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.

Michael Wolff shocks Joanna Coles by abruptly changing his view on Donald Trump’s desire to run for a third term. The veteran Trump biographer now believes that the president has been radicalized by his growing authoritarianism and is now likely to consider running again in 2028. Drawing on insights from inside the White House, they discuss how the Supreme Court’s recent decisions could pave the way for him to subvert the Constitution and maneuver for a third term. Wolff and Coles also explore how Trump monetizes loyalty and power, and ask whether Trump is setting the stage for an unprecedented extension of his influence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Daily Beast’s David Gardner and Sarah Ewall-Wice join Joanna Coles to unpack Trump’s latest obsession, a $200 million Arc de Trump slated to lord over the Potomac. Is it legacy-building or pure delusion? From secret Oval Office blueprints and questions over who’s really bankrolling Trump’s $200 million ballroom to Pete Hegseth’s war on the press fallout, Coles and company expose a capital consumed by Trump’s ego and unravel what his monument mania reveals about the man who can’t stop trying to carve himself into history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump Chronicler Michael Wolff joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to unpack the Time magazine cover that ignited Trump’s fury and how the slow-walked political prosecutions of his perceived enemies, including James Comey, Adam Schiff, and Chris Christie, spurred Trump to install Lindsey Halligan. Meanwhile, Melania reemerges with her documentary hustle, prompting questions about her new visibility and even her reported communications with Putin. And with new fractures appearing in Trump’s once blindly faithful MAGA movement and fresh enemies on his list, Joanna asks: Is Trump losing control of the world he built or remaking it in his own image once again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kurt Andersen joins the Beast’s Joanna to unpack the surprising Jekyll and Hyde nature of Donald Trump, from his once fawning desperation to be covered warmly by Andersen to his snide takedown once Andersen was no longer useful. Drawing on insights, Andersen and Joanna Coles explore what Trump’s split personality reveals about his nature, his calculated self-presentation, and his ascent to the White House. Along the way, they tease out the contradictions between the Trump we see in public and the Trump we hear about in private. Is this the side of Trump no one really notices, or the one he wants you to notice? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beast’s Joanna Coles and Trump Chronicler Michael Wolff dive deep into Donald Trump being snubbed for the Nobel Peace Prize and the forces driving his obsession with recognition. They explore the pivotal role of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who balances family loyalty, high-stakes diplomacy, and billion-dollar business opportunities in the Middle East. From navigating complex deals with the Saudis and Qataris to leveraging influence for both profit and power, Coles and Wolff reveal how Trump’s desire for validation intersects with Kushner’s strategic maneuvering. The episode unpacks ambition, risk, and reward at the highest levels, showing how peace, personal gain, and political calculation collide in the Trump crucible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump chronicler Michael Wolff joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to unpack Trump’s latest delusions of grandeur. This time, namely, his fantasy of winning a Nobel Peace Prize for “ending seven wars” that never existed. Wolff recounts a disturbing encounter involving Jeffrey Epstein, the head of the Nobel Committee, and alleged Polaroids of Trump, while Pam Bondi, now heading the DOJ, pointedly refuses to discuss them. From showy Middle East tours to Chicago photo ops with the National Guard, Joanna and Michael explore how Trump’s obsession with power, spectacle, and apparent paranoia, tinged with fear, continues to reshape his presidency. Is Trump intending to occupy cities like Chicago indefinitely or just seeking attention?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rep. Ro Khanna joins the Beast’s Joanna Coles to reveal what he calls Washington’s most dangerous cover-up. The California congressman explains how the Epstein files hold explosive information and why his bipartisan effort to release them has been stonewalled during the government shutdown. He links Trump’s role in the stalemate to a broader system that shields the powerful rather than the public. From congressional gridlock to moral reckoning, Khanna argues that transparency is the only way to restore trust in democracy. Is Trump protecting national secrets or defending himself? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Wolff returns with Joanna Coles for a blistering look at the latest fractures inside Trump’s MAGA coalition. From Trump’s resurfacing of Epstein anxieties and his strange new pardon predicament with Ghislaine Maxwell, to his growing unease over Israel and the rise of Christian nationalism, Wolff sketches a portrait of a president losing control of the populist movement he created. The Daily Beast’s Chief Content Officer Joanna Coles presses Wolff on Tucker Carlson’s ambitions, online swirling Charlie Kirk conspiracies, and J.D. Vance’s quiet maneuvering for power. Together, they dissect how Trump’s cult of loyalty is turning on itself and why his old tactics may finally be failing. Is Trump still the master of the MAGA hivemind, or has he become just another voice in the chaos he unleashed? 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.