The Daily Beast Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Here’s Everything I Know About Natalie Harp: Wolff Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles devote a special episode to Natalie Harp, the Trump loyalist who has risen from campaign aide to one of the most powerful people in the president’s orbit. Wolff traces Harp’s extraordinary rise, from following Trump around the golf course with a portable printer to controlling the information he sees, shaping his social media and becoming a gatekeeper for members of Congress, the media and even people inside the White House. They examine the intensely personal relationship that has made Harp seemingly indispensable to Trump, the concerns she has sparked among his closest advisers and family, and the growing tension between Harp and Melania Trump. As Melania becomes increasingly absent from the White House, Wolff reveals why some insiders believe Harp has deliberately positioned herself as the woman closest to Trump - and why the battle for influence inside the White House may be far more consequential than it appears.

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Why Trump's In The Deepest Hole of His Life: Guru Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Joanna Coles and David Rothkopf dive into Donald Trump’s escalating foreign policy chaos, from his shifting stance on North Korea and threats against Oman to the ongoing war in Iran and the mounting strain on U.S. military forces. They discuss the troubling conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, America’s dwindling weapons stockpiles, Pete Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon, and what Rothkopf calls a new era of “mafia government” driven by loyalty and corruption. Plus, they unpack Trump’s growing financial ties to crypto, the controversial White House ballroom, the strange mystery surrounding the bulky object spotted under Trump’s clothes, and why Democratic Sen. John Ossoff could be one of the party’s most compelling new voices heading into the midterms.

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How Trump's Women Twist Themselves to Please Him Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Former Trump staffer Anthony Scaramucci and Nell Scovell join Joanna Coles on a special edition episode of the Daily Beast Podcast. Scaramucci offers a revealing look at how Donald Trump behaves around women, arguing that he wants loyalty above all else and explaining why women who work for him quickly learn that everything is ultimately about the president. Joanna and Nell then turn to the women competing to fill the vacuum around Trump, from Lara Trump and Tiffany Trump to Bettina Anderson and his granddaughter Kai, exploring their ambitions, their carefully curated social media lives, and their very different relationships with the Trump patriarch. Along the way, they examine why Trump's children seem to keep their distance, what his absence from Don Jr.'s wedding really says about the family, and the increasingly strange competition for Trump's attention and approval.

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Why Trump’s Weird Fixations are Exploding Now Aug 16, 2026

Show notes

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles explore Donald Trump’s increasingly intense fixations, from his relentless campaign to put his name on the Kennedy Center to his insistence that the Navy return to outdated technology, and what these obsessions reveal about how the president operates. They also examine Trump’s unusual ability to turn defeat and humiliation into fuel, his growing reliance on Truth Social to communicate and make money, the damage his administration is doing to institutions like Harvard and the Kennedy Center, and the looming political stakes of a surprisingly competitive Texas Senate race.

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Why Trump's Goons are Fleeing West Wing From Hell Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

Joanna Coles and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty break down the growing turmoil inside the Trump White House, starting with Karoline Leavitt’s sudden departure and what it reveals about the pressures facing the administration as the midterms approach. They discuss who could replace Leavitt, why Trump’s most loyal spokespeople may have limited options outside conservative media, and the increasingly bitter fight over who actually has control inside the West Wing. They also look at the departures of other senior officials, Susie Wiles’ slipping grip on the administration, and the extraordinary backdoor maneuver that put a new ICE chief in position while she was away at her daughter’s wedding. As more senior figures head for the exits and subpoenas loom, Joanna and Hugh consider what the accelerating West Wing exodus says about the future of Trump’s presidency.

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I Know Why Everyone Talks About Trump's Diapers Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dig into Karoline Leavitt’s departure from the White House, the scramble to replace her, and what her exit reveals about the brutal demands of working directly for Donald Trump. They also confront the bizarre obsession with Trump’s health and ponder whether the 80-year-old president wears diapers, dissect the elaborate decoy-plane operation as another example of Trump’s need to dominate the news cycle, and examine his determination to remake the White House into a monument to himself. Wolff and Coles also look at Jeanine Pirro’s increasingly creative efforts to satisfy Trump through a special grand jury, the growing pressure around the midterms, and the increasingly valuable business of being close to Trump while his power is at its peak.

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Top Doctor Drops Trump Health Bombshell Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Ewall-Wice, political reporter for the Daily Beast, speaks with Joanna Coles as Dr. Jonathan Reiner challenges the White House about the growing questions surrounding Donald Trump’s health, from his visible bruising and swollen legs to his repeated episodes of falling asleep in public and the mystery surrounding his medical tests and treatment. They dig into the White House’s increasingly combative response to questions about the president’s condition, the unusual number of specialists involved in his latest physical, and what his erratic sleep schedule could reveal. Then, Sarah breaks down the bizarre decoy-plane operation that secretly whisked Trump away from NATO while leaving senior officials and reporters behind, raising fresh questions about security and who knew what. The conversation also turns to Trump’s increasingly difficult Iran war and the growing problems it creates for his administration, before Sarah reports from a battered National Mall where a botched renovation has become another symbol of government incompetence. #ad Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to https://honeylove.com/DAILYBEAST! #honeylovepod

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Dark Truth About Trump's Plane Switch Leak: Wolff Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles mark one year of Inside Trump’s Head by dissecting the bizarre story of Donald Trump secretly switching planes while the White House press corps unknowingly flew aboard a decoy Air Force One—and why Wolff believes Trump himself may have leaked the story to fuel his favorite narrative: that he is the world’s biggest target. They also reveal that Trump has used the decoy-plane strategy before, explore his increasingly desperate search for distractions as the Iran war leaves him boxed in, and turn to his fixation on AOC after she revealed she is freezing her eggs. Wolff explains what Trump’s obsession with AOC says about his political instincts, why Truth Social is becoming a social network of one, and what Trump may actually be planning for his post-presidency.

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What Trump Is Screaming After Ballroom Humiliation Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles get inside Donald Trump’s fixation with the White House ballroom, and why a court ruling stopping the project may only make him more determined to build it. They also look at the growing tension around Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s fury when people in his administration appear to stray from his message, and why Anthony Fauci has become such a powerful target for MAGA despite Trump’s own history with him. From Trump’s refusal to let go of birthright citizenship to the carefully staged confirmation fight over Todd Blanche, Michael and Joanna explore the obsessions, grudges and political theater driving the administration. And in a revealing look at Trump’s relationship with Melania, they consider what happens when the woman who once embodied his public image begins to build a life increasingly separate from him.

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This Is Who Will Be Ailing Trump's Shadow POTUS Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to discuss Trump presidency’s increasingly chaotic—and potentially dangerous—spiral. As Trump retreats further into a bubble of flatterers, key figures around him appear to be pulling away, raising new questions about who is really running the White House. Rothkopf unloads on Trump’s disastrous Iran strategy, arguing that the president has burned through critical U.S. weapons stockpiles and left America dangerously weakened, while Iran now holds the leverage. They also dig into Trump’s escalating attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, the Republican Party’s increasingly desperate turn toward racism, and the legal battle threatening Trump’s lavish White House ballroom. And as Trump grows more isolated and appears increasingly disengaged, Rothkopf raises a chilling possibility: America could be heading toward another moment in which people behind the scenes—not the president himself—are effectively making the decisions.

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