The Daily Beast Podcast

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Joanna Coles welcomes back psychologist Dr. John Gartner as the conversation takes a chilling turn, with Dr. Gartner arguing that Donald Trump has crossed from grandiosity into full-blown psychosis, pointing to a barrage of erratic late-night posts—including AI images portraying himself as Jesus—as evidence of a manic, delusional spiral unfolding in real time. Dr. Gartner lays out a stark clinical case, connecting sleep disruption, cognitive decline, and escalating “messianic” fantasies to dangerous decision-making on the global stage, from impulsive foreign policy moves to a growing appetite for conflict. What emerges is a portrait of a leader increasingly detached from reality, alienating his own base while doubling down on grandiose claims, as insiders scramble, critics demand cognitive testing, and the stakes climb toward something far more consequential than political controversy.
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In their 100th episode Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles mark the milestone by diving into a presidency they describe as veering into chaos—where a muddled, potentially deepening war meets wildly inconsistent messaging, and figures like Pete Hegseth are pushed out front to sell narratives that don’t match reality. They unpack how Donald Trump’s solo decision-making has led to a costly, open-ended conflict now entangled in the Strait of Hormuz, while back in Washington RFK Jr.’s anti-vax messaging threatens to weigh Republicans down even further. Layered on top: a surreal showdown with the Pope, allies quietly breaking ranks, and Trump fixating on legacy projects as pressure mounts from every direction.
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Isabel Vincent joins Joanna Coles to unpack her new book on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a portrait drawn from his own secret diaries, which were acquired by his late wife Mary Richardson Kennedy during their brutal divorce. What emerges is a man at war with himself: driven by legacy, consumed by guilt, and propelled by appetites—for power, for women, for redemption—that he can’t seem to control. Vincent traces the arc from grief-stricken Kennedy heir to anti-vaccine crusader and unlikely political force, revealing the family trauma, addiction, and relentless ambition that shaped him. Along the way, they unpack the myth and machinery of the Kennedy dynasty and the unsettling question at its heart: How is it that a man who once wrote of humility, service, and God now finds himself wielding influence over the health of millions?

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Michael Wolff joins Joanna Coles to confront the question Washington, and now even the New York Times, is no longer avoiding: What happens when the president’s behavior crosses from chaotic into something far more alarming? As Trump’s erratic outbursts accelerate, from late-night social media rants to bizarre public encounters and escalating threats tied to a war he can’t control, Wolff argues the guardrails may already be gone. Against the backdrop of a faltering economy, a dangerous crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and mounting pressure ahead of the midterms, Wolff frames what he sees as the defining story right now: The slow eclipse of Trump, and a far more urgent question, whether anyone has the power to act before it’s too late.
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David Rothkopf, the Daily Beast's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, joins Joanna Coles to explain why he is convinced history will judge Donald Trump as its most powerful, and biggest, idiot. In a wide-ranging and high-energy conversation, Rothkopf and Coles unpack Trump’s escalating clashes—from the Vatican to Iran—alongside the surreal spectacle of his self-styled “deity” posts and the global consequences of his decision-making. They also dive into the political fallout at home and abroad, including Viktor Orbán’s stunning defeat and what it signals for the future of right-wing populism. It’s a sharp, provocative look at power, instability, and the increasingly bizarre reality shaping global politics.

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