The Daily Beast Podcast

Kurt Andersen returns to the Daily Beast Podcast to discuss his provocative new novel The Breakup, a chilling vision of America's future that imagines the country pushed to its breaking point after Donald Trump's death sparks nationwide unrest. Andersen explains why the political chaos of the past few years forced him to make his fictional America even darker, whether the country is already living through a national tragedy, and why he believes imagining uncomfortable futures may be the only way to prepare for them. Joanna Coles and Andersen debate whether AI will make us smarter or stop us from thinking altogether, dissect Jon Ossoff's standout performance against Pete Hegseth, size up the most alarming figures in Trump's orbit, and explore why today's political theater increasingly resembles professional wrestling.

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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles dive into a week that reveals Donald Trump’s deepest fixations and growing political vulnerabilities, from his unwavering obsession with tariffs to the mounting risks surrounding RFK Jr., soaring measles cases, and a White House increasingly consumed by its own crises. They debate whether Trump’s widely criticized appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a show of confidence or desperation, reveal why one long-dead television host may still have more influence over Trump than anyone in his inner circle, and examine what rising oil prices, Iran, and the midterm elections could mean for his presidency. Plus, they break down Trump’s surprising embrace of Darline Graham and the politics behind her rapid rise, the strange role of health supplements in MAGA, the chaos surrounding JD Vance, and the revealing clues that point to what may really be happening inside the president’s mind.
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Joanna Coles and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty trace the cracks spreading through Donald Trump’s White House as a flood of new leaks reveals an administration gripped by chaos, infighting, and mounting pressure over the escalating conflict with Iran. They dig into reports of Trump’s Oval Office outbursts, the controversy surrounding fallen American service members, Laura Loomer’s stunning reversal on Ukraine, and the growing questions surrounding Mitch McConnell’s prolonged absence from the Senate. They also reveal fresh reporting on the battle to replace Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat, explore the latest twists in the Jeffrey Epstein saga, and examine how the Tate brothers’ legal troubles could create new political headaches for Trump’s inner circle.
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Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles break down Donald Trump's latest chaotic moves, starting with his immediate renegotiation of a brand-new Saudi nuclear deal and the astonishing legal escalation in Melania Trump’s lawsuit against Wolff. Coles and Wolff expose the political desperation behind the administration's sudden push for teenage abstinence, alongside Trump's retro attacks on Senator Jon Ossoff and other rising Democrats. They also examine JD Vance's latest book, his sudden spiritual pivot, and consider what the Vice President’s dark fixation on demons reveals about his unbridled ambition.

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat, historian and authoritarian expert speaks with Joanna Coles about whether America is already experiencing the early stages of autocracy, why Donald Trump's behavior follows patterns seen in strongmen throughout history, and what happens when leaders surround themselves with loyalists instead of truth-tellers. Drawing on decades of research, Ben-Ghiat explains why weakening leaders can become more dangerous, how propaganda, humiliation, corruption, and loyalty tests reinforce authoritarian power, and why wars and economic turmoil often accelerate a strongman's decline.
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