The Daily Beast Podcast

Why Billions Won’t Save Trump from Crushing Defeat

The Daily Beast Podcast

Show Notes

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles debate whether Democrats can take the Senate as the midterms approach, with Wolff predicting a sweeping defeat for Trump and Coles warning that Republican money could still make the difference. They turn to a new House Judiciary Democrats’ report on Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, including allegations about their ties to the modeling industry, and ask whether the story will finally affect voters. Wolff also discusses Princes and Thieves, a new book about Jared Kushner’s dealings with Persian Gulf leaders, and says its author contacted him after Kushner threatened legal action. From Elon Musk’s election spending to the money flowing through Trump’s family, they trace what a Democratic Congress might investigate.

#ad Go to https://san.com/insidetrumpshead to get the unbiased truth on the stories that matter, only on the Straight Arrow app. Let’s exit the echo chamber.

Read the House Judiciary Democrats' staff report here: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2026-10.hjc-dems-staff-report-epstein-and-trump.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More from The Daily Beast Podcast

Oct 27, 2026

David Rothkopf joins Joanna Coles to expose Trump’s growing political crisis as corruption scandals, a disastrous war with Iran and a wave of global anti-authoritarian backlash threaten to blow up in his face. With the midterms looming, explosive allegations about Jared Kushner’s foreign money, a Trump family cash grab and a crumbling circle of international allies could spell trouble for the president. Plus, Melania’s latest controversy, Netanyahu’s uncertain future and why Trump’s election troubles could trigger a new wave of chaos in Washington.

Oct 26, 2026

Anthony Scaramucci returns to the Daily Beast Podcast to tell Joanna Coles why he thinks Trump’s handling of Putin could finally turn Republicans against him. The former White House communications director says impeachment and removal are on the table if Democrats win the House, and explains why he believes Trump’s own party may be closer to breaking with him than it appears. Scaramucci also discusses his new book, All the Wrong Moves, tracing the economic decisions he says helped propel Trump to power and warning that the next president could follow Trump’s example of profiting from the office. When Joanna presses him on whether he might run himself, Scaramucci names the only Democrat he believes could beat Trump’s would-be successors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 25, 2026

Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles look at the Republicans’ desperate final stretch before the midterms, starting with a campaign ad so cruel that even members of their own party are recoiling. Why are Donald Trump and JD Vance standing by Vivek Ramaswamy as his attack on Ohio rival Amy Acton backfires? Wolff explains what the uproar reveals about Trump’s faith in a tactic that has worked for him before, while a ballot fight in Alaska raises fresh questions about how far his administration will go to contest a loss. They also turn to Melania Trump’s claim of a humanitarian breakthrough in Ukraine as her husband moves closer to Vladimir Putin, the Republicans beginning to break with Trump over Russia and new allegations involving his former lawyer Alina Habba.

Oct 24, 2026

Joanna Coles and Hugh Dougherty expose the latest chaos swirling around Donald Trump’s White House, from Melania Trump’s stunning claim that she brokered a Ukraine ceasefire—and the potential Nobel ambitions and reality-TV motives behind it—to growing questions about the president’s health as his rallies shrink and protests grow. They also examine Elon Musk’s extraordinary power over Ukraine’s military communications, the millions he’s pouring into Republican midterm races, and a potentially explosive Justice Department investigation into Trump ally Corey Lewandowski. But the biggest bombshell may involve Jared Kushner: a new book alleges Russian hackers accessed his phone and uncovered a secret billion-dollar bank account tied to powerful Middle Eastern figures. Kushner vehemently denies the claims, but with fresh questions about money, foreign influence, and Trump’s inner circle, this scandal may only be getting started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 23, 2026

In this special live show edition of Inside Trump's Head, Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles take the stage in Los Angeles to ask what Trump wants from the presidency and what he might do if Democrats win the midterms. Wolff shares what a source close to Trump told him about the president’s staggering financial ambitions, then explains why he believes money drives Trump’s fixation on Vladimir Putin. He and Coles consider how Trump could react to an election defeat, whether he might return to bombing Iran and why Wolff doubts JD Vance can inherit the MAGA movement. The audience brings questions of its own, prompting Wolff to discuss his legal fight with Melania Trump and the unusual place Natalie Harp holds in the president’s inner circle.

See all episodes →