The Daily Beast Podcast

Symone Sanders Townsend joins Joanna Coles to break down the moment Donald Trump struggled to stay awake for twenty minutes in the Oval Office, and why the fact that no one around him reacted is the real story. Sanders, co-host of “The Weeknight,” on MSNBC soon to be MS NOW starting on November 15th, outlines the mystery of who’s really running the White House to the gold “Oval Office” signage, the secretive East Wing demolition, and the advisers suddenly speaking in “I” and “we,” Symone exposes a presidency drifting without leadership. In the end, Symone leaves us with the fundamental question: If Trump can fall asleep on camera and his deputies shrug, who’s actually in charge?

The Daily Beast’s must-read columnist David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to dissect Trump’s mounting political peril. As dissent grows within his own party—over foreign aid, tariffs, and radical Senate moves—Rothkopf warns that Trump is “staring death,” with his political survival hanging by a thread. This episode explores the stakes of a president confronting resistance from his base and the chilling question: how far will he go to stay relevant?

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to examine the looming legal battlefield of Trump’s 2026 strategy, where every move is filtered through lawyers and litigation. As the White House braces for the possibility of losing both the House and Senate, Wolff reveals the unraveling logic guiding a president who cannot course-correct, while aides scramble to protect their careers. From redistricting schemes to potential Supreme Court battles over voting rights, this episode shows how Trumpworld is preparing for an election fought not just at the polls—but in the courts. Joanna asks the central question: Can anything stop this legal juggernaut?

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to examine the one thing Trump can’t spin: a morning of losses he instantly tries to recast as wins. Wolff brings the voices inside the West Wing, describing Trump pacing between TVs, hunting for a villain, mangling the numbers, and turning Mamdani into his next made-to-order enemy. They cut through the chaos—shutdown brinkmanship, Prop 50 conspiracies, the Cuomo curveball, and a GOP leadership frozen in his glare—to reveal a president who can’t adapt, only blame, and a movement suddenly feeling less inevitable than it claims.

Dr. Bandy X. Lee, forensic and social psychiatrist, joins Joanna Coles to sound the alarm regarding President Donald Trump’s dire mental health problems. She explains how Trump’s paranoia, fear of exposure, and relentless need for power drive his behavior—from deploying guards to manipulating supporters—and how these patterns spread through society, creating true mental health contagion. Dr. Lee asks: How do we contain a leader whose fragility fuels his power?

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to dissect the latest unraveling in Trumpworld: the controversial CBS News settlement, followed by their soft-ball sit‑down with Donald Trump. They question: Is this real journalism or a pay‑for‑play fluff piece? Later, they turn to JD Vance’s weekend spectacle—the public message to his Hindu wife, the viral hug with Erica Kirk, and what it reveals about Vance’s naked ambition to court MAGA while lacking the requisite authenticity to appeal truly. Along the way, they chart how the conservative media ecosystem is shifting, how Trump’s polling collapse and foreign‑policy chaos are fueling the vacuum around Trump, and how ambition, extreme rhetoric, and charged cynicism have become the new tools of power in Washington.

Andrew Lownie returns to break down the latest fallout for Prince Andrew. Lownie, the author of the book 'Untitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,' breaks down Andrew’s exile to Sandringham and whispers of his Middle East escape to avoid legal scrutiny. Lownie parses how the Epstein scandal and financial allegations have dramatically reshaped the royal landscape. He explains the palace’s response, the public outrage, and why Andrew’s ties to Epstein and business dealings abroad make him vulnerable.

Dr. Steven Hassan, world-renowned cult expert and author of The Cult of Trump, joins the Beast’s Hugh Dougherty to unravel how Trump’s movement mirrors the classic architecture of a political cult, from manufactured grievances to the online ecosystems that keep followers locked in. Then, with recent Epstein materials resurfacing, they explore the contradictions, alliances, and unexplored vulnerabilities that continue to haunt Trump and his inner circle. Together, they connect the domestic chaos to the global actors who have spent decades studying and exploiting Trump’s psychology. As the crises converge, Hugh asks the question hanging over 2025: how long can Trumpism survive when the truth keeps breaking through?

Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to reveal how White House insiders are now dubbing the East Wing the “Epstein Ballroom.” From the persistent shadow of Jeffrey Epstein over Trump and Prince Andrew’s dramatic fall from royal privilege, to the explosive crypto pardons benefiting the Trump family, Wolff’s latest thorns to burrow into Trump’s side. They discuss Rupert Murdoch’s role, the birthday letter that exposed Trump’s connections, and the intricate web of influence stretching from Norfolk to Washington. With the latest Trump polls tanking and the government shutdown nearing a record, this episode captures the tangled, high-stakes universe of Trump’s presidency in real time.