suddenly competitive Senate map raise the stakes for the midterms. With Trump’s own party growing nervous and a wave of da...

Kurt Andersen and Joanna Coles revisit the Donald Trump that Spy magazine spotted 40 years ago: a blustering New York celebrity who claimed he could master nuclear missiles in an hour and a half. Andersen explains why Trump was a joke then but became president, and why today’s thin-skinned tech billionaires deserve the same sharp scrutiny. They consider what a midterm defeat could do to a president who craves attention, then size up JD Vance, Marco Rubio, RFK Jr. and the Republican who Andersen says would make a far more formidable candidate. The conversation turns to Pete Hegseth and th...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles turn their attention to Pete Hegseth, as the Secretary of Defense is facing mounting criticism over the Iran war while quietly positioning himself for a presidential run. They break down his latest State of the Force speech, which Wolff argues was designed to flatter Donald Trump and win over the MAGA base, and Joanna traces Hegseth’s tough-guy rhetoric back to his time in Iraq. As the war drains American munitions and the midterms approach, they consider whether Trump will make Hegseth the fall guy. But Wolff sees a strange possibility: the louder the ca...

Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty dive into Trump-world’s latest chaos, from Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize humiliation to Pete Hegseth’s chilling talk of live-streaming a military execution. John Ossoff delivers a brutal debate performance as Democrats eye the midterms, while a Texas candidate vanishes from the campaign trail. Plus, Kimberly Guilfoyle is engulfed in a jaw-dropping scandal that could spell trouble for Marco Rubio. From Trump’s bruised ego to MAGA’s money trail, the week’s political drama just keeps getting uglier.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles are counting down to the midterms—and the Trump world is already positioning itself for what comes next. Marco Rubio appears to be launching his 2028 presidential campaign with a grandiose pitch to save Western civilization, while Michael predicts Trump and Rubio may need a new “big thing” to distract from the Iran war, impeachment threats, and mounting investigations. Meanwhile, Kimberly Guilfoyle is engulfed in a stunning new corruption scandal involving hundreds of thousands of dollars as Trump’s political operation increasingly looks like a pay-to-play enterprise. Plus, the Senate map is suddenly tilting toward Democrat...

Mary Trump returns to the Daily Beast Podcast to tell Joanna Coles why she believes her uncle is terrified of being seen as a loser as the midterms approach. She traces that fear to the Trump family dynamic she witnessed growing up, then weighs in on his remarks about Los Angeles and San Diego, his fixation on cognitive tests and aspirin, and his relationship with aide Natalie Harp. Mary also reveals what she wrote in the handwritten note that ended Donald Trump’s $100 million lawsuit against her.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles examine Donald Trump’s increasingly self-destructive presidency, from his dwindling rally crowds and disastrous political bets to his reckless handling of the war in Iran and increasingly bizarre rhetoric. They draw a remarkable parallel between Trump and disgraced British politician and novelist Jeffrey Archer, another larger-than-life narcissist whose appetite for attention, risk and reinvention eventually brought him crashing down. As Trump doubles down on unpopular policies, loses support among Hispanic voters and inserts himself into midterm races, Wolff asks whether we are watching the beginning of Trump’s downfall—or simply another act in his ex...

David Rothkopf speaks with Joanna Coles about Trump’s increasingly chaotic presidency as the midterms loom, from his bizarre claim that he has an IQ of 1,775 to the growing threat of election interference and Elon Musk’s renewed influence. They examine Pete Hegseth’s alarming vision for the Pentagon, the rise of autonomous weapons and the billions flowing to Trump allies, before looking ahead to the Republican Party’s fierce 2028 battle between billionaire oligarchs and white Christian nationalists. And with Trump once again defending men accused of sexual abuse, David explains why the Epstein scandal could come roaring back—and become...

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Keisha Lance Bottoms joins Joanna Coles on The Daily Beast Podcast to take on the billionaire she calls a Donald Trump wannabe—and explain why his $100 million investment in Georgia’s governor’s race hasn’t put her behind in the polls. The former Atlanta mayor sounds the alarm over potential election disruptions, takes aim at rival Rick Jackson’s business dealings, and reveals why she would welcome another Trump campai...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles reveal the fears they believe drive Donald Trump—from being exposed as unintelligent and unable to absorb information to his dread of rejection, ridicule, loneliness, and losing the spotlight. Wolff recounts the extraordinary efforts allegedly made to keep Trump’s academic records hidden, explains why ordinary conversation can leave him vulnerable, and describes a president who needs an audience but recoils from genuine human contact. As they trace how these insecurities shape his attacks, obsessions, and refusal to accept defeat, Wolff offers a chilling prediction of how Trump could preserve his power after leaving offi...

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Joanna Coles and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty take on a week of Trump-fueled chaos, from the president fawning over White House aide Margo Martin in front of Natalie Harp to his motorcade roaring through Texas at nearly 100 mph. They reveal why Trump’s rally crowds are shrinking, how his attacks on scandal-plagued Senate candidate Ken Paxton could help Democrat James Talarico, and what his explosive Time Magazine interview exposed about his...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take a revealing look inside Donald Trump’s world of flunkies, fear and humiliation, where cabinet officials, billionaires and tech titans learn how far they have to bend to stay in his good graces. They examine why figures like Marco Rubio, J.D. Vance and Pete Hegseth have accepted radically different versions of the same bargain, and how Trump’s unpredictable mix of praise and fury keeps those around him off balance. They also explore his treatment of women, including the leaked images of Trump berating Natalie Harp, before Wolff explains why, in Trump’s seco...

Adam Mockler joins Joanna Coles on the Daily Beast Podcast to break down the chaos consuming Donald Trump’s Republican Party, from Ken Paxton blaming Trump for wrecking his Senate campaign to the spectacular Jack Smith hearing blunder that left GOP senators scrambling. Mockler reveals what really happened before and after his explosive CNN clash with Scott Jennings, explains why Trump’s costly war with Iran has failed to deliver a single meaningful concession, and argues that Democrats need more than an anti-Trump message to win back disillusioned voters. He and Joanna also take aim at Trump’s bizarre attemp...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dig into what Donald Trump’s political future looks like as the midterms approach, from Republicans increasingly distancing themselves from Trump to his apparent determination to double down rather than retreat. They examine Trump’s taxpayer-funded campaign ad, the Texas Senate race, and the growing fight over AI data centers before turning to the darker story of Jeffrey Epstein—and Wolff’s firsthand account of Epstein’s fear of Trump becoming president, the collapse of their friendship, and the extraordinary events surrounding Epstein’s arrest and death. As Wolff revisits what Epstein told him about Trump...

The Daily Beast's Chief Global Affairs Columnist predicts what is about to happen to Donald Trump: A bubble-bursting moment when he gets confronted with reality. He tells Joanna Coles about what we can all learn from the moment Trump got heckled on a golf course on Sunday, and what to take out of what the president betrayed on a hot mic at the same event.

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Anand Giridharadas returns to the Daily Beast Podcast to discuss his new book, Man in the Mirror, and the three years he spent reporting on the fatal subway encounter between Jordan Neely and Daniel Penny. Giridharadas takes Joanna Coles inside a story that became a national Rorschach test, exploring race, homelessness, mental illness, public safety, fear, dehumanization, and the difficulty of making sense of a morally complicated event in an era of simple slogans. He also reveals what he learned from following the people at the center of the case, including Daniel Penny’s Marine Corps training, the NYPD de...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take a closer look at Donald Trump’s encounter with Xi Jinping and what China may have learned from a president they see as unusually susceptible to flattery, especially when it comes to the delicate question of Taiwan. They also dissect Melania Trump’s new women’s network, the growing role of billionaires around the White House, and the extraordinary rise of Kimberly Guilfoyle from Fox News to ambassador to Greece, including the business and personal relationships now surrounding her diplomatic role. Then, the conversation turns to Trump’s escalating fight with the press and the...

Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty dig into Donald Trump’s extraordinary welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping, from the red-carpet spectacle and lavish state dinner to the tensions over Taiwan, Iran, and China’s support for Tehran. They examine what Xi’s carefully chosen language of the “Thucydides Trap” reveals about the increasingly complicated U.S.-China relationship, and why the White House’s embrace of Chinese power looks so striking alongside Trump’s attacks on Beijing. Then, with the midterms looming, Hugh breaks down the Republican panic showing up in key races across the country, where money is shifting and s...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack Trump’s latest threats to “annihilate” Iran, including the bizarre White House effort to find him a new word after “obliterate” apparently lost its punch. They discuss Trump’s UN week showdown with world leaders, Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House, Melania Trump’s new women’s initiative, and RFK Jr.’s extraordinary $4 million book deal. They also examine the devastating testimony from families affected by ICE shootings in Minneapolis and what it could mean as the midterms approach, before turning to the widening Republican Senate map and the chaos surrounding Trump’s proposed Whi...

Luke Harding, author of the new book Betrayal: Trump, Putin and The New Age of Conquest, speaks with Joanna Coles about the decades-long relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and the Russian intelligence operation that Harding argues helped cultivate Trump as a potential target for influence. Harding traces Trump’s early connections to Moscow, the murky financial dealings that followed, and the compromising information that may give Putin leverage over the president, including what could have been captured during Trump’s visits to Russia. He also explains why Russia viewed Trump’s 2016 victory as a historic intelligence triumph, how Tr...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles return to dissect Donald Trump’s latest battle with the press, his launch of Trump TV, and the high-stakes arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. They examine why Trump keeps turning the media into his enemy, what his escalating wars and increasingly precarious relationship with China could mean for the United States, and how a meeting with Xi could reshape the balance of power around Taiwan and beyond. They also look at Trump’s claims about military installations, his reliance on spectacle and conflict to dominate the news cycle, and the...

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to explore the latest chaos inside Trump’s White House, from the unprecedented standoff between the president and the White House press corps to the growing influence of Natalie Harp and Trump’s obsession with controlling his media coverage. They also dig into Trump’s looming UN appearance, his delicate balancing act with Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, and the bizarre FBI controversy over bestiality rules that has become a symbol of the administration’s increasingly unconventional approach to government. Plus, Rothkopf takes aim at Pete Hegseth’s vision for a hyper-masculine military, Trump’s proposed n...

Terry Moran joins Joanna Coles on the Daily Beast Podcast to discuss his recent trip to Iowa, where voters are growing increasingly frustrated with Donald Trump over the rising cost of living, soaring energy prices, and a shrinking sense of possibility. Moran reveals what he learned from farmers and young people in a state that once embraced Trump, and why their dissatisfaction may not translate into renewed faith in the Democratic Party. He also opens up about his departure from ABC News, the pressures facing legacy media, and why fear and corporate interests are shaping coverage of the White...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dig into what may be the most revealing signs yet of a White House struggling to manage Donald Trump, as his own advisers begin publicly pushing back on his dismissal of AI concerns and his refusal to confront Republican vulnerability ahead of the midterms. They examine Trump’s increasingly personal battle with the Kennedy Center, including his reported plans to demolish it, before turning to his fixation on 1950s battleships, the Supreme Court, and the idea that everyone in government ultimately works for him. They also discuss the Epstein files, soaring gas prices, the fa...

Joanna Coles and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty discuss Mitch McConnell’s mysterious return to the Senate after 92 days away, the disturbing questions surrounding his health, and the obscure Senate rules that may be keeping his condition out of public view. They examine the growing cracks in the Republican Party as longtime conservatives turn against Donald Trump, from Karl Rove’s decision to back a Democrat in Texas to the political backlash over immigration enforcement in Florida and beyond. Plus, ICE’s leadership chaos, the fallout from Pete Hegseth’s tumultuous tenure at the Pentagon, and the growing influenc...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles examine Donald Trump's growing political troubles as rising prices, escalating tensions in the Middle East, and his own economic policies threaten to make affordability his biggest liability ahead of the midterms. They discuss Trump's pressure on the Federal Reserve, the consequences of his tariffs and war policies, and why his administration's approach may be fueling the very problems he claims he wants to solve. Plus, Melania Trump's surprising enthusiasm for AI, the latest turmoil at the Kennedy Center, and the court's refusal to let Trump put his name on the building. They also take...

Steve Schmidt returns to the Daily Beast Podcast to discuss the mounting political and ethical scandals surrounding Donald Trump, JD Vance, and the president’s inner circle as the midterm elections approach. Speaking with Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty, Schmidt takes aim at the alleged corruption surrounding Donald Trump Jr.’s Russian-linked wedding, the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, and the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Iran. He lays out his vision for how Democrats should use congressional power to restore checks and balances, hold officials like Pete Hegseth accountable, and investigate the administration’s actions. Schmidt...

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look at Donald Trump’s escalating battles with the Supreme Court, the collapse of the Kennedy Center under his control, and his increasingly aggressive response to the AI debate, where Trump has declared that “whoever wins AI wins” while threatening critics and accusing them of conspiracy. They also examine Trump’s rollback of climate protections, his approach to conflict as a political strategy, and the extraordinary allegations surrounding Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding and its Russian connections. Plus, Trump’s threat against Oman, the consequences of burning through missile supplies in Iran, Jared Kushner’s transformati...