Michael Wolff, author of four books chronicling Trump, joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to reveal Trump’s madman plan for the government shutdown. Wolff explains how Trump turns congressional gridlock into an existential battle of dominance, using fear, chaos, and pain as weapons. From Military leaders frozen in place by Trump and Pete Hegseth’s humiliating lecture to Trump’s ostentatious White House ballroom construction, this episode exposes Trump’s desperation to be respected. They outline how an unpredictable president turns a bureaucratic stalemate over the government’s budget into a personal war, and exactly how he thinks he can win.

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Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling joins the Beast’s Hugh Dougherty to unpack the jaw-dropping spectacle at Quantico, where Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth addressed 800 top military leaders. Hertling breaks down how Military brass in the room really reacted when Trump rambled on about “dangerous cities” as training grounds, mocked rules of engagement, and praised a random World War II documentary made in the 50s. Hertling pulls no punches, calling the speeches “berating,” “embarrassing,” and dangerously out of touch with modern military standards. He explains why generals were silent, what U.S. allies and adversaries are thinking, and the legal and constitutional risks of Trump’s orders. From the impact on troop morale to how Russia is exploiting the chaos, Hertling offers an inside look at a Commander-in-Chief unlike any before, and what it means for the military and the nation.

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Michael Wolff, author of "All or Nothing," joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to discuss how the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein is haunting Trump's White House. Wolff lays bare how Trump's bizarre conspiracy thinking explains exactly why he went after former FBI chief James Comey. And Wolff gives behind-the-scenes insight into Trump and Pete Hegseth used their unprecedented meeting with 800 generals and admirals to attempt to force blind loyalty. He and Coles dissect the desperation to control the military and weird obsession with dress codes and beard bans and how Trump's obsession with image is shaping America's future.

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David Rothkopf, the Daily Beast's unmissable columnist, lifts the lid on what's really going on at Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth's "pep rally" this week for generals and admirals. Rothkopf, CEO of The Rothkopf Group and a Clinton administration veteran, tells executive editor Hugh Dougherty tells what his own sources are warning the meeting signifies. And he warns how a militarized response to phantom threats like “war-torn Portland” saps real military readiness. He also tells why Trump weaponizing the DOJ against enemies including James Comey means the U.S. is not just facing becoming an authoritarian police state; in fact it's already there. He also traces the next evolution of MAGA from grievance politics to white Christian nationalist revivalism and warns how it could outlast Trump himself thanks to people including Erika Kirk and JD Vance. Yet he offers a glimmer of hope in the power of numbers, new platforms, and a public that still wants sanity.

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Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer joins the Daily Beast’s Joanna Coles to reveal how Donald Trump dismantled the Justice Department’s pardon process and replaced it with a pay-to-play system. Oyer explains how career experts were sidelined on Trump’s first day, leaving space for clemency to be sold to the highest bidder and reserved for the well-connected. From million-dollar Mar-a-Lago price tags to pardons for sex offenders, fraudsters, and January 6 rioters, she exposes how Trump turned clemency into a political and financial weapon. Oyer also contrasts Biden’s careful, narrow pardons with Trump’s sweeping, loyalty-driven approach—and why victims were often left behind while Trump’s allies walked free.

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Michael Wolff, author of ‘All Or Nothing,’ joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to parse the looming threat of a government shutdown. Wolff outlines how Democrats are in a position stop Trump’s dismantling of the government while Trump winds up to command attention and leverage chaos. From his relentless playbook of confrontation to the ripple effects of his threats on media and politics, they explore how Trump pressures leaders, exploits opportunities, and reshapes institutions. With behind-the-scenes insight into Congress, Chuck Schumer’s role, and the stakes for the country, this episode examines what Trump’s authoritarian zeal means for America’s future.

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Robert Reich, Co-founder of Inequality Media and President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Labor, joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to warn us that the U.S. is sliding into authoritarianism. He lays out how Trump’s White House distorts economic data, bullies CEOs, corrupts crypto markets, and undermines global alliances, while billionaires and media titans enable his rise. Reich also calls out cowardice among university leaders, corporate chiefs, and even Democrats who should be defending constitutional freedoms but instead bow to fear and greed. From Disney’s censorship of Jimmy Kimmel to the silence of Silicon Valley, he argues that ordinary citizens may have to step in where elites have failed. Can American democracy survive when its leaders refuse to lead, or is it up to the public to stop Trump’s march toward tyranny? 

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Trump chronicler Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to examine a week where Trump’s world collides with scandal, faith, and science. From Epstein’s secret photo stash and Kash Patel’s embarrassing congressional testimony, to Trump’s jarring rage at Charlie Kirk’s memorial, Wolff dissects the cracks in MAGA’s political and spiritual future. Erika Kirk’s moving forgiveness speech, Trump’s uninformed vaccine rants, and Sam Nunberg’s blunt “Trump is an idiot” verdict all point to a deeper question: how much longer can Trump’s anger and anti-science rhetoric hold his MAGA movement together?

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Kara Swisher, veteran tech journalist and co-host of the 'Pivot' podcast, joins the Beast's Joanna Coles to unpack Trump’s sordid appearance at Charlie Kirk’s funeral, where campaign politics overshadowed mourning. They explore Erika Kirk’s sudden prominence as a potential Trump running mate, Larry Ellison circling TikTok, Disney’s retreat on Jimmy Kimmel, and the larger question of how Trump has turned hate into his most durable brand. With his empire thriving on division at home and disruption abroad, the conversation asks: can Trump’s politics of hate still carry him forward? 

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Dr. John Gartner, former Johns Hopkins professor and co-host of the podcast ‘Shrinking Trump,’ joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to deliver a chilling diagnosis: Donald Trump is showing signs of dementia layered on top of malignant narcissism. Drawing on decades of clinical expertise, Dr. Gartner explains how Trump’s declining language, erratic gait, and disturbing anecdotes point to brain deterioration that makes him not just unpredictable but uniquely dangerous in office. Coles presses him on how Trump’s narcissism compares to King Charles’ public persona, whether his cabinet and family are retreating from his volatility, and what it means when a leader with nuclear codes also displays symptoms of mini-strokes and confabulation. From Hitler’s psychology to Bill Clinton’s benign narcissism, this episode explores how power amplifies paranoia, cruelty, and decay—and asks the starkest question of all: as Trump weakens physically and mentally while tightening his grip on authority, how far can Trumpism go before it breaks America?

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Trump chronicler Michael Wolff joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to explain why Donald Trump has chosen now to formalize his assault on the media. From the president’s feud with Jimmy Kimmel and Disney’s quiet capitulation, to Wolff’s surreal late-night ice cream with Trump in Beverly Hills, and even his own face projected onto Windsor Castle, this episode traces the strange intersections of power, ego, and greed. Along the way, they explore how MAGA’s loyalty to Trump is being tested by Trump’s ongoing Epstein scandal and his administration's formal push to silence free speech, evidenced by a dramatic drop in Trump’s approval ratings. Is Trump’s control over culture and politics starting to fray, or only tightening in new ways?

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Trump chronicler Michael Wolff and the Beast’s Joanna Coles unpack the president’s awkward state visit to Britain. From King Charles’ white-tie dinner with Trump and Rupert Murdoch, to the firing of U.K. ambassador Peter Mandelson over his own Epstein entanglements, to Labour leader Keir Starmer’s desperate attempt to turn the trip into a political win, the pageantry collides with scandal at every turn. With Epstein, Epstein, Epstein still haunting Trump’s every move, can royal pomp and photo ops really save him or just magnify the shadows trailing behind? And why was Wolff’s own face suddenly projected 200 feet high onto Windsor Castle?

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Star columnist David Rothkopf joins the Daily Beast’s Joanna Coles and Executive Editor Hugh Dougherty to discuss Trump’s week of cascading crises. From Kash Patel’s reckless tweets and FOX News appearances that have corroded FBI trust, to the internal purges and morale collapse that now haunt the Bureau, the hosts probe how Trump’s allies are weaponizing chaos to tighten their grip on power. They examine the killing of Charlie Kirk and the way Trumpworld is turning Kirk’s memorial into a MAGA rally. At the same time, Utah’s Spencer Cox emerges as an unexpected counter-voice inside the Republican party. And with Trump preparing for a gilded U.K. state visit—shadowed by the specter of Jeffrey Epstein and royal unease—the conversation asks: is this just spectacle, or the architecture of Trumpism’s next power grab?

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Trump chronicler Michael Wolff joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to unravel Donald Trump’s response to Charlie Kirk’s killing. They examine how Trump rushed to blame the left before facts were known, appears to have dodged any real grief, and may still be haunted by his own brush with assassination. From a Trump’s droopy face appearing at this week’s 9/11 memorial, to cracks with RFK Jr., a cabinet unease over inflation, and Epstein’s “birthday book” resurfacing, it’s been another chaotic week for the president. They also discuss the FBI’s fumbling search for Kirk’s killer and how its apparent incompetence has fueled conspiracy theories and social media attacks across the political divide. They explore how these events reveal a leader trapped by ghosts of the past. And they ask whether Trump is running from Kirk’s death or from himself.

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The Daily Beast's unmissable columnist David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to dive into what he calls one of Donald Trump’s most chaotic weeks yet. The 79-year-old president has been jeered at by protesters across a dining table, faced mounting health concerns, dealt with the assassination of his acolyte, Charlie Kirk, while abroad, his foreign policy has stumbled. Rothkopf, CEO of TRG Media and a foreign policy expert, argues Trump looks increasingly fragile, physically and politically, as allies squirm with embarrassment and rivals like Putin and Xi Jinping test his weakness. Coles and Rothkopf examine America’s rising tide of political violence, driven by alienated young men and a culture awash in guns, and note Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s surprising emergence as a voice of civility. With Trump leaning on inept advisers, losing grip on his narrative, and facing international mistrust, Rothkopf asks whether we are witnessing not just the decline of a president, but the slow unraveling of Trumpism itself.

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Trump chronicler Michael Wolff and the Beast’s Joanna Coles unearth Donald Trump’s bizarre entanglements with Jeffrey Epstein. From a birthday book signed by Trump to a shady mansion deal, to an $83 million judgment and claims of FBI informants, the hosts unpack the evidence, denials, and contradictions. They explore how Trump’s excuses collapse under scrutiny and why his ties to Epstein keep resurfacing. With Epstein’s letters and Trump’s own words raising fresh questions, the story only grows darker. And our hosts ask whether Trump’s connection to Epstein is a liability he can ever escape.

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Independent journalist Don Lemon joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles for a wide-ranging conversation unpacking Trump’s health issues, the MAGA movement’s big problem, and the night RFK Jr. had dinner with Don Lemon. The two dive into Trump’s public appearance at the U.S. Open and ask what the mysterious blue object clenched in his mouth, seen in a candid photo, is. The two also take apart JD Vance’s rise, calling him the kind of “DEI hire” conservatives pretend to hate. They dig into the contradictions of his wife Usha’s background, the role Black Americans played in securing rights for immigrant communities, and why Trump still manages to suck all the oxygen out of every room.

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Australian model Cleo Glade sits down with the Beast's Joanna Coles to share her extraordinary, unsettling memories of New York in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At just 22, she was living the height of the fashion world, signed to Ford Models, immersed in the club scene, and swept into the orbit of Jeffrey Epstein. She recalls meeting him through a fellow model, their early friendship, his Great Gatsby–like allure, and how he used wealth and connections to project power. Cleo also opens up about her introduction to Donald Trump through Epstein, visiting Trump Tower, and witnessing the bizarre mix of glamor, neediness, and showmanship inside his gilded world. She reflects on the dangerous charm Epstein wielded, her shocking encounter with him on a private plane, and how hindsight reveals the darker truth behind the high-society facade.

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Trump chronicler Michael Wolff joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to go inside the rage-filled White House where Trump is reacting to blows from judges—including to his tariffs. They explore what happens when judges say no to Trump. And they examine how tariffs have become a unilateral tool of punishment and power, why the courts are pushing back, and how Trump reacts with rage when confronted by these limits. From attempts to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles to efforts to expand emergency powers, this episode examines what it looks like when one President attempts to circumvent a republic’s rules and insists that no one can oppose him. At stake are the checks and balances of American democracy and the question of whether the system can withstand Trump’s defiance.

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The Daily Beast’s brilliant columnist David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to examine Donald Trump’s disastrous week on the world stage. From being overheard on a hot mic talking about deals with Vladimir Putin, to Modi undercutting his peacemaker myth, to world leaders gathering in China without him, Trump finds himself without a seat on the world stage. They explore how his failed military parade compares to China’s massive display of power, how his fixation on the Rose Garden reveals his petty interests, and how his “Gaza Riviera” plan turns tragedy into a dark and twisted real estate play. The conversation shows how China and others are moving forward while Trump obsesses over himself and the past.

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