The Daily Beast Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Trump’s Latest Move Says It All Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Ewall-Wice joins Joanna Coles to analyze the growing panic inside Trump’s Washington as Republicans head toward the midterms with the President’s brand increasingly looking like political poison. They dig into Karoline Leavitt’s sudden White House exit, Trump’s obsession with being his own best spokesperson, the mystery surrounding Barron Trump amid security threats, and the very different ways his children are handling life in the presidential spotlight. They also examine why Trump plans to skip the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 memorial, the questions surrounding his stamina and health, and the Republican candidates quietly scrubbing Trump from their campaigns. As affordability, inflation, the Iran war, and the Canada trade fight threaten to overwhelm the GOP, Sarah reveals why Republicans on the ground are increasingly distancing themselves from the President—and why Trump’s bizarre distractions, from renaming lakes to remodeling Washington, may be a sign of just how desperate things have become.

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This Is Why Trump Surrounds Himself With Idiots Aug 28, 2026

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look at the latest signs of chaos inside Trump’s White House, from the administration’s fixation on interest rates and the tensions surrounding the Federal Reserve to the startling questions raised by the CIA chief’s trip to Moscow and the Pentagon’s increasingly strange leadership. They also turn to the extraordinary bubble surrounding Trump, including Natalie Harp’s role in feeding him the information he wants to see, before considering what it all could mean as the 2026 midterms rapidly approach.

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Trump Ditches GOP in Secret Midterm Panic Aug 27, 2026

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Nico Hines and Daily Beast political correspondent Farrah Tomazin discuss Donald Trump’s increasingly risky strategy for the 2026 midterms, as the president looks to make himself the centerpiece of Republican campaigns despite growing concerns about his approval ratings, the economy, and his party’s chances in key races. They break down Trump’s control of a $400 million super PAC, his controversial intervention in Republican primaries, and the warning signs emerging from candidates he has backed—including a South Carolina race where Republican voters openly booed his name. They also examine the mystery surrounding Trump’s massive political war chest and Karoline Leavitt’s move from the White House to MAGA Inc., raising fresh questions about what Trump is building beyond the midterms. The episode then turns to Trump’s health, his weight, stamina, and growing public references to his own mortality, with his age becoming an increasingly important factor as he prepares to put himself at the center of another election campaign.

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Why Harp’s Special Perk Stunned Trump Staff Aug 26, 2026

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take on Donald Trump’s latest fixation with image, power, and excess, from his apparent weight gain and the extraordinary Mar-a-Lago golf club buffet to the increasingly curious role of Natalie Harp and her place in Trump’s orbit. They explore why Trump’s celebrity, sexual bravado, and ability to attract devoted followers remain central to his political appeal, before turning to the explosive meeting between Jared Kushner and Hakeem Jeffries that has White House staffers furious and raises an awkward possibility for Trump’s party heading into the midterms. They also look at Trump’s ballroom project, the hidden military machinery beneath the White House, the fate of America’s wild mustangs, and the larger cultural reckoning over football and brain injuries.

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Trump Terrified of Impeachment Aug 25, 2026

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David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles for a blistering tour through Trump’s increasingly chaotic presidency, from the icy public display between Donald and Melania Trump to the White House’s seemingly endless staff exodus and the growing sense that the president’s power is slipping away. They cover Trump’s disastrous Iran war, the shifting alliances reshaping the Middle East, and Mark Carney’s emergence as a formidable counterweight to Trump after Canada refuses to bend to his demands. Rothkopf also reveals why Jared Kushner’s secret meetings with Democrats could signal panic inside Trumpworld, what Pete Hegseth’s trip to Iowa says about his presidential ambitions, and why Trump’s cabinet may be the most disastrous collection of officials in American history. As more countries, businesses and political opponents begin standing up to Trump, Rothkopf argues that the president’s bullying tactics are finally backfiring—and that his transformation into a lame duck may already be underway.

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Why Natalie Harp Is Trump's Most Sinister Goon Aug 24, 2026

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Kurt Andersen and Joanna Coles take a wild ride through the strange characters, political fantasies, and very plausible futures shaping America right now. Andersen sizes up Natalie Harp as a figure so bizarre she could have stepped out of Dickens, Orwell, or The Simpsons, before revisiting his new novel’s startling vision of Donald Trump’s death and an America fractured beyond recognition. They debate whether the country’s divisions could really lead to disunion, why fiction may be better equipped than nonfiction to capture this political moment, and whether Jon Ossoff has emerged as the Democrat to watch. Then, the conversation takes an even stranger turn as Andersen reviews his former coke dealer RFK Jr.’s unlikely new food podcast and what it might reveal about life after Trump.

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How Melania Has Abdicated Her First Lady Duties Aug 23, 2026

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go inside a White House where Melania Trump’s rare appearances, her increasingly lucrative personal brand, and her complicated relationship with Natalie Harp are raising fresh questions about who is really closest to the president. Wolff explains why the press took so long to catch up to the Harp story, why Trump’s legal threats may be doing exactly what they’re designed to do, and how his massive White House ballroom could become a permanent monument to his presidency before the courts ever make a final decision. Then, as Canada’s Mark Carney walks away from Trump’s demands, Wolff reveals why the president may be facing something he hates most: a world that is finally learning how to call his bluff.

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I Know Even MAGA Secretly Admits Truth About Trump Aug 22, 2026

Show notes

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) speaks with Joanna Coles about the ongoing war with Iran, warning that the Trump administration risks repeating the mistakes that sent him to Iraq as a young Marine—and could drag thousands more Americans into a conflict with no clear exit. Gallego takes aim at Donald Trump’s handling of the military, Pete Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon, the president’s health and judgment, and the security concerns surrounding his inner circle. He also lays out why he believes Democrats could win back voters by focusing on the cost of living, corruption, and the concerns of Latino men who supported Trump but are now turning against his immigration policies. Plus, Gallego makes the case for giving parents more control over their children’s social media use, reveals what he’s hearing from Republicans about the Pentagon, and gives his most candid answer yet on whether a 2028 presidential run could be in his future.

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I Have Natalie Harp's 'Love Letters' to Trump Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go inside the increasingly bizarre inner workings of Donald Trump’s presidency, beginning with Wolff’s extraordinary account of Natalie Harp’s deeply personal letters to Trump and the alarm they sparked among campaign staff and the Secret Service. They explore how Harp became one of the president’s closest gatekeepers, what her influence says about the people surrounding him, and why Trump’s White House remains driven by loyalty, proximity, and personal obsession. Then, as the war with Iran drags on without a clear endgame, Wolff and Coles turn to Pete Hegseth, his ever-present wife, and the mounting signs of dysfunction at the Pentagon before asking whether a presidency once defined by raw power is now slipping into something far more chaotic: outright farce.

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How Natalie Harp Keeps Fueling Trump’s Delusions Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Joanna Coles and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty dig into the growing mystery around Natalie Harp, Donald Trump’s increasingly powerful gatekeeper, and what her extraordinary access to the president reveals about his increasingly isolated White House. They examine Melania Trump’s conspicuous absence, the strange dynamics inside Trump’s family, and the questions surrounding Darlene Graham’s Senate race as Trump’s grip on Republican politics shows signs of weakening. They also get into the increasingly brutal competition to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary, including Scott Jennings’ very public audition for the job and his secret meetings with Susie Wiles.

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