The Daily Beast Podcast

On this episode of The New Abnormal, Molly Jong-Fast and Andy Levy debate which Republicans testifying at the Jan. 6 hearings can be considered ‘good guys.’ Spoiler alert, not Bill Barr according to Andy. Molly also breaks down the ‘psychology’ of Jared Kushner based on his performance testifying. Plus! The Nation columnist Jeet Heer explains to Molly why Democrats shouldn’t trust Liz Cheney and CNN national security reporter Zachary Cohen points out one of big question marks on the Jan. 6 timeline that the committee is trying to piece together: What happened when Donald Trump was in the dining room? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is not pleased with Mitch McConnell’s handling of dark money. He came on the pod to explain why he’s pinning the lack of dark money legislation on McConnell as well as what’s happening with climate change legislation. Plus, author Wes Moore tells TNA co-host Molly-Jong-Fast why he’s running for Governor of Maryland and what he wants to change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daily Beast's Chief Content Officer Joanna Coles unpacks the two biggest reality shows of our time: Britain's royal family and Donald Trump's presidency. First she lifts the lid on what's really going on in the White House and Mar-a-Lago with the Beast's Executive Editor Hugh Dougherty and finds out who's been voted off the island, who's been pitted in a brutal head-to-head contest and why Warren Buffett just delivered a stinging rebuke with a personal sting in the tail. Then Coles turns to the Beast's European Editor-at-Large Tom Sykes for revelation after revelation about the British royals. Why is Prince Harry really pleading for reconciliation with his father, King Charles? And why is the California exile hinting that someone wants him dead like his mom, Princess Diana—and who exactly does he mean? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daily Beast Podcast is as wildly exciting, energizing, and entertaining as the topics it covers. Hosted by Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer of the Daily Beast, every episode brings you more of the people, politics, and pop culture coverage you need straight from the Daily Beast newsroom. Amazing conversations have included Amber Ruffin, Tiffany Haddish, Mika Brzezinski, Don Lemon, John Oliver and more!New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.If you’re not already a subscriber to The Daily Beast, it’s easy! Just go to thedailybeast.com to sign up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthony Scaramucci joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles for a no-holds-barred look inside Trump’s turbulent second term. Trump's former first-term Communications Director and longtime Trump confidant-turned-critic calls Trump “the wicked witch of the West Wing” and predicts the moment he finally melts. Scaramucci revisits his infamous 11 days in the White House, missing his son’s birth, and the cost of blind loyalty. He tears into the GOP’s pretenders to Trump’s throne from J.D. Vance’s obsequiousness to Marco Rubio’s shape-shifting. Coles keeps the chaos sharp, pulling out Scaramucci’s rawest insights on power, ego, and redemption. And it all builds to one cutting question: if Trump’s the wicked witch of the West Wing, who’s bold enough to throw the water? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daily Beast’s must-read legal columnist Shan Wu joins the Beast’s Hugh Dougherty to dissect Trump’s shaky case against James Comey. Wu, a former federal prosecutor, explains why the indictment reeks of politics: a weak grand jury vote, rookie prosecutors sent to do Trump’s dirty work, and a DOJ reshaped into a loyalty machine. He lays out the defense playbook, from motions to dismiss to jury battles, and warns how much damage the spectacle will inflict on Comey and the justice system itself. With Trump burning political capital chasing old enemies as crises mount at home and abroad, the question becomes: is this justice or just Trump’s vengeance dressed up in legal robes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.