How Trump Is Exposing Own Psychotic State: Wolff | Inside Trump's Head

You can look this up and find the president of the United States. continuously saying things that are out of control, bizarre, unhinged, irrational that have departed reality. If this were a family member of literally anybody, anybody's who stayed up all night and and posted. sometimes sometimes in a night, a hundred posts, this kind of this kind of wingnut stuff, that would be a mental health crisis.

What do you do of the clear evidence that the president of the United States. is behaving in a way that, for anyone else, would beg for an intervention? Hugh, how are you? Michael, I'm very pleased to be here. Thank you. Thank you for having me. This is you, Dockerty. The editor of the Daily Beast is filling in for Joanna Coles, who is yet with her family in Yorkshire.

So you and I are. are in, in in position, ready to go. We are in this together. At least we're not in China and we are not in China. We could be we could have been in the. we could have been in the great Hall of the people. But apparently, Michael, you were not invited. Yes. No, no, I don't think I'm on the on. the invite list. And. but we should get into who is who is in fact.

on the invite list, because it is a. quite a cast of characters. And I should say, before we dive into this show, as Joanna always says, please take a moment. Hit the subscribe button, share it with your friends. We. And I'll just say, as a just a personal note, I was privileged to already be on the show earlier this week, and some of you sent some very nice notes. and particularly notes of support for Joanna, who I know.

Michael, you've spoken to her as well, really feels that support. She's in a terrible position. It's a position that we all. have or will find ourselves in. So I think that there's a lot of a lot. of understanding and a lot of sympathy. So moving to the business of the business of the day, though, China. China. China. What exactly is Donald Trump trying to accomplish in China?

You know, this is an interesting moment in the in the. in the Trump political history, because China has always been. the paramount issue for him. That is the the. the the the solution. in his mind, the solution to the problems in. the United States is solving the problem of China.

And he has seen this in a very basic way. It's an economic rivalry and it's zero sum rivalry. If they benefit, we don't know. You can disagree with that. And obviously many have. But at the same time I think that it's also regarded. as in many ways his single accomplishment. The the single thing that.

that that many people have said, okay, Trump. Trump is crazy. And most of his policies are are out there and nutty and inconsistent. But the China perception on his part. is valid and central. And while he may not get the details right, he has. he has in a way that other politicians before him didn't.

didn't appreciate that this. was that China was the the. China was the. rivalry, the main rivalry in in the world. And how we dealt with that would affect, affect. fundamental issues of the American economy in the American future. So I think there were a lot of people, especially in the first administration, who were willing to say, okay, let's overlook everything else.

This is a major issue, and I know I spent a lot of time. during the first administration with with Steve Bannon, who clearly regarded it this as the singular issue. And he would openly say Trump was a moron. Trump is is a beast. Trump is. Is is inexplicable in so many ways. But if he got China right, if he got China. half right, that would be a significant accomplishment.

And then Bannon would say, and that's why he was on the Trump team very explicitly. One issue China. Okay. Now over the course of of ten years. And let's let's note that I think the Bannon, the. the Biden administration, the band administration, the Biden administration kept many of the Trump. China policies in place.

Nevertheless, over the course now of. of of ten years, what we have. what we have seen is, is only increasing marching. Steamrolling Chinese dominance. Right. They have if this is a zero sum game, well, they have gotten everything and we have gotten very little.

China's been growing at 5% a year after Covid. The the US is not by any measure, it's maybe growing. 2%, maybe 3% over that over that same period. And China's military, we we keep seeing displays. And Trump in fact was presented with a display of the Chinese military. But we keep seeing it's a much more serious force than it has ever been. And finally, in this sort of sense of dominance,

it is to China that people are other the other countries. turn for guidance or investment or whatever as a first choice. What we have, what we have seen over and over and over again. is, is the the Trump policies on so much else. have worked redound to the benefit of China. And of course, we had early in this second term we had a clear face off.

And that's what I mean. The tariffs remember the tariffs. Liberation Day. Who can forget we're principally I mean they were directed against everyone. but principally and most of all and most onerous. against China until they weren't. So there was the imposition of a draconian tariff on China, you know, in. which with the with the point, you know, the fundamental point, Chinese goods.

were flooding the American market, Chinese goods were had stolen. The America's industrial base that the Chinese middle class. had had benefited at the expense of the American middle class. Very straightforward argument. And tariffs would be the thing that would. that would make a significant dent in Chinese imports.

Okay. Those tariffs lasted for I don't know how many hours. I mean, essentially, essentially Trump imposed the tariffs. The Chinese threatened back. He removed the tariffs. And and that's essentially where we are. So he's showing up in in China trying to accomplish. you know I. don't beyond beyond a distraction to the war in Iran.

and the distraction to so many other issues at home. I don't know what he is trying to accomplish. I don't think he knows what he's what he's trying to accomplish. I think maybe, you know, you know, at at best, at best, he's trying to stave off absolute humiliation. I don't I don't know. And I think the the effect of this is I mean the look is terrible, right?

I mean, he he looks bad. He looks like a toady. He looks like a supplicant. We've just got some pictures up on screen at the moment. And the body language is not this is you know, Trump. is somebody who understands body language in this sort of visceral TV producer way. As you say, he he he looks he looks physically diminished, if I'm honest, Michael doesn't he? He doesn't appear to be the same person that we saw.

in China 8 or 9 years ago. But it's it's pretty obvious he's not the alpha male here. You know, I think the the Chinese have very, in a calculated fashion, have studied Trump. They've come to understand Trump, which is not that hard. They are inside Trump's head and. and they are playing Trump. I mean, he is in all of these things. and we've we've discussed this this, this before.

I mean, Trump is really not a good negotiator. Trump really doesn't have a grasp of the issues at hand. Trump really does not have advisers around him. who have a grasp of the issues at hand. And on and on top of that, he has so many other issues in the world. that China can play to his advantage. is that he he's screwed.

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Beast that Shopify. I wanted to talk to you about the way in which she, Jinping, has presented himself to Trump, that, first of all, in a state visit, obviously, she Jinping is the guy doing the welcoming. He's the one that Trump has to walk up to. He clearly had practiced on the handshake front. There was no you know, this theatrical handshake didn't happen.

But then he he gave this. philosophical speech about the. and I'm somebody is going to correct my pronunciation even in Scottish here. But the the Thucydides trap and it's almost like he's trolling Trump. Right. He's using this concept from Greek, classical Greek history, military, military history. And I think we can safely see Trump.

hasn't been studying the history of Athens and Sparta in recent years. Jesus, you know, the the. it boggles the mind, even the thought. I don't know who had to explain it to him. There were these, these two cities and but it's crazy. He will be. Let me, let me let me be perfectly. straightforward about this. He would be unclear on both. Athens and Sparta, where they fell in history, where they fell geographically, and what their significance is.

Just just a. Context here. Glad glad to put that straight. But this is I mean, this struck me when I was watching it. and the kind of orders that it happened, which means it's not live on prime time. television, but that Trump was presented. with a speech and quite a brief speech by XI. that was absolutely nothing like the way that Trump deals with the world.

And it seemed really calculated on the part of the Chinese to do it that way. Now here's. mud in your eye, Donald Trump. Yes. Let's let's also talk about about who accompanied him on this trip, because it's another one of those those, you know, Trump entourage. projects and and he brings. and I cannot imagine what advantage.

he sees, he sees in bringing all these assholes along. I mean, it's kind of tone deaf. I mean, all of these people, I mean, doesn't he have any sense. that that, that the that the tech overlords, the corporate masters were at a, at a, at a moment of. I serious tipping. point in our regard for these people.

Right. Because he's brought with them just to run through some of the names. We've got Elon Musk who has brought his GS there. Yeah, there's a popular guy. There's a man renowned around the world for his popularity. He brought his son with him. So it's kind of like a reunion show. He's brought Jensen Huang, who is the CEO of Nvidia, but it's worth. pointing out that Nvidia is very reliant on Taiwan for its manufacturing. Well, actually, actually.

And that's interesting because he was not initially invited. And then there was blowback. And then they had to add him at the last minute to the trip. Was Tim Cook of Apple, was Jane Fraser from there's only two Women. And interestingly, Trump said, I'm bringing 30 of the biggest business. leaders. There was a count of the biggest business leaders. in the Great Hall of the people for this banquet was hailed by XI for Trump. and the the maximum number anybody who's been able to get to is 14. And that might include Eric Trump.

So so so you you think that a lot of the invites. they made a lot of invites and he was snubbed. It's an interesting question. Right. And or it could just be numbers. Remember just be number 14 300. Yeah. it doesn't really matter. I think we talked last in the last episode about Trump's Trump and numbers. And he you know, you predicted he's going to sue you for a trillion. I think 30 sounds like a good number of top business leaders right. Why not completely.

I mean that has no no necessarily necessary alignment with reality. Right. But also in the entourage, Brett Ratner. in. I'm just flabbergasted. Now, Brett Ratner is Brett Ratner is a Hollywood director, the director of the Rush Hour series he was meeting. canceled in a significant way, hasn't hasn't worked in the movie business until he was hired.

by Melania Trump to direct. the movie about her, Melania, the movie. of which basically she was really the director. because she was calling all of the shots in this. This was this was this is the documentary which was released in. late January, I believe. That has. been funded, supported, funded by Amazon,

in which Amazon paid Melania $40 million to. appear in a documentary about herself. And Brett Ratner is the director of the of that documentary. So he is on this trip to China. because because it's an intriguing question. Right. Is there another Ratner documentary coming? If so, it can't be about Melania because we've talked about who's on the trip.

Melania is not on the trip, so he's obviously not making a document. He's if he's there to make a documentary, it's not about her. In other, more traditional and normal administrations, the entourage would consist of of policy people, Chinese, China experts, people with significant State. Department diplomatic experience.

It would be an entourage of professionals. And and this is an entourage of assholes. Who have still got we recording this. we should say on Thursday morning, still another 24 hours. And we are waiting for possibly the biggest moment of this, this state visit, which will be the the official interview. by Sean Hannity of Donald Trump.

has been Sean Hannity. You can add him to the entourage. Yes, yes. Brilliant. It's it's. a cross-section of Trump world all on tour. This is the time we live in. Yes, but talking of the time we live in. Yes. Talking of that subject, you rightly, you rightly said there's an element, of course, of all this. It's distraction. And that was.

there is something very big to be distracted from. And it's inflation and the dismissal of inflation. No, that was, that was extraordinary. And I think that statement will come back to haunt him, although I also think it is a reflection of his deepest beliefs. with Iran. Mr. president, what extent are American. financial situation motivating you to make it easier? Not even a little bit.

It's the only thing that matters is that I'm talking about Iran. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about America's financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing. You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. This is interesting. You know, I mean, it is clearly I don't think you could read this. in any other way except to say that he as as a sign. of a kind of fundamental contempt for, for.

ordinary people, people who actually hoo. hoo hoo, inflation numbers and the and the and the. and the ticks downward in the economy are actually. mean real pain for real people, you know? And one of the things that I went back to is that is that there was in, in one of my books. and, you know, at this at this point,

I have to struggle to remember which book, but I think it's my book. Landslide on the on the 2020. campaign and and Trump's defeat. and in what happened on January 6th. But there's a there's a moment in which Trump is looking out. at his, at his supporters and. and he starts to dis. I mean, he starts to talk about them as, as, as the great unwashed.

and all these people with tattoos and why can't they dress properly and. and have they never heard of leather shoes? I mean, there's something about Trump that always reverts. to a kind of 1955 mean, but it's also a kind of a kind of contempt. There is a rich guy, and then there are all of these, of these, of these other people who support him.

I mean, these these people are his base. And yet at the same time, he has this. that's. kind of unvarnished contempt for them. And, and this had his his statement about the economy. that that it you know, it really was not a top of mind for him. It was not his concern. He wasn't thinking about that has that same kind of feel,

you know, don't bother me with your little problems. The people that are around them hearing that, what's going through their heads because that's you're a Republican. who realistically thinks we're in a tough time. I mean, that must be that must be when you hear that, when you heard. when when it was held in 2010, he was, you know, talking about the tattoos and the cheap shoes in 2020. And he's saying there's no on the white House lawn of I don't care. Well, I think the people I mean this it's a complicated reaction.

about the people around him when he says this stuff. because let's let's remember he's always saying this stuff. I mean, he is always it's just one of the remarkable novel, amazing. things about Trump that he says, things. that would have ruined other politicians. One, you can just pick out one of the things that that. that if it were said by another politician would be their ruination.

And he has said thousands of these kinds of these kinds of things. So I've seen the people standing around Trump's, people standing around him, and they all stand around with a kind of a kind of bated breath. What is he going to say? What? What damage is going to ensue? What problems? And but they do this with a it's a double edged thing because they know, because they're all in some sense relatively.

traditional political people, even if they're working for Donald Trump. and they think, oh, this is, this is this is a problem. But at the same time, they recognize that problems for for Donald Trump are. are they they don't. affect him the way they affect other politicians. Which kind of brings us to a point. You've got an excellent point you make on Instagram. related to the problems that Donald Trump doesn't necessarily have, but.

also he says things the unsayable thing about Donald Trump. and about his. well, we you put it. as clear evidence of mental of mental problems. Well, well, that's the that's this other thing. And suddenly, I mean, this is an interesting moment because in the last couple of days, I mean, Donald Trump said on Truth Social, truth social is his personal social media platform, of course.

And and he said, and this was the the other evening. and most mostly his posts occur, occur, occur overnight. He said that Barack Obama is guilty of treason and should go to jail. And and suddenly everybody. kind of said, whoa, oh. And then there was a sort of sort of recognition.

of his other posts and of so many of his other posts. And this is interesting because of course, this has been going on for years. In fact, during the during. the 2024 campaign, aides and this was a conversation that I had. that I had with a, with a, with a, with a, with a bunch. of of of the people close to Trump. It was like it was like, God, we're we're so grateful that he says. this stuff on Truth Social because, you know,

he's the only one on Truth Social, so people don't see this. But of course, at the same time, it was there for everyone to see everybody. You could you could look this at any point right. now, you can look this up and find. the president of the United States saying things regularly, saying. things continuously, saying things that are out of control, bizarre, unhinged, irrational, that have in every possible.

way departed reality. And that has caused people I don't know. How do you react to that? Nobody actually has quite reacted to this. There are no headlines in the New York Times that say that, say the president of the United States has flipped his lid, which in any reasonable, fair minded reading of what he posts on social media,

you would clearly that's the conclusion that you would come to. if this if this were a family member of literally anybody, anybody's who stayed up all night and and posted. sometimes sometimes in a night, a hundred posts, this kind of this kind of wingnut stuff, that would be a mental health crisis. We all know about him posting himself as Jesus. and then claiming that, in fact, he thought that was how a doctor dresses.

There's been 8000 posts. since he resumed office, and at the beast. We analyzed his output for April, and we discovered that. 80% of nights he is posting. during the hours that a normal person you would expect to be asleep. We we said between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., you wouldn't expect anybody to sleep from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. every every night. But that seems like a reasonable window. I do, I do well, there you go.

In fact, it's a very reasonable window for people to be asleep. And the there were. there were 5 or 6 nights in the whole month. in which he did not post repeatedly in that window. And it's, it's clearly it's clearly not been spoken about. Right. Which is I mean, what do you do with this situation. in which you have the president of the United States, who is openly. without any kind of inhibition whatsoever.

in print, in black and white, in his own hand, delivering these. statements which are off the beam constantly. So what does that what do you do with that? What do you do of the clear evidence that the president of the United States. is behaving in a way that for anyone else, your own family members, CEOs. of other companies would, would, would beg for an intervention, right?

We we don't get just to take an example, Jamie Dimon. posting on any social media at that time of night that we know of, but you described it as clear evidence of psychosis. I always hate to make those kinds of diagnosis. I feel people use this too often. And yet what do you say? Yeah, I mean, there there it is. Nothing that he posts would be considered within the normal frame.

of not only any politician, but literally anybody. But there are. That does seem to be the beginning of hints. of a crack in this dam of silence. The Wall Street Journal was, well, this this beginning. It finally happened. And which is which is weird. Where has the Wall Street Journal? Where has the New York Times been been for the past? For the past? Now you know, how long has he been using Truth Social?

For years. And CNN. finally managed to talk about it on and they talked about it like like, I mean, I listened to this, was somewhat flabbergasted. Didn't you know? Everybody knows. You didn't know CNN. The other the other flip side of this, this was Erin Burnett. And we do have a clip of that. And now he posts pictures of people swimming in sewage. and himself on $100 bills and nobody even notices.

Right? Okay, that's another weird thing about this. Nobody's even watching all this. Erin Burnett is like, whoa! Yeah, man. You know, as. as though flabbergasted. by something that has gone on night after night after night after night. and something that you have been talking about four months on inside. Trump's head with Joanna, you know, and also, you know, in my book. All or Nothing about the about the 2024 campaign,

I spent a lot of time talking about about this and a lot of time. talking about the people around Trump, talking about about this. And there are worries that other people would start to notice. in their they're kind of. shock that no one did notice. And when they do, the reaction is to call the called a moron. I mean, we know what they call you. We know what they call people who point this out. But are they beginning to get a bit more worried now?

Do you feel? Well? And I think on the evidence, Erin Burnett Aaron Burnett is a moron. for not noticing this for. for all the time that it is going on in just not not just her and CNN. But again, every major news organization has overlooked. this or I would suspect, just not know that. They just haven't known how to fathom the meaning of this.

So they've ignored it. So Trump aides at the beginning to get to a point where the thinking, oh, this is we're getting rumbled here. And no. Well, I don't know. I mean, Trump aides have always been of that of that view. I mean, literally. And it's hard to express. Trump aides have always felt that it has been remarkable. that Trump has survived, but on the very basis. that he has survived so many times, they kind of shrug and accept it.

This kind of a wider picture around Trump as well, though of crazy. Oh, a wider picture of around Trump, of crazy. Well, I was going to raise, I would say, who can I raise? I mean, that's an interesting thing. Are the people around Trump crazier than even Trump? And I think in some instances, I mean, I think RFK, you could. certainly make a case that he is, in fact, crazier than Donald Trump.

There's one instance that just happened. this week, which is kind of jaw dropping. RFK Jr. They sent him to Ohio to, to try to get the people back on side. And Ohio traditionally had been a swing state. Then it became very, very Trumpy. And they sent him to Northeast Ohio, and he went to the Cleveland Clinic, which is renowned as one of the world's best hospital systems, consistently.

And quite an extraordinary event occurred. He went to look at it's got a new robot surgeon. It's called Leonardo, and it helps surgeons perform various procedures, including open heart surgery. Somebody was having open heart surgery. RFK Jr went in and was at the controls of this robot. And the Cleveland Clinic say, no, no, we disabled the controls. So he was just kind of playing with it. But there was literally a patient on the table whose open heart surgery.

was interrupted for RFK Jr to have a play with the controls. So it seems like even by the standards of RK Jr, that does seem kind of crackpot. You know, I mean, one of the things that I'm been interested in is, is, is the, the, the sense and I get some back channel on on this that RFK is, is looked at as a big danger in the white House.

I mean, there is the, you know, RFK junior. still junior at 72 is is has made himself. the face of the anti-vaccine movement and the anti-vaccine movement, which the, the, the Trump people felt was a. was a was a, a, a significant constituency in the Trump base.

That turns out to be largely a misperception that the anti-vax movement. is incredibly unpopular throughout the country. And and so they're stuck with this where they're stuck with RFK Jr. Every time you think or you see or of K Jr, you think anti-vax. I mean, that has been a very successful branding operation. I am the anti-vax guy. And they and and that has. that has spread out that RFK junior has become this, this.

this hot button on in the, in the health world in, in not just the health world, in the perception of voters about the management of the health world. And the perception is hardly positive, exactly the opposite, in fact. So so the the white House is now kind of stuck with this situation. We hired RFK Jr. Why did we hire RFK Jr.

That's almost inexplicable to to everyone in. everyone is quite clear that he is he is a nut ball. And now there are other inexplicable hires. and other nut balls, but none that has. resounded so much on a particular issue, which is particularly important to the electorate. And they don't know what to do inside of inside of the white House.

And one of the things that they do seem to be doing is, is is. is kind of. defenestration. RFK Jr without firing him. Right. So they're firing everyone around him. They are putting in far less. They're firing RFK Juniors objectionable hires. and putting in people who are less objectionable.

So it's one of the few instances in which they seem to have recognized. the craziness in their house and are trying to manage it. That that this week has included with departure. and whether he was fired or he resigned. Doctor Marty McCarry, who was the FDA commissioner. But this was to this was because he was standing in the way of flavored vapes. That doesn't really sound like a big winner, that there are parents.

desperate for their children to be exposed to vaping. Yeah. Well, that's that's another another thing. I mean, the flavored vapes are coming from the white House. because Trump is, is, has, has his own. personal arrangement with the tobacco industry. They're caught at that at that moment between between RFK, who is against actually the vapes, the flavored vapes.

That's one one bit of health advice you can agree with, John. Yeah. She's I mean it's all it's all nutso. and and obviously flavored vapes. Vapes from the white House is nuts. But they've also they've also gotten rid of one of the people. who was against flavored vapes is also an anti-vaxxer. So they wanted that that gone. So they actually don't think that flavored vapes is a big issue.

But they do think that the anti-vax issue is a big issue. and actually should be a big issue and should be. Absolutely. Because RFK not the only crazy. cash Patel has, oh my God, has cash. Actually, just on the subject of tobacco cash, Patel is cigar entrepreneur. among many of the stranger journeys that he's taken. Children's author, cigar entrepreneur. What did cash Cash Rattle ever do for a living?

Actually, before. Before he became head of the FBI. Do we know this? I don't know he well, he's had the he's quite a journey in life. He was he was a podcaster. He was podcast. of the FBI. Yes. But what else? I don't feel qualified. But if you're interested, I'm sure he he wrote a couple of children's books. which were based on Donald Trump and included a wicked queen. that was supposed to be Hillary.

So. So that that was that was his when when he was. that was agitprop as a Trump supporter. Yes. But what was he before he became went into the Trump? Strangely, his very first job actually was as a public defender. in the federal court system down in Miami. And that, you know, seems like a pretty worthy thing to do. But he didn't hold that job, not hold that job for very long. He then went when he flipped sides, and he went to work for the Department of Justice. And he was a pretty junior,

you know, line prosecutor at the Department of Justice. He claimed to be much more senior than he was subsequently. And he kind of parlayed that to working for the the House Intelligence. Committee under Devin Nunes, who wielded, went on to run Trump Trumps Truth Social. It's a very small world in Trump world as we know. And when he was there, he became the the kind of the chief. conspiracy theorist for taking apart what they called.

the Russian collusion hoax and which other people say is. So he's basically been spent spent his time as a Trumper. He's in the Trump industry. He's he's you know, he's he's one of those other people who certainly. during during both during the first administration and, and during the 2024 campaign, Trump. aides, the more the normies would, would single out cash Patel. as, as as someone who and they they would kind of define this.

as the, as a lying which Trump would not go over like cash. Patel would never get a senior appointment. Here we are, here we are. And he got ripped apart before in a congressional hearing. earlier, earlier this this this week and and did respond. I mean, I mean I mean he was it's like I mean. I guess people are saying that he took he took a page from the Pam Bondi book,

which worked out very well for her, as you recall. Yes. Pam Bondi, who is it's unclear. She hasn't surfaced anywhere yet. And. Certainly is not. is not the attorney general is is is in some sort of Trump exile. Well and she appeared before before before Congress was very obstreperous, very oppositional, often profane and.

and in in the in the following. one of her really notable appearances before Congress Trump fired her. So willy fire. So is he going to fire cash? I mean, in almost every one of these people in the administration, that's the question. Are they going to be fired? Now, that's been the question from the beginning. But there was for the first year and a half, we had Trump's refusal to fire anyone.

He dug in his feet. I'm not going to be pressured. I don't care what you think. I don't care what the Democrats think. I am not doing this. And and then that has as as Trump's. numbers have collapsed, so has that resolved. And now we've seen one after another of of these incompetence. of the inexperienced and incompetence being fired. So, so the logical question is, is.

who's next? And in each instance of a crazy person, well, I mean, why wouldn't they be fired? So the in cash Patel clearly. I mean, there's nothing that has gone right for this, for this, for this guy. You know, many reports about his about his alcoholism, about the special favors that his girlfriend gets the and on.

top of the fact that he appears before Congress and, and tries to shout down. The people questioning. him, I should say he denies, you know, he denies he's got an alcohol problem. He denies that there's anything up with his relationship. with his, you know, with the perks given to his relationship with girlfriend. But the denials are part of the problem, right? Yes. We're still talking about the composition. When you have to deny, deny constantly.

But I think that his protection here is. is that. You know, he is an absolute loyalist. Controlling the FBI, which Trump has always feared. is investigating him or given its given. any opportunity, will investigate him. So cash is his protection,

which is a pretty, pretty kind of. bleak and precarious position. Imagine if cash were your protector. Donald Trump, of course, kind of deals in stereotypes and his his in private life. His bodyguards were always guys from Queens. and Long Island, and cash is in fact one of those. He's from Garden City, so I don't know. It's like Trump could kind of Trump could kind of be into it.

But, you know, I once just so I once interviewed Trump in his. in his house in Beverly Hills. Nobody even knew he had a house in Beverly Hills. But he had this big house in. in Beverly Hills, right across the street from the Beverly Hills Hotel. and filled with kind of cast off hotel furniture. And I went there to interview them, and there were and I came in and.

and there are guys, you know, 4. or 5 guys sitting around a table playing cards. And these are the bodyguards and they, they, they look this this was a. this was a good fellow scene. Which we assumed we assume Trump's watched. Right. We assume he's got to have. maybe maybe with a different eye to all the other people who watched it. Yeah. No. Interesting. Interesting question. Yes.

I hadn't thought about about that. I'm sure Trump would have watched The Godfather, and matter of fact, I know he has. And I've discussed The Godfather with him. Of course, he would have watched The Godfather, Goodfellas. I you know, it's it's a, you know, a little close to the bone, perhaps. Yes. Are you laughing at me? I'm. But on the West Coast, it's not just Beverly Hills.

It's tech. Which is? There's another mob group. Completely. I'm. I mean, I couldn't possibly comment, but I'm. one of the more intriguing things that we found out this week. is where the money from the midterms is coming from. And just just saying doesn't appear to be. coming from Trump, who's sitting on hundreds of millions. of dollars of donations in his various political action committees. But it's tech that are throwing money into the midterms.

And it's and it is specifically a. venture, a particular. one particular venture from Andreessen Horowitz. And, you know, it's interesting that during the during. the 2024 campaign, there was there was a moment. I recount this in, in, in my book, All or Nothing. in which in which Trump is pissed off of having.

to go to fundraisers, do one fundraiser. after another, which is the, you know, what politicians have to have to do. And it is truly the worst part of the. of a bad business. And Trump was rebelling against this and, and everybody was saying, you know, well, we got a you know, you got a and he said, I don't have to. I don't have to do any of this because, because whatever money we need okay.

This is quotes in quotes. Whatever money we need we can get from the crypto guys, quote unquote, whatever money. we need, we can get from the crypto guys. So what are Andreessen Horowitz? They are the crypto guys. And. and they have. managed their their their money has not only bought them.

access constant access to Trump, but. they have filled the administration with. with with their people. So. so here we are. That's that's what you get for your hundreds of millions of dollars. In that case, literally, I'm $115 million so far. in this, this cycle since, you know, since the end of the last election, they've actually they've outspent Elon, not surprisingly, 85 million.

But notably, it was Elon that went to China as Elon that takes. takes takes the steps down from Air Force One. What was going on in the Trump world that you want to put this money in. but you don't want the publicity? I can't I can't answer that. I mean, Elon wants publicity. Elon Elon obviously has made himself. he is certain that he has thrived on on that has become.

a figure of great controversy because because of that. And, you know, I mean. I tend to. believe I mean, the Andreessen Horowitz people, I guess, have been. somewhat more, more muted, but they haven't been that muted. They're there. You know, there are people I mean, all of these tech guys have have displayed.

their own fundamental boredom, I think, with with their own jobs. And they're filled with arrogance and hubris and whatever else you get. filled with when you become a billionaire, when you become here. Here's the distinguishing thing about people who are billionaires. They really want to be known for being billionaires. They want to be known. They want you to know that they are billionaires because they're really great.

And the only way you do this is, is by making. publicity part of your of your coin. That's what you're buying. You're buying not only the way to make more money, but you're buying your, the. your, your, your, your funding, your own mythology. In fact, like like Jinping. mythology, of course, something that Trump doesn't appear to then knowledge of.

So you thank you for filling in for Johanna. You've you've stepped up. Everybody at the Daily Beast is is is stepping up. And I appreciate Joanne and I appreciate it. Yes. In fact we do have. a couple. We have a poem from Garfield who. either a couple of messages saying, we'd like to hear one of one of the, one of the limericks in your Scottish accent.

This was clearly not from anybody who knows me, who is like, can you just shut up? But the inimitable Garfield has been in touch. on the very topic in which we've been talking about China. And he says there once was a dawn in Beijing. who bartered off every darn thing while Marco played clerk. She finished the work of crowning America's king Gottfried. Thank you and I hope fantastic. I hope that satisfies those who want to deliver in the Scottish accent. I didn't understand the word you said. I suspected that might be the case.

Thank you to YouTube for doing those subtitles. And thank you to our amazing. team Ryan, Rachel, Heather and Neil. Thank you so much. Once more. So the. good news is we have so many beast tier members now. There are too many names to read out and we really appreciate your support.