In this special episode of the Daily Beast Podcast, Joanna Coles brings together a revealing collection of conversations about the forces reshaping America, from the psychology and behavior of strongmen to the increasingly visible signs of political and institutional upheaval. Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat explains why authoritarian leaders become more paranoid and dangerous as they accumulate power, how corruption and humiliation become tools of control, and why she believes Donald Trump may be on a trajectory toward failure. Kurt Andersen discusses his new novel The Breakup, his vision of an America fractured by political violence, and why the country may be living through an American tragedy. Plus, Farrah Tomazin reports from Washington on Trump's physical transformation of the capital, the troubled Reflecting Pool project, and the surprisingly empty Great American State Fair.

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Jennifer Welch, Nell Scovell and Joanna Coles take a sharp, often hilarious look at the women who have managed to get under Donald Trump’s skin—from Taylor Swift and Rosie O’Donnell to E. Jean Carroll, Caitlin Collins and Marjorie Taylor Greene. They explore why Trump seems unable to tolerate women who reject him, challenge him or simply refuse to play along, and how his fixation on female approval exposes something deeper about his ego. Jennifer Welch also takes aim at the women and men surrounding Trump, from Melania and Ivanka to Susie Wiles, JD Vance and Marco Rubio, arguing that dysfunction, submission and entitlement are central to the Trump orbit. Nell revisits her bizarre connection to the E. Jean Carroll case, Trump’s obsession with his own sex appeal, and the extraordinary history of women who have refused to flatter him—and paid a price for it.

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Sarah Ewall-Wice joins Hugh Dougherty for a jaw-dropping tour through the latest scandals engulfing Trump’s Washington, from Fox News star Maria Bartiromo’s sudden firing after allegedly sharing internal network communications with the White House, to the extraordinary leaks exposing a growing revolt against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth inside the Pentagon. They reveal Hegseth’s brutal new nickname, the military brass openly pushing back against his orders, and why the chaos could spell trouble for one of Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks. Then comes Trump’s very own “Trumpapalooza” midterm spectacle, where vulnerable Republicans are scrambling to stay away—and Melania Trump’ snub to said event. Sarah also brings the latest on Mitch McConnell’s mysterious absence, the growing questions surrounding Susan Collins and John Fetterman, and the revelations about Fetterman blowing off veterans and a children’s hospital while making time for Fox News. And just when the scandals seem impossible to top, Hugh and Sarah turn to the Inspector General’s explosive findings about former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, involving a strip club, taxpayer-funded security, alleged drinking on the job, and an alleged affair that takes Trump-era Cabinet chaos to an entirely new level.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look at Donald Trump’s long-standing appetite for power, from his determination to get around courts and regulations to the possibility that he could use his enormous political war chest to maintain influence long after leaving office. They examine the growing crisis around Pete Hegseth, why Trump appears threatened by competence, and how the war with Iran is exposing deeper failures in American leadership. They also trace the economic risks tied to tariffs, interest rates and the massive AI boom, before turning to the increasingly volatile 2026 midterms, dark money, mail-in voting and the presence of U.S. Marshals at polling places.

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James Carville returns to the Daily Beast Podcast with a blunt prediction for the midterms, arguing that Donald Trump’s grip on Republicans could become their biggest liability as voters head to the polls. Carville weighs in on Republicans trying to distance themselves from Trump, the spectacle and price tag of Trump’s upcoming Dallas convention, and why he believes Democrats should cover it relentlessly. He also delivers a stark warning about Pete Hegseth’s impact on the military, argues that Trump could walk away from the presidency when Republicans turn on him, and makes a striking prediction about who will control the Senate in January.

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Description

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look at the extraordinary power dynamics surrounding Donald Trump, beginning with Melania Trump’s increasingly independent role—and how she has managed to monetize the position of First Lady while largely avoiding its traditional obligations. They also examine Trump’s White House ballroom and a Supreme Court decision that may allow construction to continue, the president’s attacks on NBC’s Kristen Welker and the growing fear his administration inspires across the media, and Pete Hegseth’s purge of experienced military leaders at a moment of heightened global danger. Then the conversation turns to an unlikely political flashpoint: data centers, as growing public opposition to their enormous demands for power and water collides with Trump’s fierce support for the AI industry—and his own financial interests.

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David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to expose the dark side of Donald Trump’s Venezuela oil deal, which Rothkopf says is nothing less than a criminal shakedown disguised as a victory. They dig into Trump’s bid to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the shady businessman and Rudy Giuliani connection at the center of the arrangement, and the billions of dollars whose ultimate destination remains a mystery. Rothkopf argues that Trump is turning the presidency into a personal money-making machine as his Iran war collapses, his poll numbers crater, and his political future grows increasingly precarious. And as the midterms approach, the question isn’t just whether Trump can survive politically—it’s what investigators may uncover if he loses.

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David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles and Nell Scovell in their third installment of Inside Trump’s Women for a revealing and often hilarious look at the women orbiting Donald Trump and the strange power dynamics inside his White House. From Natalie Harp’s extraordinary devotion and Margo Martin’s constant presence at Trump’s side to Karoline Leavitt, Laura Loomer, and the formidable Susie Wiles, the trio traces the history of presidential “work wives” from JFK and Bill Clinton to the present day, asking what happens when professional loyalty, personal access, and raw power begin to blur. Rothkopf brings his own White House experience to the conversation, exposing the loneliness, paranoia, favoritism, and need for constant affirmation that can thrive inside the presidential bubble—and why the women closest to Trump may reveal more about his inner circle than anyone else.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look ahead to the midterms and ask whether Donald Trump’s political dominance is finally starting to crack—or whether Democrats are getting ahead of themselves. They break down the unreliable polling, Trump’s unusual ability to bring hesitant voters back to his side at the last moment, the races that could determine control of the House and Senate, and the surprising Republican confidence that they can hold key states including Texas. They also examine Trump’s record of backing risky candidates like Ken Paxton, the enormous sums being poured into competitive races, and how Trump is already trying to shape the rules of the election through mail voting restrictions, redistricting and polling-place monitoring. But the most consequential question comes at the end: if Trump loses and declares the election rigged, will the people around him finally distance themselves—or once again follow him beyond the bounds of what is politically acceptable?

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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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