How Trump Is Spectacularly Self-Sabotaging | The Daily Beast Podcast Livestream

I, you know, anybody who would fall for I slop Joanna probably. probably I don't know I maybe somebody, you know candlelit president. Oh that's what you're getting at the president as as God in fact. Yes. That was that was what I had in mind. So your theory is that this is the week that Trump has actually self-sabotage. Yes. Okay. Explain. Let me set it up. It does nobody.

By the way, we should just say that Hugh is our executive editor. at the Daily Beast. I'm privileged to be here. Thank you for having me, Joanna. And the other thing. I forgot to say was congratulations on 100 episodes of Insight Trump. Okay. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, that's. That's the team. Yes. It's amazing. Must must listen. I was listening to it this morning on the way. and someone yesterday said to me it was appointment podcasting. And I love that expression. Oh it's fantastic. So let's talk about this. I think it's more than a theory that this week.

now we know Donald Trump has been the polls have been dire, gas. prices have gone up, inflation is showing no signs of going away. And the one thing that we know is that there's a midterm. There's a midterm blue tsunami being predicted by even people. inside the Republican Party. And last week, his wife got up there and said. she was nothing to do with Epstein, which brought the Epstein files. back into the center of attention, back to Amber, back to Epstein. And Epstein never seems to go away. So the start of this week, it seemed that.

some constraints were being finally put on the crazy. We've had a few things happened this week that are really worth talking about. There is a. new normal doctor in charge of vaccines. So this is Erica Schwartz, who was at Brown Medical School. She she did her she did her medical training at Brown. Yes. And she is pro-vaccine. And I'll just say that on the issues.

That's some kind of alarm to the mag about. Yes. Well, the the Ma people are melting down at this. There's a real sense of betrayal by Maha, but this is what, you know, normal people want vaccines, Trump wants vaccines. We know that. And he's kind of littered with these people. So this time they said, nope, nope, we're going to a normal person. So, you know, that seems like a major, major step forward. Well, and a major slap around the head for RFK junior. Big slap around here to RFK Jr. The other big slap around the head has been on immigration. This week it turns out that Susie was also at the white House.

Chief of staff had won a battle over how they present immigration. They've been putting out these crazy videos of Ice inaction. You remember Ice Barbie, Chris Christie, Norm and, the, you know, the sort of. hyped up, amped up videos of Ice agents in action. And these were a disaster, right? To kind of rap music. And with the masks on, I mean, just exactly the hyper again,

you don't want to see on the streets of and America. who didn't want to see it, but voters didn't want to see it. They hated it. The polls said, this is bad. So Susie Wales won a battle in the white House for this to not happen. And she was fighting Stephen Miller, who absolutely loves these things happening. So again, you know, a sign of. they're trying to, you know, get Trump a bit more normal. And then the big thing this week was that they were going to talk about. how Republicans have made people feel better. off, that we can litigate whether they have or not.

But that's that's the Republican hope for the midterm message. We've made you feel better off. No tax on tips. We've all heard of, no tax on tips. And on Tuesday, they had what they thought was going to be a triumphal stunt. They got DoorDash to deliver McDonald's to the Oval Office, where obviously he is McDonald's literally biggest fan. Or perhaps not literally, but he's certainly the most. powerful and notable fan. Well, then he did that brilliant stunt during the election where he served fries.

to people in a drive through McDonald's. And we I mean, who doesn't remember it? So they got Sharon Simmons, who is a DoorDash or a, from Arkansas to come to the white House. She drove up in a DoorDash car, and she was all the way from Arkansas to the well, the car actually has no registration plates, so it couldn't even have been out on the street. I think they had to deliver it to the white House. And then it went around the South Lawn. But, you know, you don't want to take a risk, do you vote? Because I was going to say the the food would be cold. Yeah, well, he was I presume he was like tracking the DoorDash or on his app.

You know, he's got Truth Social on DoorDash and she's like, oh, she's moved from Arkansas to what's the next state? I don't know. Well, I don't know how did you go in Arkansas? Missouri? You know, I don't know. There's so many ways you could come from Arkansas. Anyway, as it turns out, around the corner, it's a stunt. But they thought it was great, right? DoorDash. She said that no tax on tips had helped her out. And then she told a very moving story that her husband had cancer. and that she she's a grandmother of ten. It's that really the ability to have no tax on tips.

had made a difference to their lives. And I think, if you will, Susie Wells, at that point you will. Celebrating this was great. Got him on message. He's talking about what we want them to talk about. No tax on tips. So this is where we get to the self-sabotage. Late last night Trump went to Nevada. And this this trip is supposed to be no tax on tips. Well, hold on a minute. I mean, when she got there they were wasn't. he supposed to immediately tip her and then just to leave? He couldn't stop himself? No. I said what do you think about men and women? Yes.

And so I think wisely, she said, I'm here to talk about no tax on tips. I thought she showed incredible discipline. in that moment because the instinct would be either to agree with him, you know, believe in it or to say, no, no, everybody should be allowed. to take part in sports or whatever to give you a personal opinion. And also intimidating to be with the president of the United States. Well, and be asked a question like that. I thought she showed amazing.

Aplomb actually. Yeah. And it turns out she had more message discipline than the president. because he wasn't supposed to see any of this. He was supposed to give her a tip and that would be it. And those pictures would be like the McDonald's pictures. Right? But instead, he could not shut up. He couldn't help himself. He started when she got there by saying, this doesn't look like a set up at all, which it's obviously a set up. DoorDash can't come to the Oval Office door. One would hope that was secure.

You would assume. Right. Not necessarily with this white House with well, you got to wonder, right? So what? Weird. And it's a demolition site at the moment, so it's probably easier to get in the normal. We are not offering any tips, by the way, on that front, just, you know, clear. To be clear, we don't want anybody to break into the way. We do not. We do not. I also, I just somebody in the comments. Bradley bird 9684. Trump might be stress eating, so he might actually. Oh yeah, he might be genuine. Right.

Anyway, she gets there. You know, it kind of goes, okay if the Susie Wales people are like, okay, well we got this great picture of DoorDash. And the grandma went on Fox and said things positive about the tax on tips. And she stuck to the message, even though Trump kind of went off message. I mean, he blew all that up last night. He's on a trip to Nevada. He's supposed to be talking about no tax on tips, and instead he says. this was a stunt. We have to do these political stunts. And worst of all, it's 50 year old grandma's. It was tacky.

Oh my goodness. So he basically reneged on the entire thing that his team had set up, which was to draw attention to the fact that he didn't. reduce no taxes on tips. I think we've actually got the clip to, to, to show people, there's a lot going on during the week. I think it's, we have to patent that. We have to do that. Earlier this week at the white House, I met a wonderful woman named. Sharon Simmons, a grandmother driving DoorDash.

to help support her husband's cancer treatments. He's got serious cancer. He's going to be okay. I think Sharon delivered McDonald's to the Oval Office. It was a little bit of a, you know, I mean, to be on it was a little tacky. You know, they come up with these crazy ideas like McDonald's. Although that was the biggest ever on Google. They say number whatever the the garbage truck. I mean, we do these things in politics. They're a little embarrassing. They're a little tiny embarrassing.

But we do them and you, you win by landslide. You know, it's whatever. So we got to keep them. No, we got to not go to the Oval Office to, This does not happen. That's the first maybe in the history of the Oval Office. And it was a very beautiful woman standing there with two big bags. of McDonald's hamburgers. And it's it's really believable. But the point of it was she made $11,000. that she had no idea was coming. And it was really great. It turned out to be really great. So as part of our tax cuts, what is it?

What is he talking about? Right. You, you you would think if you, Susie, because you just want to really, really succinctly say no tax on tips. No, it was tacky. It reminds you that her husband had cancer, which first of all, it's obviously a sad story. But in one version of what was said, her husband had medical debts. Now Democrats do really well on health messaging. Republicans do really badly on health messaging because they've made it. difficult for people to get health care that that would be.

that would be a very good reason to do badly on messaging, wouldn't it? Don't raise the topic. Don't raise the topic. But he did help himself. Can't stop him. He's convinced the tea can always out blather. Anybody else? I think and I think that was that sort of summed up the week in a way. that it's like the Republicans think. They just think just one thing. Just one thing. Just do this, Donald. Just do this. Okay, I'll do it then. And, then he sabotages it. Yeah.

AJ Heinz 3791 is saying he has no shame. Yeah I think that's it. He's got no shame at all. Right. And then someone else is saying someone. having the time of my life 2008 I hope you've had more time of your life. since then. He so tacky. Yeah. And also because he asked about the cancer, it. sort of raised a whole load of questions about who is this woman. And what's the backstory here and what's going on.

And then that meant that people dug into it and it turned out. that in fact there was backstory. She'd done this before. She'd done this. So. So she's an activist basically. Yeah. I mean, she's she's a. she's not you know, there's that expression astroturfing, right? A fake grassroots. She definitely is DoorDash that. Yeah. AstroTurf pro turfing fake grass. Yes. When you. Brilliant. Right. You know, she has appeared in.

to give evidence to testify, in favor of what was what was called the one big, beautiful bill. And we'll come to that trying to rebrand it slightly intriguingly. But. she was giving evidence in favor of one big, beautiful bill into a tax on tips. She was also in a in a congressman's video doing the same thing. And each time. she's got a slightly different version of events that they could all be true. One who's who was working this out, who was that? Who's the background, who's doing?

And then, of course, it turns out she's a grandmother. And people are appalled that grandmothers have to pay off medical debt. by driving DoorDash or by delivering DoorDash, I should say. Yeah. So a bit of, I'm always confused by this expression. It's a bit of an own goal. It's annoying where you kick it by access into the goal. Yes. Yeah, it's Football Express, so it's a soccer expression from, our native lands. We've got a lot of people from Scotland in the house.

Like people are here. Thank you. And someone, Colin are saying love the Scottish and English accents. They are real. We are not astroturfing. Are we are not. This is just. I only do one accent. Although, Joanna, you do a lot of accent, I, I can be persuaded to do, to do accents. All right. So what else is going on? We've had RFK junior in. He's in the second day of hearings. Yes. Go. He's doing the rounds of committees at the Maze. And, well, I would say, how's it going?

Kind of hard, you know, Thank you. That's one of my accents. And I'm not mocking him because he has what Michael Wolff insists. Crack pipe induced vocal cords. He was, he calls it spasmodic. This is something dysphonia. It's funny. I think you're saying you think this footage. Yeah. I'm not mocking that. I'm mocking RFK junior. So, yeah, he's been in front of Congress two days in a row now,

and this was kind of bad timing because I just. I just have to interrupt you because I was watching him again, and he was sort of poking around his mouth, and we remember that he's frequently had what we assume are tobacco pouches. Yes. He's got it's in I think it's called. Right. Endorsed by a lot of my guy, Tucker Carlson. Apparently that's, you know, what you do when you appear in front of Congress. Well, and also, it's a thing, I think, that ex addicts do so or it's. very useful if you've been an addict to have some kind of thing.

The nicotine, they like the buzz from. But that would be I think Tucker Carlson's a reformed alcoholic. RFK junior is a reformed heroin cocaine addict. So, you know, he's also a reformed Democrat. He's a reformed Democrat. He's almost a reformed Kennedy. And he definitely is a reformed Kennedy. He's had some very awkward moments. And obviously the reason he's having awkward moments. There's a couple reasons. One is this incredible biography that I know you've interviewed.

It's Bill Vincent, the author of this new RFK junior The Fall and Rise. It's an extraordinary. It's an astronomy book. I have to declare an interest. By the way, I worked with Isabel Vincent. She's a fantastic reporter, but she's also an incredibly, incisive biographer. I know you've read it. And full writer. No, I found it completely riveting. And she uses his diaries. Isabel Vincent, the author of RFK. Junior The Fall and Rise, as opposed to the Rise and Fall,

is given by his late wife's friend. His diaries, which Mary Richardson, going. through a divorce from RFK Kennedy Jr. Has taken hostage as evidence. to use against him during their divorce. And these diaries get passed to, to Isabel, who is able to use them in her, in her biography of him. And what's fascinating is that.

that it's a much more nuanced and complicated portrayal of an absolutely. tragic figure who lost his father in the most horrible, violent way. Obviously, Robert Kennedy assassinated, when his son, Bobby Junior, is only 14 years old. And it's really the story of how this impacted him. And he's never been able to rise to the challenge and the legacy. of being a Kennedy and and various family friends say, well, it's up to you now. You're going to have to carry the legacy forward.

You are the most likely candidate to become president. And of course, he he blows through all sorts of opportunities drugs, women. And it's only now that he appears to have gotten himself a serious job. Except he's not a serious person and he has no qualifications. for doing the job. And he's roaring through American science and research and the ability for people. to have vaccines, which is no longer playing out well with the president. Which goes back to your earlier point of Erica Schwartz being put in.

as the head of the CDC, who is a fully trained doctor. Yeah. Oh, I should say, by the way, somebody in the comments is saying, did. you want to just put the source of the book that we don't know. who provided the diaries directly to Isabel Vincent? And actually, I actually I have handled the diaries once. I was, privileged to be able to see them direct. And it's extraordinary to be able to, you know, what Isabel has done. is to peer into the minds, really through the diaries, which is what takes us to what is happening in Congress in the last.

couple of days, the best, you know, kind of, hope for RFK junior in Congress would have been that he is, you know, presented with questions about his field, about health and human human services. He wasn't he was presented with questions about. what's in that book and about his boss, the president. And a big health question he was asked, is the president sane? Is the president saying, do we have a clip of his response? Oh, that's a good question.

We I think we we find it. We're finding that I'll just before we get to that. Yes. That clip, which is definitely worth hearing. He was also asked about possibly the most eye popping revelation or he was. he wasn't actually asked. He was addressed about the most eye. popping revelation in not in this biography. And there are many. There are many. So this is a very high bar. Yes. Go that he was out driving with his. then very young children back in 2001, and he came across a roadkill raccoon.

He stopped. He cut off its penis to keep for future study. And while doing this, he wrote in his diary. that he was reflecting how weird some of his family members had turned out. Oh, physician, how he looks because he's not a physician. Which is it was is ironic. He's not a physician. So I asked Isabel what she thought he'd done. with the raccoon penis, and she said she thought he'd put it in the freezer.

So that's the kind of thing that when you're rifling through the freezer. one evening and, you know, you're like, oh, what are we going to have to eat tonight? I don't know, let's look in the freezer. and there's a raccoon penis that's kind of strange. Beside the bear and the whale. The whale had a whale head, which he drew. Remember? He cut off the whale head when they were on a family trip. Somewhere up high on the probably Kennebunkport or Hyannis. One of those places where they all hang out. And then he sliced off the head of the whale.

He lifted it on top of the family car. The children all got in the car. He tied it to the car, and then the children described. the whale juices running down the windows. And with the eccentric father, it's an extension. It's probably the same car, by the way, that he picked up the raccoon. Up in Dodge in. So. Gosh, I was not expecting you to break into French here, but I tried to find a way around seeing the same thing over and over again. If you were buying a second hand car,

in the Westchester area afterwards. And it turned out RFK Jr was the previous owner. I think you want it cleaned. Well, Olivia Nuzzi said when she did her interview with him. for New York magazine that he took her off. on a drive in his car, and his car was very smelly. And it was the bills, I think, that were that was Monday. But certainly keeping a raccoon penis in your fridge, you wouldn't want the nanny just, you know, just saying. Oh, this this looks right. Well, I would think it will be a family.

It's. He's had four children. He has already had to apologize to one former babysitter, before an allegation of sexual sexual assault, which he said he couldn't remember, but he said he was sorry, so he thought it probably happened so. Well, his younger brother, of course. And, ended up, Michael, the one who died. So, unfortunately, in a in a skiing accident. when they were playing family football, had separated from his wife at that point. because of allegations that he'd had a long affair, in fact,

with the babysitter starting when she was 14. So not an affair, but in fact, statutory an alleged statutory rape, which then became a relationship. I just it's one of those I, I knew you know. No, no, no no intention but. Right. Just in case anybody thinks that we are, you know, saying that offering. any obligation, this is an act of Damien type behavior. So. anyway, RFC junior in front of Congress, I think we've got the clip cued up. or we don't do it. Sorry. Flipping on the job, he is sleeping on the job,

but he's horrified by what he's been hearing. Joanna, do you with us? Do you think that RFK junior, when he's sitting there is nervous? I mean, he seems to be shaking, but I think he's always shaking. And I think that's probably the tail. end of years of abuse, of hard drugs, not just, you know, the odd take of marijuana here or there, but like heroin, cocaine. I mean, he talks about snorting heroin off the, oh, cocaine shelf or toilet seat. Yeah.

So that does leave its mark. Yes. And therefore I, who could be better qualified for the Democrats to turn to. and ask, is the president seen or so what did he say? I I'm not convinced that the producers could buy up and find the clip. And we are like your life. He'd say, we think he said he is the most stable. And he kind of his voice kind of tailed off a bit. He is the most stable, the most stable. And he was then asked by the congressman, who was asking.

more stable than your uncle, which, of course is a reference to the late President John F Kennedy. A man who also assassinated also. Obviously. Absolutely. Obviously. What an absolutely tragic story. And also the man that we learned. Oh. Keep going. Okay, okay. Sorry. It's life. It's life. But also the man that we learn from this biography. that RFK junior really felt he had to inherit the mantle.

He had to take up the mission, he had to rebuild Camelot. And it turns out he's not rebuilding Camelot. He's defending a man who sits in the Oval Office. who presents himself as Jesus Christ, the Lord himself. And he had he was he was extremely awkward. And he shouted, your uncle, your uncle Joe Biden, which is a kind of weird, weird dream from California, Mr.

Tucano. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, you are the nation's top health official, and I want to talk to you today about the president's mental health. On April 5th at 8:00 on the morning of Easter Sunday, President Trump posted this statement on social media. Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, all wrapped in one. In Iran. There will be nothing like it.

Open the fucking straight, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. Just watch. Praise be to all of President Donald J. Trump. An American president used the F word. in a Sunday morning message. that was seen by millions of people. Mr. Secretary, does this raise concerns for you. about the president's mental health? The president is a bargainer and he he knows how to make a deal.

So a secretary does this raise questions about the president's mental health? Do you know what I would say that's worth. two generations to every American president? Mr.. Mr. Secretary, you're non-responsive. Reclaiming my time. Mr. Secretary, I gather the answer does not raise concerns for you. Two days later, on April 17, on April 7th, President Trump put out a statement that said, quote, A whole civilization will die tonight, never be brought back again.

I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. End quote. Mr. Secretary, the commander in chief of the United States. military is calling for the eradication. of an entire civilization. And five days later, the president started posting on Truth Social at 9 p.m. night, continuing until 5 a.m. the next morning, and included an unhinged attack on Pope. Leo, claiming Pope Leo was weak on crime.

And then later that day, the next day, President Trump posted this image of himself as Jesus Christ. Mr. Secretary, people across the country and around the world. were deeply offended by this blasphemous image. Millions of Americans are questioning this. president's mental fitness as emotional stability, and whether he can carry out the duties of his office.

Do you share their concerns about his mental health? I want to call your attention to the last line of Mr. Secretary. My question was, do you share their concerns about his mental health? I want to call your attention. This is something I've been responsible for, not reclaiming my time, Mr. Secretary. Mr. Secretary, reclaiming my time is right to witness. It's my time, Mr. Secretary. You're not being responsive and apparently don't share their concerns. We are a nation at war, Mr. Secretary.

We need a commander in chief. that we know has full command of his mental faculties and is emotionally. stable as he sends uniformed American men and women into harm's way. Millions of Americans are now wondering. if this president is delusional and thinks he is Jesus Christ. Well, I wouldn't want to have to face that. What from Congressman Takano, would you? No. Absolutely not. But I haven't suggested that I am the Son of God, so.

No, but RFK Junior's in a bit of a tight spot. That's in a very tight, very tight spot. By the way, can I just say thank you to hippie artist number one? I thank you for being a member who says I love live, even if there are glitches. So, well, thank you for that. And also Designing Design Inc Barcelona turns out to be a bit of a fan, and saying, why have a vaccine when you can just take down Coke? That's a good health tip. Well made. But he also or she also made a point that snorting coke of a toilet seat.

is great for building a strong immune system, which I think RFK junior himself might have. I do you know what? I'm not going I'm not going to try that. Don't don't try that. Yeah. Do not try this at home or anywhere else or anywhere else. But definitely I know you're right. Shuttle module again thank you for the peace member. The Pope has nothing to do with crime. I mean, one of the one of the many logical inconsistencies in that truth. Social. But that just gets me back to self-sabotage thing this week, right?

So it's Siouxsie Wiles and the normies, if that's what we're going to call them. We're really hoping that they could get on message. He put up this incredible image of himself as, you know, Christianity as Jesus. He took it down. They thought they a victory. Mike Johnson, a devout Christian, as people have been pointing out. in the comments, perhaps a publicly devout Christian is what I should say, so that he had been in touch and he'd spoken to him to take it down. And actually, there are a number of other people who said the same thing.

So, if you went in touch with Trump to tell him to take it down, where are you, even a Christian in the MAGA movement? But he took it down. It's like, oh, that's okay, we're getting them on track. What did he do? He put up more crazy Jesus memes, a meme of himself. with Jesus behind him in the Oval Office, which gets us back to the I. Yes. So this, this, this, this, you know, like the the, Jesus behind them in the Oval Office.

apparently is so old that it predicts a high. It's been going round since 2017, and I'm surprised Trump hasn't seen it until. No, but he's he immediately puts it on his truth social and just on self-sabotage. And he's erratic. He just had the congressman point out that he started tweeting at 9 p.m. and went through to 5 a.m. that was only that was just one day. He kept doing it. He has had midnight meltdowns on truth. social, night after night after night. So clearly he's not sleeping. He's not sleeping.

Disordered sleeping, which wouldn't matter, except that he's the president and he's led the country into war. Pretty much. Solo, actually. Yeah. Or with the backing of of Hegseth, certainly with the backing of Hegseth. Which kind of brings us to JD Vance. Who has been, remarkable, I would say remarkably quiet. He was briefly in the public eye this week. But,

one of the other things that we beginning to see. is this internecine, as my colleague Nicolle hindsight's the it's. firing season, he fired. in the last few weeks. He's fired. Kristi Noem, Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi got rid of Corey Lewandowski, Kristi Noem, alleged lover who was the special white House employee. And as we know, he's appointed a new, you know, normal person to normal doctor, to work with RFK Jr. So it's firing season.

The one person that in theory he cannot fire is the vice president. because vice president was voted the same as him by voters. But what's intriguing is there's been there's an amazing. snub this week, which I, I think we discussed, earlier this week, the time 100 list of the most influential people came out. Susie Wiles, the chief of staff, the person who's supposed to keep them in line on the list. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and national security advisor on the list,

Steve Wyckoff, the peace negotiator on who? Of course, a property friend of Donald Trump on the list, Jared Kushner on the list, who was not on the list? JD so has that list come from the white House? Has time. called up the white House and said, hey, we're going to put these people on the list. Who do you recommend or who will you make available to us? Because they always have a big party, right? They want people to turn up for the party. If you've you've probably been in these power.

No, no, no, I've never been to the time 100 party. But. and time kind of time guard how they put this list together. Right. Very cautiously. But they make soundings. and obviously I've missed out the most important person on this list. The Pope. Well, the pope well, the pope. Right. And Donald Trump was number one. But I don't know if he was redoing it this this week. You might have put it the other way around. Right. And Donald Trump will, for the next year, talk about how he was ahead of the Pope.

and the list. But JD Vance is completely defense was no way. So so is that signaling from the white House that he's. no longer important? Is it literally a snub? Is it Susie Wilde saying because I can't believe they talked. to Donald Trump about this list. But maybe they did. Everybody everybody phones them up right? So it's possible this book tour, there's no way that they put that list. together without some sense from the white House of who is who. It has the year of Donald Trump. because it would have no credibility if it was just like,

oh, he looks like it's important, but we do not know. They obviously investigated. the obviously ask people, is JD Vance in the inner circle? Is JD Vance being listened to? Is Marco Rubio in the inner circle? Marco Rubio we listened to and the answer from. the time 100 appears to be JD Vance isn't really being listened to well. Or also, one of the things that my co-host, on Inside Trump's head, Michael Wolf, and a contributor to to The Daily Beast, always talks about is Trump.

calls people and asks them, what do you think of Christie name? What do you think of Christie name? How do you think Pam Bondi is doing? And what he apparently has been doing is calling rounds about JD Vance saying, how is JD Vance doing? What do you think of Vance? How do you think he did in Pakistan at the talks last week, when he was supposed to be trying to begin the negotiations. for a ceasefire, and they came back after 21 hours of talks? I'm not quite sure what 21 hours of talks actually feels like or looks like. Sounds intense, but of course it's not intense compared to how long.

it took during the Obama administration when it took over a year. Do you think the skids are under JD Vance? Well, here's here's a really interesting question. And I'm liberal. Ryan or Ryan? I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure. Says, can the president fire the vice president? So technically, no, the president cannot fire the because it's election. Because he's elected. Yeah, but the president can make it really uncomfortable for the vice president.

and previous presidents and vice presidents. we know have another relationship. Difficult relationships are right. FDR went through vice presidents, so he couldn't he can make it uncomfortable. He can make it so uncomfortable that JD may take the hint and go, this is a rumor that there are rumors and these are rumors, but they're going around that. maybe JD would resign. That we don't know. We haven't got it reporting that there is any veracity or truth to this.

And the reason that I read this rumor. is not to give it credibility of itself, but because the very fact. that these rumors are in circulation says this isn't good. Something's not right here. Well, and certainly there were definitely rumors out there and people talking, very clearly and. predicting that Kristi Noem was going to get fired. Yeah. And that Pam Bondi, Pam Bondi was going to get fired. And Michael Wolf was talking about that for weeks before it actually happened. Yeah, because he was hearing from people that Trump was calling people and saying,

what do you think about Christie's is, how did Pam Bondi do in the hearings? Did you think she did okay when palpably she didn't do that? Yes. So it's very curious. So do you think it's possible that JD Vance would actually resign? I mean, that's. that's effectively how you can fire the vice president is to make it, but he has to resign. Remember, Nixon basically fired Spiro Agnew? No, technically, I just say technically he did not get fired. Technically, he chose to resign.

But everybody knows you can make somebody choose to resign. The other problem, though, is you then have to another vice president. So who would who would want to take that on? Okay, well that's true. Already gotten jobs. And that's not even a meme because it's the same outfit, right? It's just adding, adding, JD. Vance is job, which would not be much of a. hardship for him, I don't think, because he's just used to taking on everything. It might mean that he has to get shoes that fit, though, because obviously the president gave him those Florsheim $148, black.

or not, loafers, brogues, oxfords or Oxford socks. And I'm not much good on men's fashion. And, I steer clear of fashion. So I think that's a wise division of labor. Yeah. Very, very relieved to hear that he, And obviously Marco Rubio has been walking around in shoes. that were a little too big for him. And we saw some of the pictures. We ran the pictures in the database. So.

who knows? Well, it's who knows. It's interesting. And I just Dana Maria, 80, is saying he will never quit. No way. Designing in Barcelona, otherwise known as checkers. ie he's not playing four dimensional chess which people say that he is. Chateau Mojo saying he guess is Trump could frame him. That's an interesting thought. Oh, that is an interesting thought. Yeah. Frame him. For what, I wonder? Yes. Okay. I'm not going to speculate too hard because that's that's kind of.

on this taste. Yeah. We're going to give our Laura hearts. Yes. That would definitely not going to do that. We promise. But it is an intriguing situation. And also we know that JD Vance was not in favor of the war. He made that very clear. Yeah, it's in the new Maggie Haberman Jonathan Swan book. So so I. just want to stick with one point about JD Vance here. That these polls are so bad. They are so bad for the midterms. They are so bad.

And that's why Trump has been there trying to force Trump on to, you know, get some get on this, get on message, be disciplined. And he's like, no, I'm not self-sabotaging. Right. Give people access to vaccines. Get out of this war that looks like up to become a forever war. We don't want to be guarding the Strait of Hormuz for the next 20 years. That's a waste of American lives, of American money. And it's not been thought out. No. And by the way, just come back to my main point, but just a minor point that Trump this morning called it the street of Iran,

which seems like a Freudian slip that we have established beyond doubt, beyond, you know, war games that is controlled by the Iranians. And he had to say thank you to them, for reopening the street. I mean, that that's an incredibly dumb concession. to make many foreign policy people would argue. But just to go back to this point about JD, these polls are bad. These polls are really bad. Who are these polls really, really bad for? Somebody who wants to be a Republican president in 2028.

And if you're JD Vance, you've got to think of a way out of this. So maybe the way out for him is to resign. and say he's resigning on a point of principle. I'll be talking to Curt Anderson about this on on Sunday, but very intriguing. So, right that you resign on a point of principle. You never wanted to go to war. You love President Trump. He's a marvelous president. The best president ever, the sanest president you've ever seen. No one's ever seen anything like it. And then,

and then you go and make some money, you go make some serious money. You've got used to living in a big house. He's living in the observatory with his three children and his wife. Which event? That's right. One on the way. And let us not forget, she is a Yale educated, Cambridge. Gates scholar, educated lawyer who gave up her work. He could go make some money, and then he could either run in 28. or he could sit it out a couple of cycles. Yeah. And this is these are the questions. Are these are live questions in the white House right now.

And we know that we've seen this explosion of what is obviously indiscipline. This maybe one word, but discipline is not really. the word you would use for the white House generally. But we can see things happening in public. There's self-sabotage from Trump. There's truth telling about that was a truck that was a tacky stunt. Those are things that happen. It's going it's going off track. And there's all sorts of reasons to think it's going off. tracks, polls, you know, we all know this. But.

the other thing that, by the way, I should actually say on the subject for the story of Street of Iran, a number of people pointed out in the comments that other names for it. this week have included the street of vermouth from Scott Beasant. I'm, that's very good. The essential ingredient for a good martini. Yes. A spray of for me. Who does not need a stripper with the right prices. But there's all sorts. You know, JD Vance desperately needs something to happen.

to make sure that he's got a future that is worth him being interested in. Also, you know, people also Marco Rubio, he's got ambitions and who else. Well why was Marco Rubio on the list of the time 100. What number he was. Because of course Susie Wiles used to work for Marco Rubio. and he is very much her candidate to succeed Donald Trump. When that day comes. You know, Joanna, I'm actually doing what I with criticize my own reporters.

for, as I'm going to check because I forgot to come in. Well, it doesn't it doesn't really matter. But the fact the point is that JD. Vance is not on the time 100 list, at least not this year. He is not a it's a big social snob. It's a big well, it's very simply it's not it's a very obvious snub. It's very public snub. I mean, many people snub each other in private, but to this is a big public snub. He will be asked about it. He will have to pretend he doesn't care.

But all the while, I wonder. if he's thinking, actually, it might be better if I got out now. Yeah, I think it could be all right. So the other person we haven't discussed is Melania. No, we have not. Should we discuss her or should we give the last word to Mr. Ponder? Oh, Mr. Ponder, who makes AI Lego videos and I think that was in before we do that. But there are actually there are. kind of some developments on the Melania front detail. These are not major developments compared to last week, which was just,

a bombshell, an absolute explosion of Melania news. With this, the statement about Jeffrey Epstein, I don't know, Jeffrey Epstein, never heard of Jeffrey Epstein. Who is Jeffrey Epstein? I never met him. Those photos, I photos, they're not I photos. Melania, you are hanging out with with Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump. and Guillen. We've seen the photographic evidence. Do you know that one of the trending. searches on Google this week, by the way, was who is Jeffrey Epstein?

No, people were saying, Who is Jeffrey Epstein? So Melania, that was Melania, right? Well, she's really awoken interest. in the one story that her husband is trying to avoid. Many people claimed, you know, was one of the reasons he went to war. Wow. The dog scenario. Yeah. And out of this, this was a distraction from a distraction from a distraction. from a distraction. And she puts it back front and center. People are still talking about it. The development that we saw this week was slightly bizarre.

It was that Melania turned up on Capitol Hill and she spoke about fostering, you know, fostering the future is fostering the future. You know, the future doesn't want to be fostered. The future did not get a vote on that. Right. I'm sure you know, very. They there's you know, there are children who deserve foster homes. Of course, we can all agree on that. But the the sort of. weird appearance on Capitol Hill, nobody asked about Epstein. She was kept away from reporters,

hustled in and out and spoke her piece and then left and. there seems to be no impact from what she does. It's it's interesting. There's no impact from what she does. Well, she's a movie star. So I think that's why that there's not much impact. She is a movie star. Yes. And I know you're dividing the comments. yet again with the accent an cannot be gaslighted. Melania no, I'm sure Joanna, you are a great hostess. Thank you. Rebecca caramel thank you.

Rebecca. Some support. Fine. I am not going to read out nasty ones or they're not nasty, but they're just the they have ethical difficulties with, with you. Well, I think I'm mocking her. Yeah, I'm actually not. I'm. I'm mocking her. Yes. And thank you. But she, she seems to be a first lady in absentia. In fact, thank you to Buried Sinner who's given us some support, and, and real, real money support. Thank you. Bet it's never stop accepting. Never stop accepting. Not to stop accepting buried.

Zina, I don't know what that means, but, you know, it sounds a bit. It sounds a bit ominous. It does. Oh, Sasha emoji is saying it because she can barely speak English. 30 years later, I do find it odd that someone. who is representing the United States as the first lady, not the third. lady of the 250th lady, whoever they are, the first lady hasn't. figured out how to speak American. And also what I thought was I would feel a tad hypocritical. if I weighed in on that.

It's not about the accent, it's about a mastery of the language. she's had access to. Absolutely everybody that could teach her. She speaks seven languages, we are told, and the person. It's like the number of wars that Trump solved. That number keeps going up. Nine wars. Right. But also the fact that the person who wrote the speech for her. last week used words in it that she couldn't pronounce. So why would you use the word trivial, which is how she describes her, relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell when, you know, people have obviously seen.

the email exchanges back when she said it was socially a trivial relationship, why would you use a word with V in it when you can't pronounce it? And also the word convincing that she used which was which was wrong. and she pronounced confidential, I think. Yeah. So so this is not a small matter, actually. If she's going to increasingly demand our attention. and turn up and say things, we need to be able to understand her. Oh, I think there's no question about that. And the other thing that we've got to wonder is,

when almost. inevitably the Democrats get subpoena power, she could be in front of a committee being asked questions on her own account. She says that people should be asking answering questions. How would you deal with that? We we don't really have a sense of her ability. to deal with these questions spontaneously. No, we don't, because she never faces a press conference. But what we do have is we do have Mr. Pond is Melania. I video, and I think we should I think we should say loud. So yes.

Now is our producer is our producer. at the wheel or is he asleep at the wheel? No. Like, Melania. But, let's. just see you before the Donald parties and go. So celebrities now up. Everybody knows Einstein visa got me here model with so. But I stood Mike and said those lies.

Gotta go now they think about me or they're like, oh, is it that sweet? I guess so, but that's me for Trump, baby. I know best that me millennial espresso Einstein. He's a left right. I'll go cheated on Stonewall Baron. But don't say you can't sleep. I know that's not me. All right. Okay, well, that gives you something to talk about on Friday. Tell all your friends. And I hope that Daniel Pond, who is a tech guy who's come up with this. Oh. It's brilliant. I just say thank you to everybody who subscribes to us.

If you do not subscribe, please subscribe. You'll find out faster that we are back. Is that an incentive? I hope it is. Say that one more. If you subscribe, you can then get an alert that we are. Oh, that would like life. And then we're coming back live. Yeah. So the Lego set up is 100% no notes. Yes. And I have no notes. Oh, notes. We are putting the links. and people we're putting the links in so you can check out those works. Yeah. Oh I slip ganda Lily dear I was saying these Lego vids are giving me.

the lifeblood. Well and we will be back next week in the form of Lego. And we will. We should do our own video of us. Just like, I don't know if we've got a great idea, we should ask Joey Ponder. Anyway, thank you for joining us. If you have been, don't forget we're independent media. This is how we can afford to do this. Please hit the subscribe button and tell all your friends. Share with all your friends. Thank you for your questions and your funny comments, and. we will see you back here or being well, next Friday.

Maybe with Andrew or maybe with oh, it's Andrew, not Daniel. Oh no, I'm completely confused. Okay, well, we don't have a live fact checker, Mr. Ponder. Oh, and, and Devin Roger, you know, thank you. from our production team for bringing us life from.