The New Abnormal

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BEAST at https://www.oneskin.co/BEAST #oneskinpod Isabel Vincent joins Joanna Coles to unpack her new book on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a portrait drawn from his own secret diaries, which were acquired by his late wife Mary Richardson Kennedy during their brutal divorce. What emerges is a man at war with himself: driven by legacy, consumed by guilt, and propelled by appetites—for power, for women, for redemption—that he can't seem to control. Vincent traces the arc from grief-stricken Kennedy heir to anti-vaccine crusader and unlikely political force, revealing the family trauma, addiction, and relentless ambition that shaped him. Along the way, they unpack the myth and machinery of the Kennedy dynasty and the unsettling question at its heart: How is it that a man who once wrote of humility, service, and God now finds himself wielding influence over the health of millions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan at https://incogni.com/beast Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to confront the question Washington, and now even the New York Times, is no longer avoiding: What happens when the president's behavior crosses from chaotic into something far more alarming? As Trump's erratic outbursts accelerate, from late-night social media rants to bizarre public encounters and escalating threats tied to a war he can't control, Wolff argues the guardrails may already be gone. Against the backdrop of a faltering economy, a dangerous crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and mounting pressure ahead of the midterms, Wolff frames what he sees as the defining story right now: The slow eclipse of Trump, and a far more urgent question, whether anyone has the power to act before it's too late. 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. David Rothkopf, the Daily Beast's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, joins Joanna Coles to explain why he is convinced history will judge Donald Trump as its most powerful, and biggest, idiot. In a wide-ranging and high-energy conversation, Rothkopf and Coles unpack Trump's escalating clashes—from the Vatican to Iran—alongside the surreal spectacle of his self-styled “deity” posts and the global consequences of his decision-making. They also dive into the political fallout at home and abroad, including Viktor Orbán's stunning defeat and what it signals for the future of right-wing populism. It's a sharp, provocative look at power, instability, and the increasingly bizarre reality shaping global politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast #ad Mary Trump returns to the podcast to deliver a blistering psychological and political analysis of her Uncle Donald as fresh controversies swirl around Melania Trump's eyebrow-raising Epstein statement, deepening fractures within the MAGA movement, and escalating global tensions. Drawing on her expertise as a clinical psychologist and her firsthand knowledge of the Trump family, Mary dissects Melania's calculated messaging, questions Donald Trump's cognitive fitness amid echoes of familial dementia, and warns of the dangers posed by a president under mounting pressure and losing control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive deep into the mystery behind Melania Trump's stunning public statement and the explosive theories it has unleashed. From a high-stakes anti-SLAPP lawsuit and whispers of Epstein-era connections to a branding blitz, geopolitical intrigue, and speculation of a calculated move against her own husband, Wolff dissects the legal battles, power plays, and personal tensions driving the drama. As conspiracies swirl the episode exposes the fragile intersection of politics, marriage, and media, revealing how one unexpected speech has reignited scandal, shaken the White House narrative, and forced the world to scrutinize what may lie beneath the carefully constructed Melania mystique. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennifer Welch, co-host of the hit I've Had It podcast, joins Joanna Coles to dissect Melania Trump's bombshell Epstein statement, sparking a blistering conversation that spirals from political hypocrisy and MAGA infighting to war tensions with Iran and the perilous stakes surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. With unfiltered candor, Welch unpacks conspiracy theories, culture wars, and the power struggles roiling Trumpworld, while exposing the strange alliances, simmering scandals, and high-stakes maneuvering shaping America's future. From explosive revelations and eyebrow-raising rumors to sharp insights into the forces driving today's chaos, this electrifying episode pulls back the curtain on a political drama that grows more shocking by the minute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/dailybeast with promo code dailybeast #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack how Trump's bluster toward Iran—threatening to “destroy a civilization”—collapsed into a rushed two-week ceasefire that insiders say effectively handed leverage to Tehran, especially over the Strait of Hormuz. As tankers stall and global markets wobble, the episode reveals a White House in panic mode: JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and others are scrambling to distance themselves from a war gone wrong, leaking, positioning, and “plotting” to protect their own futures as the political fallout accelerates. With Iran tightening its grip on global shipping, Trump boxed into a corner he can't escalate out of, and his inner circle quietly preparing escape routes, Wolff and Coles map the infighting, blame-shifting, and raw survival instincts driving a presidency at what they argue is its most dangerous breaking point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles welcomes back journalist Anand Giridharadas as they dissect Donald Trump's incendiary rhetoric on Iran and what it reveals about power, language, and intent, before diving into what Giridharadas calls the most overlooked thread in the Jeffrey Epstein files: a disturbing email exchange that lays bare how elite institutions like Harvard and MIT enabled a system of influence built on money, access, and intellectual flattery, exposing a hidden network of “kept scholars,” transactional relationships, and quiet moral compromise where Epstein's behavior was widely understood, carefully rationalized, and ultimately absorbed into the machinery of power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Go to https://zbiotics.com/BEAST and use BEAST at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ZBiotics is backed with a 100% money back guarantee. Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles as Donald Trump escalates his most dangerous bluff yet, threatening destruction on a scale not seen since World War II while cornered by a war he promised never to start. The threats grow louder as the options shrink: Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, global oil jitters mount, and the “no forever wars” president finds himself trapped by the war he started. Wolff argues the chaos is compounded by a shrinking circle of loyalists stripped of agency, a jittery JD Vance being quietly positioned to absorb blame, and a MAGA world already bracing for the political fallout. Wolff suggests this is most likely the beginning of his end: A president escalating because he's cornered and a split base calling for mutiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Try QUO for free and get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.quo.com/BEAST In this explosive episode of The Daily Beast Podcast, host Joanna Coles sits down with David Rothkopf to unpack the mounting chaos surrounding Donald Trump—from inflammatory Easter posts and escalating tensions with Iran to growing fractures within the Republican Party and fears of institutional breakdown in Washington. As Trump lashes out at the Supreme Court, faces sinking poll numbers, and contends with internal dissent from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon, the conversation explores whether his leadership is entering a dangerous endgame. With sharp analysis on global ripple effects, military unrest, and the legal threats closing in, Coles and Rothkopf deliver a gripping, high-stakes look at a presidency under pressure and a political moment that feels increasingly unpredictable—and unprecedented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles speaks with models and activists Carré Otis and Stacey Williams as they rip the glamour off the fashion industry and expose a system they say functioned as a pipeline for exploitation, coercion, and trafficking—targeting teenage girls with promises of fame while trapping them in debt, silence, and fear. From midnight “fittings” and retaliatory blacklisting to alleged links with powerful figures like Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump, the conversation traces how agencies, photographers, and insiders allegedly operated with impunity for decades. Otis details being trafficked and abused as a minor, while Williams recounts the career cost of refusing advances—and the industry-wide normalization that kept it all hidden in plain sight. Now, with legislative momentum, the Model Alliance pushing reforms, and lawmakers like Ro Khanna demanding oversight, the episode zeroes in on a single question: what happens when one of fashion's most protected systems is finally forced into the light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go tohttps://incogni.com/beast #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take you inside Trump's White House where humiliation isn't the exception but the operating system, as cabinet officials are discarded in real time and loyalty becomes a one-way transaction that always ends the same way. From Pam Bondi's abrupt public takedown to Kristi Noem's surreal orbit and Pete Hegseth's escalating turmoil at the Pentagon, the episode tracks a pattern Wolff insists is inevitable: everyone gets used, exposed, and ultimately blamed. As the chaos spills into global stakes with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as the true battleground of a widening conflict, and even the Supreme Court becomes another pressure point in Trump's world, Wolff and Coles connect the personal, political, and psychological threads driving it all—laying out a system where power, fear, and desperation collide, and where the next downfall is always just one decision away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty dissect what they call the most chaotic and politically damaging week yet for Donald Trump's second administration—an unraveling marked by a humiliating Supreme Court showdown over birthright citizenship and a presidency increasingly defined by spectacle over strategy. From a stunned courtroom exit and a judge halting Trump's vanity White House ballroom, to the abrupt firing of Pam Bondi, Coles and Dougherty trace a pattern of erratic decision-making and institutional strain. Layered on top: a bizarre Homeland Security scandal with national security implications, allies behaving like caricatures, and a White House struggling to project control as oil prices spike and global tensions rise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles react to the shock firing of Pam Bondi, signaling a new purge cycle inside Donald Trump's unraveling inner circle—with one high-profile name already on the chopping block next. As Trump endures a brutal week marked by a faltering Iran narrative, a visibly strained Oval Office address, and a humiliating Supreme Court appearance that ended in a storm-out, the hosts trace a presidency slipping into chaos mode. Behind the scenes, weakened guardrails and rising paranoia are fueling a familiar pattern: blame, purge, repeat. Layered on top is the surreal and damaging Byron Noem scandal, adding fresh questions about judgment, vulnerability, and dysfunction at the highest levels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles sits down with leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and co-author Steven Tian as their book, Trump's Ten Commandments, dissects Donald Trump not as a politician, but as a pattern—revealing the repeatable tactics behind his rise, survival, and power plays. From a jaw-dropping personal story that begins with a brutal critique of The Apprentice and ends with Trump offering Sonnenfeld the presidency of Trump University, to a breakdown of how he flips enemies into loyalists, weaponizes lawsuits, and thrives on chaos, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the mechanics of influence. The authors map out Trump's central tenets of leadership—from divide-and-conquer tactics to relentless distraction campaigns—arguing that his real power lies in instinct, not ideology. As tensions escalate globally and questions swirl around strategy, alliances, and control, the episode delivers a blunt, insider blueprint for understanding—and countering—the most unconventional leadership style in modern politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/dailybeast with promo code dailybeast. #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive deep into the most unsettling question at the center of Donald Trump's presidency: what's really going on inside his mind. Sparked by a revealing clip and Wolff's firsthand time in Trump's White House, the conversation traces a chilling throughline—from early confusion among insiders to the blunt assessment that unlocked everything, reshaping how those closest to power understood his behavior. They unpack Trump's resistance to information, his aversion to reading, and the coping mechanisms that may have fueled both his rise and his governing style, while exploring how performance, repetition, and instinct can override logic on the world stage. Along the way, they reveal how allies, critics, and even longtime confidants struggled to reconcile the contradictions, and how those very traits may have become his greatest political asset, driving a presidency that defies traditional measures of intelligence and leadership in ways that continue to reverberate far beyond Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Rush joins Joanna Coles to revisit the moment he began digging into Jeffrey Epstein after the financier's Palm Beach sweetheart deal, uncovering testimony from Virginia Giuffre, allegations involving Ghislaine Maxwell, and mounting fears Epstein was still recruiting girls. Rush, the famed New York gossip columnist, describes how his reporting triggered pressure from the newspaper's owner after Epstein intervened—before landing a rare phone interview in which Epstein blamed victims, minimized the charges, and tried to steer coverage toward their lawyer. With hindsight, Rush reflects on Epstein's manipulation tactics, his push to keep Maxwell out of print, and the explosive tape that nearly sent the reporter to jail when attorneys fought to obtain it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get 15% off Saily data plans at https://saily.com with promo code Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to root inside Donald Trump's mind in real time, as the president wrestles with the Iran war, the spectre of Epstein, and the looming midterms. From bomb threats that evaporate into last-minute negotiations, to backchannel chaos no one can follow, Wolff dissects the whiplash of Trump's decision-making and the relentless fantasy world he inhabits—where he alone knows more than generals, elections are perpetually stolen, and every problem has a Trump-branded solution. Along the way, the conversation touches on Trump's obsession with image and the intricate theater of power he stages, showing how drama, delusion, and ambition collide in the mind of a man still convinced only he can save America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code beast at https://www.oneskin.co/beast #oneskinpod Kurt Andersen joins Joanna Coles to trace Donald Trump's rise from Spy magazine punchline to the ultimate show-business president, arguing that Trump didn't invent the con so much as perfect a distinctly American tradition stretching back to P.T. Barnum's “clever humbug,” where attention matters more than truth and audiences happily play along. Andersen dissects Trump's maximalist language—everything the “greatest,” the “best,” the “like nobody's ever seen”—and warns that the same improvisational instincts that fueled his celebrity now shape foreign policy, including claims of negotiations with Iran that didn't exist and a presidency run like an endless next episode. They close on Epstein, conspiracies, and the blurry line between con and belief—asking whether Trump the salesman now believes his own pitch, and what it means when politics becomes a spectacle with global stakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf returns to the podcast to deliver a chilling behind-the-scenes account of a war spiraling far beyond public spin, revealing that while officials defend the Iran conflict on TV, insiders across Washington are privately terrified by how badly it's unfolding. Drawing on deep sources inside the military, intelligence, and diplomatic worlds, Rothkopf exposes a stunning lack of strategy, mounting fears of global economic shock, and a rapidly escalating conflict that experts warned would happen—and now can't control. From skyrocketing energy prices and the risk of a wider regional war to the unnerving reality that key decisions are being driven by instinct rather than planning, Rothkopf details of a crisis that is not only failing abroad but threatening to destabilize alliances, markets, and America's standing in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack a chaotic week inside the White House, from the Iran war's growing political danger and fears of a midterm wipeout to the bizarre rise of “competitive Christianity” as rival factions weaponize faith for power. Wolff reveals how Trump's erratic grip on reality is shaping the conflict abroad while aides scramble to contain fallout at home, even as tensions over Israel split his base and immigration crackdowns backfire. Meanwhile, in a surreal twist, Trump's obsession with building a grand White House ballroom emerges as a defining fixation amid the crisis, and Wolff teases his explosive new Epstein series drawn from firsthand encounters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive deep into the unraveling chaos inside Trumpworld as the Iran war exposes a full-blown MAGA civil war, with Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Nick Fuentes clashing against Ben Shapiro, Laura Loomer and Mark Levin in a bitter fight over Israel, antisemitism, and the future of the movement. Wolff reveals shocking behind-the-scenes insights into the conspiratorial currents driving Trump's base, the growing belief that shadowy forces are steering U.S. foreign policy and how figures like Jared Kushner are being recast in dark, dangerous narratives. As Trump stumbles through a conflict he never planned through, sidelining his own America First allies while embracing traditional hawks, the episode paints a portrait of a movement fracturing in real time—where ideology, opportunism, and resentment collide, and where the battle for control of MAGA may reshape American politics in ways few saw coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our listeners get the Flamingo Starter Set for just $7 at https://www.shopflamingo.com/beast #ad Joanna Coles speaks with legal analyst Glenn Kirschner about the legal chaos surrounding Donald Trump, as Chief Justice John Roberts issues a pointed but likely ineffective warning about attacks on the courts, underscoring a Supreme Court struggling to assert its authority. Meanwhile, Kristi Noem faces mounting scrutiny over potentially false testimony and a spiraling credibility crisis that could make leave her legally exposed, while Pam Bondi's Justice Department is cast as an extension of Trump's inner circle—accused of shielding allies, dodging accountability, and rewriting the rules of prosecution in real time. As legal norms erode and pressure builds across multiple fronts, Kirschner lays out how these converging flashpoints could determine whether the rule of law bends—or finally snaps under the weight of power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this debut episode of The Royalist, host Tom Sykes dives straight into the biggest royal scandals of the moment with a blockbuster interview featuring royal biographer Andrew Lownie, who explains why the fallout from Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein revelations could pose an unprecedented crisis for King Charles III and the monarchy—and gives his extraordinary solution. Iconic fashion editor Plum Sykes reports after the Cheltenham Festival with behind-the-scenes royal fashion and society gossip, while journalist Paula Froelich spills the latest tea on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Finally, Australian commentator Shauna Kay joins Tom for a fiery “Royal Roast” breaking down the backlash to Meghan and Harry's controversial Australia plans. It's a jam-packed first episode full of scoops, sharp commentary, and the royal drama everyone is talking about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles just as the sudden resignation from a top counterterrorism official over the war in Iran exposes cracks inside Trump's own coalition. With MAGA figures turning on the conflict even as Trump insists he's “obliterating” Iran's military capacity, Wolff explains the blunt logic driving Trump's thinking: If the generals said obliteration was possible, then the mission must be working—even as oil prices threaten to spike, Iran's regime appears more entrenched, and the president finds himself trapped in the classic dilemma of a war he can neither win nor easily leave. They also unpack Trump's bizarre insistence that a former U.S. president privately praised his Iran strategy, the quiet power struggles between Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance, Jared Kushner's expanding influence over Middle East policy, and why the next phase of Trump's presidency may look familiar: the search for someone—anyone—to blame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code beast at https://www.oneskin.co/beast #oneskinpod Anand Giridharadas joins Joanna Coles to unpack what the Epstein files actually tell us, not just about one disgraced financier, but about the elite network that worked with him. The bestselling author explains why so many of what he calls the Epstein class stayed in his orbit even after Epstein's crimes were widely known. Coles and Giridharadas dig into the strange rituals of this rarefied class and examine emails involving figures like Larry Summers and former Obama White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler. They also confront the darker question at the center of the scandal: How a network built on access, status, and mutual advantage created a culture where no one ever seemed to break ranks—even when they knew the crimes Jeffrey Epstein committed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

Congressman Jake Auchincloss joins Joanna Coles to take on the chaos surrounding Donald Trump's strikes in Iran—warning that the president may be waging a war without a clear strategy and without Congress's approval. The former Marine questions Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, calls for the firing of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over alleged conflicts of interest, and explains why Democrats are already preparing for the possibility that Trump could try to undermine the 2026 midterm elections. The conversation ranges from the Democratic Party's struggle to reclaim patriotism and define its economic message to the political power of tech titans like Elon Musk and the national security threat posed by TikTok—before ending with lingering questions about the Epstein Files. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanna Coles speaks with Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled, about the explosive new revelations tying Prince Andrew to the widening scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein—from disturbing details in the Epstein files to allegations that could shake the foundations of the British monarchy. Lownie lays out how Andrew's relationships with Epstein's network allegedly stretched from secret apartments in London to a web of wealthy associates and foreign contacts, raising questions not just about sexual misconduct but about national security and the royal family's long effort to contain the damage. With police questioning, mysterious deaths connected to the saga, and pressure mounting inside Britain's political establishment, the conversation explores how the scandal could reach all the way to King Charles III and the future of the House of Windsor—and why the story may be far from over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/beast Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive back inside Donald Trump's head as the Iran war enters its second week—and the president's rhetoric grows stranger by the hour. From Trump's bizarre Truth Social posts declaring Iran the “loser of the Middle East” to his cinematic demand for “unconditional surrender,” the pair unpack why Trump seems to be narrating the war as if he's the hero in his own movie rather than a commander in chief navigating a global crisis. They also reveal the frantic reassurance Trump is reportedly seeking from journalists, the fear and aggression driving his language, and why allies around the world are struggling to interpret what any of it actually means. Meanwhile, chaos spreads closer to home: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is abruptly fired after a staggering $200 million self-promotional ad campaign blows up in her face, raising questions about who might be the next domino in Trump's cabinet. And with bad economic news, rising oil prices from the war, and brutal polling ahead of the midterms, Wolff argues Trump may be approaching a rare political inflection point—one that could determine whether the second Trump era tightens its grip or begins to crack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Go to https://zbiotics.com/BEAST and use BEAST at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles break down the chaos surrounding Trump's war with Iran, a conflict where even top officials, allies, and the media seem unable to explain what the strategy actually is. They unpack Trump's obsession with “winning,” the backlash building inside MAGA world, and why rising gas prices could quickly turn the political tide at home. Wolff argues the real key to understanding Trump may not be in the Pentagon or the intelligence briefings—but inside the mind of Jared Kushner, the one person he believes truly understands Trump's thinking and the potential Gulf money and postwar deals at stake. They also dive into the uneasy body language of figures like Marco Rubio and JD Vance, the confusion among world leaders, and the political stakes back home—from the Texas Senate battle to a stunning Kristi Noem hearing that may have been the final straw for Trump to fire her as DHS Secretary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Bolton joins Joanna Coles to help us understand what it's like working with Donald Trump during moments of maximum peril, when generals and intelligence chiefs are trying to brief a president who, Bolton says, often prefers talking to listening. Drawing on his time as national security advisor during Trump's first term, he describes a commander in chief uncomfortable in the Situation Room, dismissive of the structured National Security Council process created under the National Security Act of 1947, and prone to reversing decisions—even after operations were underway. As Trump weighs a potentially prolonged confrontation with Iran, Bolton assesses whether he has the patience to sustain it, why Benjamin Netanyahu has proved especially effective at influencing him, and how mixed messaging to Congress and allies weakens America's hand when American lives are at stake in the Gulf. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go deep inside Donald Trump's thinking at the precise moment war breaks out, unpacking his fixation on “winning,” his belief that declaring victory matters more than consequences, and why he sees global conflict the way a producer sees a TV series. As markets fall, allies fracture, and Iran escalates, they trace how Trump frames war as optics, distraction, and personal score-settling, revealing why the end of the story matters more to him than what comes after. Along the way, they connect MAGA loyalty, media spectacle, and Trump's obsession with control into a single throughline that explains not just this moment, but how he has navigated power for more than a decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to argue that Donald Trump's Iran war reveals a president who believes he governs like a king, not a constitutional commander in chief. Rothkopf, The Daily Beast's unmissable columnist and Founder of the DSR Network, lays out the case that this is an illegal war launched without congressional approval, with just 21 percent public support, no coherent National Security Council process, and early casualties already compounding the chaos. He connects Trump's impulsive strike to Benjamin Netanyahu's political incentives, the risk of regional escalation, oil shocks ahead of the midterms, and the dangerous fantasy that regime change will somehow yield democracy in Tehran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to argue that the Epstein scandal is Donald Trump's defining crisis, connecting global power, income inequality, corruption, and impunity. Rothkopf, The Daily Beast's unmissable columnist and Founder of the DSR Network, explains how Epstein ensnared a network of elites like Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Peter Mandelson, and Wall Street titans, while raising deeper questions about obstruction, missing evidence, and intelligence entanglements. They also discuss how key players actively covered up wrongdoing to protect themselves and their allies, showing a world where privilege shields crime and the full truth may never see the light of day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a limited time, get 50% off for life, free shipping, and 3 free gifts at Mars Men at MenGoToMars.com. #ad Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go deep inside the black hole of Trump's sudden pivot to attack Iran, dissecting the airstrikes, the regime-change rhetoric, and the president's instinctive need to declare victory fast. From the surreal whiplash of launching a Board of Peace days before bombs fall, to the gamble of shock-and-awe without boots on the ground, they trace how foreign policy becomes personal survival strategy in a “government of one.” Is this a calculated move, a headline reset, or simply Trump following his gut in the fog of war? Along the way, they unravel the politics of his speech to Iranians, the MAGA base's unease with another Middle East conflict, and the looming midterms that may be shaping every decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to dissect the now tangible proof that Trump has lost touch with political reality. Beginning with a marathon State of the Union that was less a governing document than a 1-hour-and-47-minute exercise in self-mythology, aimed at his fan base, where reality was declared perfect even as polls told a different story. That disconnect between performance and public mood becomes sharper in Minneapolis, where a legitimate COVID-era fraud case that led to dozens of convictions was transformed by the ICE killings, tragedies so unpopular that it could cost Trump an easy political win. Now, JD Vance is dispatched to sell the punishment and absorb the blowback. Abroad, the stakes escalate: brinkmanship with Iran risks blowback Trump once vowed to avoid, while the grinding war in Ukraine—which he promised to end in a day—remains unresolved and increasingly perilous. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices