I Know What's Really Driving Trump Crazy: Wolff | Inside Trump's Head

We're seeing an interesting manic depressive display. The first year of this term, of this second term was all mania. Moving fast, moving, doing everything possible, doing even more of it, and stunning everybody. But then all of that stuff catches up with him, which is where we are. now, plunging him into the depressive phase of this. Nothing is working. Everybody treats him like he's the crazy uncle, and.

which makes him become more agitated in his in his, in his unhappiness, in his depression is in the sense. that nothing is going right for him at all. Michael. Joanna, should I ask, where are you? You may ask where I am, and I will tell you I am so hot. I am in Paris, and this is a bit of a rite of passage.

for me, because I'm actually staying with my adult sons. First time I've ever stayed with one of my adult children in their apartment. Happily, he has very mild air conditioning, but it is so hot it feels. I mean, it feels as if you could butter the air with that delicious French butter. It is just so thick and hot that I used to live here. I don't remember it ever being this hot. It's it's it's hotter in Paris than it was in the south of France.

Because of course, there you've got the breeze. There is no breeze here. Just so across. Apparently London, also everywhere in Europe. So. Well, I'm not going to London, say, but it's very, it's. very cool in, in, in the Hamptons. I was in the city yesterday also quite cool. So. Well I'm very much looking forward to getting back. This has been a long trip. I don't like actually being out of New York for very long.

You're coming back? I know someone reminded me the other day, I have a life in America. Back to work. Join us all. Back to work. I have been working. I have been working. Yeah, yeah, that's what they always say. Have microphone will travel. Although every time. I go through airport security they want to know what the microphone is. And they sort of pull it out and look at it. And I say it's a microphone. And then they pretend to talk into it and I laugh and say they should be a. guest on the podcast. and, well, and then they stuff it back in.

my bag and I have to repack everything and it's all a nightmare. But we have poor you, I know. Pull me, pull me in my international life of mystery. So we have a lot to discuss today. We've got the mundane influence. Someday you're going to come on and say we don't have very much to discuss. I'm never going to say that we have never discussed otherwise. We're out of a job. Well, there is an enormous amount to discuss,

not least Donald Trump attacking his Republicans. Ma'am, Danny's influence or impact on the three New York congresspeople. We've got Seth and the generals. We've got the 4th of July. and the celebrations for that with Lee Greenwood. singing his song, whatever it is. And we've got the Ellison's and a payment. It turns out they're made of $45 million to Donald Trump. Then we've got Tucker Carlson in a new interview with Sky news,

saying that MAGA is over and sidling up very clearly to JD Vance. I think this is Tucker Carlson striving for relevancy. So where do we begin? Where do we begin, Michael, build. Bill Cassidy being called the Nick by the president? No, I think that that was extraordinary yesterday. So so Donald Trump showed up at.

Congress, showed up at a at a lunch for Senate. Republicans and had a screaming fight with them. So, I mean, set the stage for this. Here is Donald Trump at the nadir of his presidency, at least of the second term of his of his presidency. The nadir of his presidency was the first time he was defeated. But so here we are in the second term, his polls could not get, get, get lower.

Every issue in front of him is a problematic issue. The war in Iran, which he has struggled to to to find. some kind of peace deal and finally gotten a peace, a peace deal, which represents and I think everybody there's nobody who doesn't understand. this, a complete capitulation of his terms and his goals, an economy that that won't cooperate, inflation on the rise.

And remember, inflation is the single issue that got him. elected in 2024. The the the ice thing continues to go on. Continues to be devel him taking immigration from from from the issue. One of the other issues that got him elected and now a complete. negative serving up only negatives to him at this point because you know,

he because of math men in the streets and then the reflecting pool. Let us not forget that he can't seem to get anything. The the world is now regarding seems to be regarding Donald Trump. as a, as at least in Donald Trump's view, as his enemy. So he shows up then in front of the Republicans in Congress, the people, the the exact people he has to rely on.

And and he screams at them, literally screams at them. Well, maybe he's been influenced by having the UFC on the South. Lawn of the white House and he's like, well, bare knuckle fighting. Isn't that what the Hill is supposed to be all about? And he's taken that aggression up to the capital with him. But but the battle in particular is about his. Well, there were two things going on, right? There was his fury at four Republicans holding out,

voting against him, being allowed. to carry on in Iran. So the war resolution powers or the war Powers resolution? Well, that and that's just the most recent. There's been a string of things. So work them, walk them backwards. Okay. And then there was also the refusal to vote. on a bipartisan housing bill that would have brought relief to people.

He refused to well, he refused to sign it. They wrote his to sign it. So this is this is a bill that has passed. It will become law. They expected that there to be some signing ceremony. because everybody in, both Democrats and Republicans are. want to run on this. They're pretty proud of it. This is a central a central issue will be a central. 2028 issue housing, housing, affordable housing. And and so Trump was set to have.

one of the typical ceremony which everybody then gets. The crowd stand behind him and get a get a pen and out of. out of out of a pen, get a pen. And we've seen so many of those things. He's kind of sitting there. They're all standing behind him. At some point. he asks where someone is, who's standing right next to him, and they go, I'm here, sir, I'm here sir. They put a reassuring hand on his shoulder out of pique. He canceled this, and one of the reasons he's canceled this.

is that there are. two issues. They his election. reform, so-called reform issue that he wants passed, which the Senate has not acted on. because the Senate Republican leaders say, hey, it's not going to pass. We don't have the votes. And that's the Safeguard American Better Eligibility Act. Yeah. The save bill. Yes.

Looking toward the midterms, the desperate conditions of the midterms, this is what the white House and Trump feels at least will give them. At least they'll. they'll they're they're trying to claw any advantage they can claw. And this would be one thing, but they can't get the bill passed. And that's what the Senate is telling them and saying, hey, you know, we. we can't it's not going to happen. So he's nevertheless pissed at that. And then he is pissed at the fact that they will.

not overturn the filibuster, of which they have said, in which Senate's. a Senate, both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. That would be a historic moment of. of transformation in how the Senate works. and the Senate traditions, the Senate customs, the Senate. rules, and senators are saying, no, no, this is what we're we're here. We're supposed to be protecting this institution.

And Donald Trump is saying, you know, fuck that. You know, I want what I want and you won't give it to me. So I'm going to yell at you. Well, and we should point out that the two people that he really yelled. at, one was Rand Paul, who's often in conflict with the president. And then the other was Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor whose vote you will. remember was essential in confirming Robert Kennedy, junior, still junior at 72.

as the Health and Human Services secretary. And because he'd gone up against Trump, Trump. had him primaried in Louisiana, where his Senate seat is. Trump's candidate won the primary. So Cassidy is about to leave the Senate, so he has nothing to lose. Why he didn't speak up earlier. You know, he didn't because he was afraid he was going to be primaried. Well, he was primaried. And now too little, too late.

He's making a fuss on the way out. And in fact, Trump apparently yelled at him that he was a lunatic. And then he ended up climbing down. He yelled at him also that he was a loser. You're a loser. You're a loser. I mean, he's a loser and he's a lunatic. They didn't repeal the law that they passed. They just voted on something else. So where that ends up for anyway? What? How the nature of reality changes with the second vote.

I don't know, but it is clearly the second vote. Yeah. Okay. Listen, I mean, it was clearly like, yeah, okay. We're going to we'll, we'll, we'll have a second vote, which will be meaningless, but it will keep Donald Trump happier. than, than he'll get this will get him off our backs. Well, it was quite pathetic to see Bill Cassidy come out of the room.

Obviously, he was pursued by a pack of microphones, and he just said when asked if he'd been called a lunatic, he just said, well, let me say that the language of the of the playground. was invoked. And then he kept on going. And apparently at one point it was, remember the language of the locker room? Yeah. Well that's true. Yeah. But apparently at one point it was so contentious that the guy sitting next to.

Bill Cassidy pulled him down and made him sit down. So everybody seemed slightly stunned. Coming out of that lunch, I was watching the videos of them all. And, you know, it's just sort of, why is Trump doing this? But then he got his own way. So it worked. Well, I'm not sure it didn't work. I mean, he just got something. They they mollify him. But nevertheless actually the trend is you know we we understand.

I mean I think I think what's going on in the, the, the bubble over their heads is, yeah, this guy is this is a crazy guy. And how do you treat a crazy guy? You know, you try to humor him. You know, you try to avoid head to. head conflict with him. But. he knows. And I think that this is this is here's the takeaway. Everybody knows he's crazy.

But if everybody knows he's crazy, why don't they try and stop him. from doing some of the crazy things he's doing? I mean, they're the ones that are going to get voted out in the midterms. Well, well, actually we don't we don't. Some of them are going to get voted out. Some of them they they continue to need need him. We've just gone through the primary season and that was a threat to everyone. I mean, they're dealing the Republicans and we're talking about Republicans.

now are dealing with this very specific Trump ecology, and they really don't quite know how to deal with it. I mean, let's let's accept this guy is crazy. Everybody knows that. But that doesn't change the reality of having to deal with him. unless you evoke the 25th amendment, which is not going to happen. I mean, that's another issue. How do you deal with a president who is crazy. without a realistic mechanism to deal with that?

I mean, this is what's going on right now. Totally. You know, I mean, I mean, I mean, I kind of think, you know, what what we're seeing is a is I'll give as much as I, I'm against. diagnosing somebody when, when we haven't examined him. And in fact, we are not doctors. I would never the less say this is an interesting. we're seeing an interesting manic depressive display.

The first year of this term, of this second term was all mania. Moving fast, moving, doing everything possible, doing even more of it, and every and. stunning everybody. Nobody knew who to react. And but then all of that stuff catches up with him, which is where we are. now, and plunging him into the depressive phase of this.

Nothing is working. Everybody, everywhere he goes, he gets pushed back, can't accomplish anything. Everybody treats him kind of, you know, like he's. the crazy uncle and which makes him become more, more agitated in his in his, in his unhappiness, in his depression. is in this sense that nothing is going right for him at all.

Well, and it makes him angry. Actually, we had a ton of comments this week. Sort of saying, Michael, people can see this happening. I mean, they know that you have not yet. fully embraced the idea that Trump may have dementia. A lot of people watching him. just say it's very clear that he's not acting rationally, that we have seen him over the last, you know, ten, 15, 20 years.

And he's definitely changed. And it may be the presidency that has changed him. First thing. I don't think that that's true. I mean, he may have gotten a. there may be an increase here that it may be more of the same. But he hasn't changed. This is Donald Trump. This has always been Donald Trump. He used to have more of a sense of humor, didn't he? He definitely seems angry. But maybe that's because the world is on fire. And he was the arsonist.

Yeah. I mean, he's he's. Did he have a sense of humor? Yeah. I mean, I think and I don't he has had a sort of a sense of humor, not a sense of humor, like like you have or I have. His sense of humor has always been make fun. of someone else, write me meme sense of humor. And that is when you're not the person being made fun of. That is actually kind of funny. Is it funny? It's not funny to poke fun at people who are handicapped.

You remember when he did that to the reporter and he started pretending? You know, I do know, but that is, I can actually have the back. He does that. That is his gesture that he does for everyone. So that that that was. I mean, this is a direction here, but worth pointing out that that was. then taken up, that he was mimicking a handicapped person. In fact, it is the gesture that he uses to make fun of everyone. His hands go crazy.

And and he kind of I think the implication. is that whoever he's making fun of is a crazy person. Not him, a crazy person. But but anyway, I would also push back. Yes it is. It is funny, often funny when you make fun. of somebody who and you are not the butt of that joke. You and I are, off camera are always making. fun of people we know and enjoying it. Are we?

I can't even remember. Usually we're having tech problems. Usually when we're off camera. If only people could have seen us this morning. There was a wonderful moment where Michael is struggling to get. something opening on on his computer, and I say, what are you trying to do? And he goes, like, you can help me. Which is which is fair because my tech and Michael's tech. are skills lack something, they do lack something. Anyway, I thought, I thought both the president and Bill. Cassidy came out looking pathetic after that exchange.

And you just think, how is it possible that that these men are leading the United States of America? Absolutely. But the the larger thing thing is, how does Donald Trump. think this confronting Republicans in Congress, belittling them, screaming at them, calling them losers? How does he think this helps his case? How does he think this is going to. a unite a party that that.

has an uphill battle before it for the midterm election? But he's just doing what you say he always does. He's doubling down and he's doubling down on somewhere and he's already primaried. So Bill Cassidy to that extent is a loser. He lost the primaries no longer standing. He's going to have to rethink his career. Believe me, this does not endear him to the other other Republicans in Congress. Quite the opposite. And he is going to need these people. So we're in this other thing and we can we can move this.

whether you want to call it dementia, manic depressive, this just pure. craziness, just pure Trump ness. He is pushing himself into a into. I mean, he's shooting himself in the foot, which is. one of the things that he always does. So there's a new interview with Tucker Carlson by someone called. Yalda Hakim, who is the Sky global correspondent. I know where I've done many interviews with her.

I mean, I've done a lot of stuff with Sky and she's a she said, you know, top notch. Yeah, she seems very top notch. She's a thoughtful interview and he talks about. Trump is over, and he talks about going to see Trump. in February to try and talk him out of the decision to go into Iran. And he cannot understand why he's doing it. The people around him, his advisers, inasmuch as Trump listens. to anybody, are all saying this is not a good idea. Carlson says Trump understands the risks and decides to do it anyway.

And and Tucker claims that he said to him, you know, you're going to be known as the Iran war guy. Why do you want to do this? This is not what you campaigned on. And then there's there's a moment where he appears to be serious, where he says it's possible he was hypnotized, hypnotized into doing it and yelled, says, really? And Tucker goes, yes, yes. He could have been hypnotized and being serious about this, and it's unclear who would have hypnotized him.

But the significance I think of the interview is just. that sense in which this is not what the MAGA base wanted. Tucker does appear to be in touch with the MAGA base and understand. them and be of it. And it's him, I think, sidling up to JD Vance. and away from Donald Trump, looking for relevancy for Tucker, but understanding the point. that you have made now over the last few weeks, that this is Trump's nadir, that this war was a mistake and that he may not come back from it.

I think that that's true. And just but I think it's also helpful and relevant to see this as a, as a through Tucker's eyes and through Tucker's eyes. And, and I've had spent a lot of time over the course of the last. ten years, the Trump, the Trump era, talking to Tucker about this. And Tucker has been in kind of an instrumental.

supporter of of Donald Trump on camera. While off camera, he has been constantly, repeatedly. one of. the more one of his more devastating critics. Tucker is also one of the one of the more. reliable and insightful gossips. So a lot of the a lot of the. behind the scenes stuff about Donald Trump, about his,

about his character, about what's going on in the white House, about who's saying what to whom comes from Tucker. Tucker is everybody's source. But that's interesting. That's very interesting, including one of my sources. But the man I mean, the first thing, the guy is a fantastic source cannot keep his mouth shut. Well, we remember all the all the during the Dominion case. when Fox was sued by the voting company Dominion.

because they insisted that the voting machines were wrong. And of course, Fox lost that case to the tune of almost $1 billion. Tucker's emails come out and therefore of a hate Donald Trump. I'll be so glad I never have, never having to mention him again. At this point, he was still on Fox News, and of course, he loses his job. as part of the settlement with Dominion. But. who is he talking to then other than you?

But who is he talking to in the MAGA movement about who Donald Trump really is? I mean, I think I mean, first, first to understand. So he has. he hates Donald Trump, has always hated Donald Trump, has always had a clear. I understanding of what Donald Trump is. and his unfitness for this office. But he has made a devil's bargain. I can't stop him. Trump is going to be Trump. Trump is going to win. Trump controls this MAGA universe. And that's where my bread is buttered.

So I'm stuck. But right now I think and see this through. the eyes of an opportunist, which Tucker certainly is. He is seeing. No, this is coming apart. This is not this is not where you want to be. with Donald Trump because Donald Trump is going down. So this is the moment when you have to start to save yourself. And I, and I think we can project this out into the heads of,

of so many other people who have made this same devil's bargain. And they are now saying, this is not going to carry me, this is going to hurt me. I got to get distance from this guy. And I think your point about JD. Vance is half right, but only half right, which is that. that he's throwing down a challenge to JD Vance. And the challenge is you got to distance yourself from Donald Trump.

Or if you don't, you're going to be stuck to this guy. And then MAGA is going to go in another direction. The Tucker direction. I'm sure that he is a fantasy on some level for Tucker. I think that that's right in terms of it felt like he was advising JD Vance. So he kept saying, you know, JD Vance, I love the guy. He's a really good man. And then saying he's stuck in this very difficult position. He's the vice president. He's been. trying to be loyal to the president, which is what a vice president should be.

But he doesn't agree with the policy. So he was trying to give JD Vance. the benefit of the doubt, sidling up to him. And remember, JD Vance is in part. and strong part invented by Tucker Carlson. Tucker was one of his big supporters for the vice presidency. Tucker, while he had his show on Fox,

made JD Vance a rather constant presence. Well, it's an interesting interview. It's worth watching if you want to try and understand. the extent to which I think he channels MAGA. So I guess my question for you is, do you think that this war. I mean, I suppose we. don't know how it's actually going to continue or if it's going to continue, do you think it does split the mega base or do you think by the midterms. midterms, people have just forgotten it?

Well, I think that's that's now Donald Trump's strategy. You know, I got to get out of this war. I'll take any terms to get out of this, this this war. Total capitulation on on my part, on the part. of the United States of America just so it can be forgotten. And, and and it's I feel like he's changed the way he's. talking about it, too. So we never hear about regime change anymore. Do you remember that moment? Quite the opposite.

He is now talking about it like these are good guys right. You know, we can we can really work with these guys there really. You know you know. they don't have their heads in the clouds. They're they're practical people I mean oh my God. Well, then you remember the first speech he made when the bombing, right after the bombing, where he said to the Iranian people, rise up, this is your moment. And of course, they haven't been able to. It's not their moment. It's certainly not his moment.

But now he only talks about it in terms of Iran must not be allowed. a nuclear weapon. That's what it seems to have all been reduced to. I mean, I was talking to someone who'd been at a rally. the other day and they said all he mentioned. He barely mentioned the war. And just to say, Ramas never have a nuclear weapon. Yeah. And this is so he is. I mean, this is going to be the net net of this is that he'll have. he'll have worse terms that than than Obama achieved. That's it. Way worse terms, way worse terms. And.

yeah. And the and the Middle East will be configured in ways much to our detriment. I mean, it's a it's it's. an important moment, quite an extraordinary moment. And one of the things sort of one of the upsides. is it really finally, irrevocably, I would say kills off the neocon dream. And the neocon dream has always centered.

ultimately about around Iran. And and he he does. Donald Trump did exactly what the neocons have always been urging unleash. the might of the United States on Iran and finish it off. Well, we did unleash the might of the United States on Iran. and certainly didn't finish them off. Right. They're still there. They're still there. So Hedges, as we pointed out the other day,

seems to have gone quiet but longing for Donald Trump's attention. He's bounced back up again, this time trying to maneuver out General. Chris Donahue, who has been leading American troops in Europe. Do you have thoughts on this? This is him, sort of, you know, our chief warrior, Pete Hedges, re reorganizing the deck. I mean, I think it's extraordinary you have another unfit person, a person.

who has no experience in minor. experience in in military matters. You know, as we say, the weekend co-host of a of a of a television show. and a and a brief spin. Spit in a brief spit. What are you trying to say, a brief? Who knows what I'm trying to say. But anyway, he was briefly in uniform himself.

I think he had a single tour in in Iraq. He was a national. He was a member of the National Guard, not of the regular army. And I think he was a major. And now he's running the United States military, I mean, and running it in, we can assume his image. or Donald Trump's image or what he thinks is Donald Trump's image. But as a real disrupter.

And I don't say that in the in the popularly good sense. of the word disruption disrupter of the United States military, what effect, what long term effect this will have. We've yet to see because he's pushing he's pushing out. people who have been regarded as the the the cream of the military. This this guy, Chris Donahue.

Who was slated in, I think, in most people's estimation, to to to be a potential head of the Joint Chiefs. and certainly head of his his own service. and pushed out, gone. out of the out of the military, go away from. on the water, I would think. And of course, one remembers back to that remarkable event.

that he did where he called in all the generals. from all over the world, from wherever American forces are based. He called in senior people, harangued them for being fat and not being fit enough. And and you just wonder what that must be like to be a junior, to. have been, as you say, a major in the National Guard, suddenly in charge of all these. incredibly smart, thoughtful.

I mean, it's just. it's like a sort of child being put in charge of the school. I think. I think one of the things in the post-Trump world we're going to see. is the effect of losing an enormous amount of talent. in the United States government, in the United States military, United States Justice Department, in agencies across the executive branch. I mean, this is the. you know, this is the the. the crisis that we the sort of the invisible crisis.

at this at this point because the Trumps, the Trumpers are still in charge, still, you know, acting, acting as though the government is, is running. And then it will be a different story, a different kind of acting, a different kind of of understanding when new people have to come in which they. will and have to accomplish something and realize there's nobody here to do it.

Well, an invisible crisis is a really good way of putting it. And you think of the Iran experts that were fired from the Pentagon and you. No one imagines that Donald Trump. understood the Strait of Hormuz situation where he'd start bombing Iran. But we have no idea what's going to happen to the Strait of Hormuz. Now. We have literally no idea whether the end of the memo.

of understanding the Iranians decide to charge people. I mean, this idea that these. professional soldiers, people who have done this their entire careers, are now at the whim of. of an alcoholic former. weekend television co-host, a person of of no accomplishment whatsoever.

Well, and around two veterans affairs. associations and both times he left. for incompetence. Utter incompetence. It's really alarming. It's really alarming. And as we know, this is going on from government department. to government department, at some point we must look at what Mark Wayne Mullin. is doing at Homeland Security. I mean, we don't even know who's gone into labor. Can you name the Labor secretary? Is there a new labor secretary?

I'm not sure that there is. I don't know, I don't know, but we should find out. We should find out anyway. We do have other things to discuss. No, I think let's let's spend at least a few minutes. on the election, especially the New York election. The mundane election. Yeah. Because this is going to be deeply. meaningful in terms of at least in terms of how the Democrats see their future. So as, as, as fraud, as Donald Trump.

Is with regard to. the midterms, as far as he sees, I think. is beginning to see his. his his fate. You know, the the Democrats. It's not clear how the Democrats who have a powerful advantage. It's not it's not clear how they take advantage of it. Right. So the idea in New York, and this is certainly.

the election is to. is to go as far left as possible. So all three candidates that. Mamdani endorsed won their elections. These are all for congressional seats. Yes, there are other some down ballot in elections, too, but those are the important ones. I mean, he he invested a lot of personal. political capital in this.

It was not at all clear that these were going to be victories. They weren't necessarily easy victories. And but they were victories. They are victories. I mean, he won. He's pushed out, you know, as you know pretty establishment players. And it's it's interesting to see this in terms of. in terms of what the Democratic Party is, is, is, is becoming. what the urban Democratic Party particularly is, is coming.

You know, you've had over the last decades, you know, the liberal establishment in New York City. was, you know, pretty much of a money crowd. You know, it was the, you know, essentially the, you know, the Goldman Sachs crowd, a media crowd, moderate politically, it was moderate, and it believed in low taxes. and creating a business environment so people could earn money instead of.

taxing everybody. It reflected this new golden city, you know, a city of incredible money. Well, New York is a luxury city, right? New York was the luxury. Well, living in New York with the luxury, that was the kind of feeling, right? I mean, that was that was a. that's that's been the mood of the last number of decades. I mean, before that, in the in the city, it wasn't like that. New York City was the Crime City, New York City,

you know, Democrats were kind of, you know, machine, working class, ethnic, that, that that was the Democratic makeup. And then it shifted to this, this, you know, the riches were liberal riches. And now this is clearly a reaction to that. Well, the children of liberal riches, who a lot of these. Mamdani supporters are totally, totally.

have the life that their parents had. They get the trickle down of wealth. And so they're all complaining. Yes, it is this kind of young white privilege, lefties. saying they want their their turn at the trough. You know, I mean, it's fascinating. Mamdani himself, you know, his mother is a filmmaker. I love her films, actually. Mira. And I think they're great. Mississippi Masala is a great film. Salon Bombay is a wonderful film. And his father was an academic at Columbia.

Yet you would think, by the way he talks, that he'd grown up somewhere. where he'd struggled all his life to, you know, to get an education. And in fact, he went to Bank Street. He went to one of the best gifted and talented programs at Bronx Science. This is a man who's had doors open for him wherever he's gone. Yeah, yeah. It's not the poor who are challenging the economic order, is it is in fact, the,

the the the privileged. In matter of fact, the the poor. They've pushed the mom, mom Danny coalition has. is essentially a gentrification coalition. Oh, that's good gentrification. I love that gentrification coalition. That's exactly what it is. They've pushed out the the ethnic voters. and the ethnic voters, the Hispanic voters, the black voters. Who remain actually.

pretty much part of the old fashioned Democratic establishment. And of course, district 12, which is the sort of bulk of Manhattan and had been held by Jerry. Nadler for 30 years, attracted all sorts of candidates. At one point, I think there were up to 15 candidates running. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President Kennedy JFK, he was running.

George Conway, the former Republican, the lawyer whose wife was Kellyanne Conway, very president, a very present in the first Trump administration he was running. He came nowhere. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson, struggled to come in third. Yeah. No, that was I thought that was an interesting race because, I mean, I mean,

poor Jack Schlossberg was. You know, had had sort of. been a social media gadfly. I mean, actually he seemed like a kind of a social media crazy person and, and then stepped forward on the basis of his name to run for office. And, and, I mean, I think I have two observations. He actually turned out to be an incredibly articulate, attractive sounding.

Lefty but moderate. but reasonable person in the campaign. I mean, I think he suffered from the fact that. that he was running as a Kennedy, but his name was Schlossberg. I was just going to say the poor man. I mean, you have this name that should help you, but you can't use it. Yeah, but, you know, but at the same time and he also suffered. from the fact that he was young and he seemed to be the, you know,

not quite grown up, but I thought he was actually pretty impressive. I think he has. He is the kind of the kind of next. generation social media political figure. You should hire him. We should talk to him. Well, I did try to interview him, and he declined our invitations, although he kept saying he would love to be interviewed. But, I mean, he got I mean, his campaign suffered.

The New York Times killed him off, and they killed him off with a single word, which is nap. He took a nap. He took a nap in an interview with the New York Times. That sort of. Yeah. Well, no, somebody said that he didn't that he didn't he. He was taking naps during the day, and he was, you know, it was a bitch. slap by the New York Times, which kind of kind of killed him off. But I think you should hire him. And I think that there's another point to that should be made that. actually Manhattan, a home of the riches.

Voted for the establishment candidate. I mean, you know, they voted for Jerry Nadler. person, the person Nadler had backed, right. Jerry Nadler, really a mean piece of work. I once saw Jerry Nadler on the, you know, on the train to Washington, the Excel to Washington, totally throw. a throw a fit, berate the guy. You know, I mean, they give you those.

they put those sandwiches in the microwave on the on the Excel. Yeah. So the guy is is just you know, he has. he's he's a Jerry Nadler wants his cheese sandwich. I don't know, something. goes wrong with the way the cheese is melted in the microwave. And he, Jerry Nadler, rips it out of the cellophane and then throws it at the poor guy. Work in the microwave. Why do people do that, especially why do they do it on a train. where someone could take, you know, film them doing that on their phone?

All I can say is that that would be called entitlement. Yeah, of course it's called entitlement. All I can say is that I've lived in or I lived in Jerry Nadler. district for 18 years, and I never once saw him. Although I do see Chuck Schumer, I feel like Chuck Schumer. I don't know how you could you could have missed them. I mean, the guy was the fattest man in Congress. or see the fattest man in Congress. Oh, by by a long shot.

Okay. Well, I never saw him at anything I went to. Whereas Chuck Schumer is more present on the scene. And my now Congressman Dan Goldman got booted out. Yeah. Out. No, that was an interesting thing because Dan Goldman, a totally reasonable. professional, well, son of the Levi Strauss family. So I can imagine people. building up a case against, you know, let's go on a billionaire.

So there is another issue here, which is the Israel issue, which, which is, is relevant to the to the war in Iran. It's relevant to. it's relevant to everything in politics at this at this point. And neither the Democrats and nor the Republicans are kind of know. which way to turn on, on, on this and how you play. this issue is going to be obviously highly relevant to the midterms.

And Dan Goldman is I mean, the probably the singular reason that he was. his singular vulnerability. was to be relatively partial and not entirely partial, but relatively so to Israeli interests. Yeah. No, I mean, Gaza has become a key. platform for politicians. I mean, Tucker talks about it a lot and says it was definitely genocide.

The US has been funding genocide by funding Israel. And it's got to stop, which is also an interesting position for him to take. Well, and it's also the, the that the Trump. I mean, Trump has gotten himself into a not on this Trump who has been the the. you know the BB supporter for almost without without question.

And you know, I mean the the the Israelis. have been able to do what they do because Trump has been the president. I mean, it is as though they have seized the opportunity. Bibi Netanyahu has seized the opportunity. There's a window open here. And and it's going to close as soon as Trump leaves. So we're going to wipe out as many Palestinians as we possibly can. Given the Trump window, do you think that when Trump hears Hillary.

Clinton or other representatives from previous administrations. saying, yes, Bibi Netanyahu tried to get us to do this to. he was always trying to bamboozle us into going into Iran. And of course, we said no, because we're not we're not up for doing that. Do you think he feels foolish, or do you think he just thinks? Well, I don't think inside his he feels he feels rage. And he is raging at at Bibi Netanyahu at this point.

So as he lashes out, one of the. people he's lashing out is, is Netanyahu. Yeah. Now, I don't know if that can can he can he break that? Can he walk away from Netanyahu? I mean, that has other serious political implications for him. So but that is and that is from the MAGA thing, you know, as MAGA becomes not only more anti-Israel,

but more almost openly anti-Semitic, this becomes this becomes. a, I mean, how, how to how to deal with this, how the Republican Party deals with this, how Trump individually deals with this, and then how the Democrats deal with this and the Democrats, the. the Democrats are not only. anti-Israel and for and often for good reason,

but that threatens to veer into anti-Semitism too. Well, Tucker describes the relationship between Israel. and America, or Netanyahu and Trump. as a master slave relationship. Just to throw gas on the fire. Yeah, no. And that's totally and that, I mean, we we tread very I mean, Tucker is an anti-Semite. I mean, I mean, why why pretend otherwise?

And and this adds to all of all of this and it becomes, you know, anti anti Goldman Sachs, Jeffrey Epstein, this is all. bundled into the to the case against against Israel. and certainly is bundled into into Tucker's case against against Israel. Israel is a fifth column in the United States. Israel is the real power. Israel through Epstein yada yada yada yada.

But this is this is a serious political power. Now, this new narrative against Israel, which certainly has been has not been been. I mean, you know, the BB thing, how could you have done this if you're the. if you're the if you're the Israeli leader and you are you are dependent. You understand that that Israel is possible.

has been possible because of the support of the United States of America. And yet you wade into the you create a situation. in which you create a political backlash in the United States, that is, that can it. very likely will will will change, if not break the relationship between the US and Israel.

Well, and you had JD Vance other day telling Netanyahu, what are you doing? You shouldn't criticize Donald Trump. He is the only friend you've got left at this stage. You know, that was a totally weird kind of kind of JD trying to. try and to both praise Donald Trump and distance himself from Donald Trump. So I think JD is also in tied in knots over this. Well, you know what? He's not tied to Knutsen appearing on my favorite podcast.

Hello, I'm Usha Vance, and welcome back to storytime with the Second Lady. I'm. so excited to enjoy another great story together because when we read, we grow. I know from personal experience that today's special reader loves. to read to kids. That's because I see him read books to our own kids every day. That's right. Today's special reader is my husband, Vice President of the United States JD Vance.

Thanks for joining us today, honey. Of course. Good to see you. Who knows if it was an effort. to celebrate Father's Day or to boost ratings? Usha Vance had her husband come on. He came on in a suit. I actually think he was wearing the Florsheim shoes. The $148 black oxfords that Donald Trump gave him. because there were very prominent in the video.

And actually, it really did look like they were slightly too big for him. But to my absolute heartbreak, he read. Winnie the Pooh, which really upset me because I love Winnie the Pooh. I don't want to hear a milne's words. come out of the lips of JD Vance, but nevertheless, they did. And it was just such a sort of strange. and awkward and cringe conversation between the two of them. I do think that there is some subversion in it, because at the end, usher.

always recommends that children go to their libraries and get out books. so you feel like good. She's still she's still promoting libraries. But there was a moment where where she asks JD Vance. how many stories he reads, his children and he reads his stories, his kids, sort of 2 or 3 or up to four stories in the morning. And then he moves them stories again at night. But his oldest child is now old enough to read their own stories. And you're like, who is watching this? And then there's a moment where he explains what the vice.

president does, and he talks about being a diplomat. and how he has to try and solve conflicts across the world. And you're like, if this is for an eight year old child, which is what I'm. assuming it's for, because then he starts reading a children's story. Like who? Who is watching this? Has any child ever watched this video? I don't think so. In fact, I'm going to have a little focus group of children around my apartment. I'm going to make them watch it, and I'm going to ask them what they think. That's what I'm going to do. That's my promise. I'm going to find some children to watch storytime.

with the second lady and report back on whether or not this works. Do you know any children? I do know children, actually. Friends who've got grandchildren. I've got friends. Male friends, of course, who've got second families. Michael, you have a ten year old and a five year old. You could ask them what they think of us about. I do, and the five year old this morning graduated from preschool. Oh, congratulations. That's always the moment. They were a sort of big a big shirt. They borrow one of your white shirts for it?

No, but he was he he looked great, I must say. You and he had a white polo shirt and and pressed blue shorts. Fantastic. Absolutely. Absolutely sweet. Well, Usher Vance, who's about to have their fourth baby, just looked thoroughly uncomfortable. And she has her funny expression, which she says in a. in a somewhat threatening way when we read, we Grow. It's just it's the weirdest it's the weirdest podcast ever.

And we do. We still have any estimation of what she's trying to accomplish in this. I mean, this is just to be I mean, nobody watches this. This is just a, you know, it's this is kind of like, like make believe television. I'm going to do this. I'm going to pretend I'm on television. But I have an audience, a zero audience, a row audience, and I have.

And I'm going to tell you, the audience of one, Donald Trump is certainly not watching this. Well, and the interesting thing is, she doesn't appear to have had any. serious children's books authors on because in theory, you would think. that sitting down for storytime with the with the second lady, possibly soon to be first lady, who knows extremely unlikely. in how in any alignment of Moon and stars. Okay, well, you would think that possibly a children's book.

author might think this is a good opportunity. And yet, so far, the guests have been people like JD Vance and Cheryl Hines. Cheryl Hines, who when asked why she read the story. of the Three Little Pigs, said, I like pigs. I'm flabbergasted. So I, you know, and I would interpret that this is. somebody in the white House setting this up. Yeah, I guess, I guess, I mean, this is somebody. saying this is mandated, okay, you're going to do this.

You're going to go on in the guest. this week are going to be and she's doing this because she's. You know, because that's what a political wife has to do. Well, at least she's recommending libraries. And you know, Winnie the Pooh is a great children's book. He's a great, great writer. Ayman. Oh, well,

Michael, we didn't get to lots of things they thought we were going to get to. We haven't got to Lee Greenwood. We haven't got to the 4th of July celebrations. But we've still got time. And I mean, I've I've spent a lot of time watching Lee Greenwood. So I want to I want to do that because it's it's really kind of extraordinary. I mean, of all almost every Trump event. that I have been to and I've been to way too many at this point. There's suddenly Lee Greenwood, who is as old.

as old can be, just always kind of pushed out there. And you think, is he going to make it? Well, let's hope he. doesn't collapsed during the July the 4th celebrations. But no, no, let's hope he does. No, don't say that. We never want to wish someone to collapse. But but he he is he older than the president. He is older than the president. That's just your your your public, your public face. You love it when people collapse.

Everybody loves it when people collapse, especially people. who deserve to collapse. All right. Well, we've got plenty of time. to talk about Lee Greenwood before the 4th of July. If you have been. Thank you for joining us. We love to have you. And Michael. Do you want to thank everybody? I think I must remind I want to come back. I want to come back with the Ellison family's. being $45 million bribe.

But let's not do this. We'll come back next episode 45. What does $45 million get you? Well, we know what it gets them. It gets them TikTok and it gets them CBS and it gets them CNN. Yes, the $45 million gets you from Donald Trump. Anything you want. Okay, okay. Thank you. Ryan, Heather, Rachel, John and Neil.

That was pretty good. 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.