The Daily Beast Podcast

Liz Oyer, former White House pardons attorney who tracks presidential clemency, exposes Trump’s “pardon economy.” She walks through eye-popping clemency cases, pay-for-access lobbying, wiped restitution, surprise on-the-spot pardons, and the political and legal fallout of transactional mercy.

Dr. John Gartner, a clinical psychotherapist and former Johns Hopkins assistant professor, offers clinical observations on cognitive and behavioral decline. He discusses garbled speech, confabulation, sleep disruptions, grandiosity and paranoia. The conversation focuses on how these signs could affect judgment, impulsivity, and risks in foreign policy and governance.

Michael Wolff, veteran journalist and author of inside-the-White-House books, offers long-form analysis of Trump’s behavior. He and Joanna Coles explore Trump turning a Supreme Court setback into spectacle. They unpack his attacks on justices, the State of the Union showdown, theatrical banners across Washington, macho signaling in political videos, and how confrontation becomes his comeback strategy.

Michael Wolff, columnist and bestselling author known for inside-the-Beltway reporting. He untangles Prince Andrew’s arrest and its financial focus. He dissects Trump’s Board of Peace and fundraising plans for Gaza. He probes U.S. pressure on Iran, questions over war planning, and whether chaos is strategy or loss of control.

David Rothkopf, longtime policy analyst and founder of Deep State Radio, breaks down surreal political theater and the White House’s survival tactics. He discusses the bizarre RFK Jr.–Kid Rock spectacle, religion as campaign signaling, threats to fair midterms, possible cabinet shakeups, and how AI and deepfakes will reshape future campaigns.

Michael Wolff, author and journalist known for books on media and politics, reflects on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and how Epstein connected powerful figures. He recounts introductions like Steve Bannon, reactions to the Epstein files, legal entanglements involving Melania, and how scandal dumps can shift public attention. Short, sharp takes on resentment, alliances, and political distraction.

Tom Sykes, longtime royal correspondent known for deep investigative reporting, explores how Jeffrey Epstein revelations have destabilized Prince Andrew and strained the monarchy. He discusses palace silence and blame, leaked documents showing links to state secrets, political pressure and possible police probes, and why more damaging disclosures may still surface.

Tina Brown, veteran journalist and founder of The Daily Beast, appears in newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein files and recounts attempts to silence her reporting. She describes frantic legal threats, the role of social fixers like Peggy Siegal, and the elite networks that enabled Epstein. The conversation spotlights the scale of exploitation, the sealed files mystery, and why rigorous investigative journalism matters.

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack the spiraling fallout from the Epstein files, Ghislaine Maxwell’s calculated silence, and the widening circle of elites caught in the “Epstein class,” before turning to something even more alarming: the Trump administration’s brazen willingness to lie in plain sight. From the El Paso airspace shutdown and the balloon-versus-drone fiasco to Fox News alumni now running Cabinet departments at odds with one another, they examine whether the chaos is incompetence—or a deliberate governing strategy built on fear, loyalty tests, and all-or-nothing stakes. As prosecutions stall, investigations fizzle, and reality itself seems negotiable, Wolff argues that the disorder may be the point—and that the risks are existential. Is this simply dysfunction, or is there a dangerous method behind the madness that we’re only just beginning to see? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Wolff, author and reporter known for Trump‑era exposés, discusses his federal lawsuit probing the Trump–Epstein connection and fights over where Melania truly lives. He explores using anti‑SLAPP laws to defend speech. Short scenes dissect a loyalty‑first administration, Kurt Olsen’s role in election security, Pam Bondi’s combative rise, and the baffling El Paso airspace shutdown.