LIVE: Trump's Presidency Is Decaying. And So Is He

Michael. >> Joanna. >> We are doing our first ever live on. Substack and on YouTube. And which this. is all I find this very difficult. getting everybody's questions. This is. no. >> you're saying. >> Well, we have no idea what we're doing. >> No. >> Um. except that we've already got people. from Stockholm, from Canada, from. London, from all over the states. Um hi hippie artist, lots of our regular. people are joining. Other people that I. like to chat to when we drop a new.

episode. But I thought this would be a. good opportunity to explain to people. why we go inside Trump's head three. times a week. And then a few people are. asking about the new head of. intelligence news that dropped this. morning. And um. how is this war playing out? >> Oh, it's it's it's a big success, Joanna. >> Big success. Oh, okay. >> Well, I I I think we should this this. idea of being inside Trump's head, which. I think is.

well, it's obviously fundamental to what. we're doing, but I think it's. fundamental to understanding what's. going on, what Donald Trump who Donald. Trump is, what he's doing, why he's. doing. Now, I mean this is a place that. I have been for a Jesus. I. a um. disturbingly long time. I mean, 10 years. I've written four books about about the. Trump presidency. Um but. what we do, the difference here is that.

we are not looking in from the outside. as most journalists do. That's what. journal that's that's. in effect the job of of journalists, to. stand at the sidelines and and report on. what they see. My feeling has always. been that you can't understand Trump. from that point of view. That Trump is. because it all goes on in his head. There's no process here.

>> And and it's a government of one, right? He makes the decisions, he sees what he. can get away with, and people can't stop. him. >> Exactly. And it and it comes from it. literally is what what does he wake up. in the morning with? He has a and it's a. mind filled with obsessions, grievances, um. um. weird desires. And that's where this. comes from. And it also is is more and. more now a question of his own health,

of a body. We're really looking at a. body there that is. you know, I think quite obviously. struggling. So again, it is from the. inside telling this story from the. inside rather than from the way most. news organizations do from the outside. >> So we have a ton of in our three times a. week um episodes, we have a ton of. questions and comments from people who.

live in all sorts of countries, a lot of. Americans who live abroad, a lot of. people who are looking to America and. just cannot understand how this has. happened, who this man is, and why he is. why Congress is unable to have any real. impact on him. Now, they have stopped. the slush fund, which is. >> Well, they've stopped it for the moment. Um and I think that that will be in in. and he is what's inside his head right.

now is trying to figure out, okay, that. that didn't work. How can I come back? I'm not giving up on on what I can get. And what I can get is fundamental to. this administration. You know, in in. early, even in the first in the first in. the first White House, and I had this. this direct conversation with. with with Trump in which he's saying, "You know, it's unfair. Um you know, I can give things to the. American people, but the fact that I.

shouldn't get something, too. That's. unfair. It's unfair that people in. office aren't aren't also benefiting. from being in office." I was like, "Oh. my god." [laughter]. >> But but. So the grift, I mean, the grift is. obviously a huge part of the Trump. president presidency. So again, people. in Europe. >> It's It's unfathomable, the size of the. grift this time round. >> And it's And it's And it's fundamental. to Trump's identity. I mean, and he's. been incredibly open about this. I mean,

other politicians are, you know, you. know, in secret somewhere trying to get. a little something on the side. >> Right. >> Not Trump. Very up front. I deserve. this. >> And is it true because Trump will claim, and it's certainly true that he's much. more visible certainly than Joe Biden. was as president. Um. Is it true that he's just more. transparent about it? Or is Is there a. lot of stuff going on in the dark, too? Because the 1.8 or the 1.776.

billion-dollar fund that he wanted to. from his own IRS. because he claimed that they'd, you. know, leaked information about him, which was humiliating to him, should. never have happened, and this was. compensatory, and it was going to also. go to people that claimed that they had. been victims of the weaponization of the. DOJ under Biden, i.e., the January the. 6th. rioters. Um I I I guess. I guess it was in plain sight that he.

was doing this. >> Plain sight, mostly. I mean that's. that's one of the contradictory things. and one of the things things that makes. this so hard to understand. So much of this he does in plain sight. Now Now, is there stuff going on. somewhere that we don't see? I'm sure. This is like uh you know, the iceberg um. um you know, but but we do see the top. of the iceberg. I mean, we do see this. He is out there and he and I think it's. very hard for him to keep things secret.

Um it's very hard for him. He's not a I. mean, he's a He's a liar, but not a. dissembler. Um and he says because so. much of what he says is literally he. thinks it and it comes out of his mouth. And I mean I mean, every night you can. go on Truth Social and see what is in. this man's head and it is frankly. terrifying. >> It it it's terrifying and it also seems.

to symbolize him spiraling. Because, you know, we see him on the. golf course where he's sort of playing. happily. We see him sort of surrounded. by his sycophantic cabinet. And then in. the middle of the night at the 3:00 hour. where most of us are asleep or if we're. not lying sort of panicked um about. what's what's going on, he seems to have. anxiety-filled. sprees of posts. >> You know, I mean, I would I would. somewhat disagree with with with this. I.

mean, not that that is certainly true, but spiraling would indicate that. something different is going on, something extreme is is is going on, some line has been crossed. >> Right. >> during during the campaign of the 2024. campaign which which I was covering, this was this was also every night and. the people around him would say, "Oh my. god, you know, I'm glad that he's doing. this not not doing this on X or Twitter,

you know, that this is on Truth Social.". Uh because no one is on Truth Social but. him. So, nobody sees this. >> Right. >> Um but it was there every night. It was. there to see. Um, you know, this seething, this. unleashing, this um, this constant fulminating. I I mean, in a really, really disturbing. sense. In that sense that if this was a. family member. that was doing this, >> Right. >> there would there would be an in most.

families an intervention. >> Right. So So we have a piece in the. Daily Beast today by our correspondent. Josh Fiallo, who has been tracking the. number of Truth Social posts that the. president posts in the middle of the. night. And um, it's it's an average. a daily average of 27 posts. Now, you. are ubiquitous on social media, all over. Instagram, you're all over YouTube, some. of it with me, you're all over Substack,

and you don't post as much in a week as. Donald Trump posts in a quarter of an. evening. In a quarter of an evening, he's putting. out 27 posts, nearly always in the small. hours of the morning. >> Um, yeah, well, he isn't making videos. He can't do 27 videos. Um, >> Sure, but he's making AI slop videos. where he's just a puppet. >> it is. It it it is. And um, I mean, he.

has a little bit of help with with with. this. He He has a um, he has several people, no- notably, and. she's gained some some fame or infamy in. this role, Natalie Harp. >> Um, she's she's helping him post stuff. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's She's She's the. person closest to his his posting. behavior. >> Can we just find out who she is? She. does some of the the She does some of. the posts. Okay, and she's also.

What's her nickname? >> She's the human printer. So this this. came about I mean, she's a fascinating. story, As a matter of fact, the story I. recount in my book about the campaign, all or nothing, that she was she kind of came into the. campaign in you know, no no particular. status. And then by she got the job. It's fascinating job. Who knew there was. such a job of following him on the golf. course with a portable printer.

>> With a Wi-Fi printer. >> Yes. And And at every hole she would. then she would then deliver what she had. printed out and this would with this. would include emails and then it just. became same sort of good news. Anybody. who said anything anything. positive about Donald Trump she would. she would print that out and um um and. then and then he would have he would. have that. and that endeared her to him. Um while.

it alienated her from everyone else. And. in fact they she had a golf court a golf. cart which she would follow him in the. printer. But then the staff and also the. secret service was a little worried. about her. took away the golf cart. But then she ran after him. carrying the printer. >> It's like an episode of Veep where Julia. Louis-Dreyfus would demand something and.

Jonah would be running across the golf. course holding pieces of paper and. lugging a great big printer. I mean, it's beyond parody. >> Right. So anyway, she's what she is she. does aid him in this obsessive posting. So it's not just him alone at night. Now. that kind of prompts the question of. where is Natalie Harp in the middle of. the night? Is she with. the president of the United States and. that's has it all kinds of other.

>> Well, I'm sure poor girl is sitting at. her desk. >> other thinking, "When am I going to get. home? Uh because I've got to print these. things out." And someone is clearly. putting the AI slot together cuz it's. quite well done. >> Yes, and I would imagine that is Natalie. Harp. >> It feels like it's a young person. >> mean, he is not putting that together. He he he can't do that. >> Right, but he's probably conceiving of. it and saying, "Make me as Make me like. Jesus. I want to be healing the sick.". >> Yeah, I And there's thing everything. It's It's always, you know,

I mean, one of the things that Natalie. Harp was always doing is presenting him. with fan art. >> With fan art? We get fan art on Inside. Trump's Head. We post amazing fan art. there. And we get fan limericks, which I. love. Um all right, so let's just. discuss the war. When he said that he. was going to do this, we know he got. elected on the promise no forever wars. MAGA hates wars. This is America first. The resources should be used internally, not externally. And here we are. >> So, the no weeks on.

>> So, the no forever war president is now. in really a forever war. And And. what What's the nature of a forever war? Let's clarify this. Is you can't get out. of it. Once you get in, you can't get. out of it. You're You're stuck. And he. is now stuck in He would desperately He. would do anything at this moment to get. out of out of it. And in fact, what's. going on is the Iranians are not letting. him out of it. So, every time that.

there's a kind of deal in which they. bring him and these deals These deals. mostly are good for the Iranians and not. so good. Certainly not good for Trump's. original goals. And they get near a. deal, and then they then they then they. Iranians pull back and say, "We want. more.". >> But but we don't even know what Trump's. original goals were. I mean, this was. not a war that was explained to the. American. >> no, I I I think it was. I mean, his his. thing was total capitulation. Um he.

wanted um you know, regime change. He. wanted the the um um the the. >> The nuclear material. >> materials to go away. He wanted the um I. he wanted everything. I mean, he had. been promised and even promised by the. Israelis, this is going to be a. cakewalk. Easy. All of this thing, Iran. as a country that was causing problems. in the world and for the US would be um.

transformed. That's what he was promised. So, that. and you can reasonably say there were no. goals there. That's just fantasy. [clears throat]. >> Right. >> And um and I think that that would be. that that would be accurate. But, and. that's what he is now run up against. Of. course, those those goals were not real. goals. They were not practical goals. They were not possible goals. >> Well, and incredibly, Iran didn't seem. to fully understand that it was sitting. on the gateway of the Strait of Hormuz, which it's now locked. So, we've got.

1,500 tankers, which I'm obsessed about. I mean, do you remember during COVID. when there were tankers outside that. that there were so many of them they. couldn't dock in LA in long off the. coast of Long Beach. And the constant. photos of, you know, 30, 40, 50 tankers. with containers, you know, 20 containers. high with all the stuff that that was. coming in. Supply chains deeply. compromised by what was going on in. COVID. And yet, we have almost no.

pictures of 1,500 tankers in the Persian. Gulf unable to move. And they are. stacked with fuel and gas and, you know, jet fuel that's supposed to be going. across the world. I mean, this has. serious. >> No, and and this is so, this has become. this has become and it's and it's. interesting the measure of this of this. war is the price at the gas pump. >> Mhm. >> So, it's really not. you know, I mean, thank God, in in.

people's lives, but it is in this other. thing which also. obviously affects many more lives, which. is the price at the gas pump. >> Right. So, we're not measuring the. success of this war, and I don't want to. sound crude, but in terms of Vietnam, in. body bags, it's in the fact that gas is. up a third at the price at the pumps. The price of gas is up by a third. >> No, and yeah, and this has been. devastating. I mean, this is now this. this.

basically the central event of this. presidency. I mean, this presidency has. already had. a lot of central events. Every week is a. new central event, but this is the one. that has now gone on What What week are. we in? 13? >> 13th week. Okay, and we've got, apparently, Trump having a very. acrimonious telephone call with Bibi. Netanyahu, where he's shouting at him, "You're effing crazy. You'd be in prison. if it weren't for me. I'm saving your. ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody.

hates Israel because of you.". >> Well, that's probably true, for one. thing, but um but it also is true from. another aspect of of of of the way Trump. operates. He has to have someone to. blame. Blame is elemental. Not only is. blame elemental, but everyone around. Trump will, at some point, be the one he. blames. So, I mean, and because he cannot take.

any blame on himself. >> Right. He can't take any responsibility. >> He can't take um He can't rethink. anything. He can't um He can't shift. gears. Um He can't um uh um. You know, he he can't even really. rationalize. >> So he's squeezed. He's squeezed between. the rock of Iran and the hard place of. Bibi Netanyahu. I cannot imagine.

anywhere worse to be squeezed. >> No, and and so and what is he saying. about it now? I don't care. >> I don't care. I don't care about the. midterms and and that it's boring that. that the idea of doing a deal with Iran. is boring. The fact that it took the. Obama government two years to do this. deal. He wants it done in a few days and. already he's bored. >> Yeah, and he is. You know, this is and. again, inside Trump's head, this is a. short attention span. I used to. see this, you know, in during the first. administration. I mean, the way I got.

into this. into this game, God knows, is is basically I said to Trump, I said, "Oh, I'd love to come into the White. House and and just be an observer." And. he kind of said, "Okay.". I said this I once discussed this with. an with somebody in the Obama White. House and. this was cuz this was after I'd written. my first book about this Fire and Fury. and this person, a high-up person in the in the Obama. White House and said and said, "Oh my.

God, you know, if you had come to us. with this, we would have read everything. you would written, we would have. we would have impaneled a group to. consider this, we would have run. all kinds of scenarios about what might. happen if we did this and then we would. have said no.". >> Right. And Trump was like, "Yes." And. then you produced a devastating but. which everybody said it can't possibly. be true. Nothing could be this bad and. in fact I think things were worse.

>> Yes, yes. Yeah, no, that's a kind of a gentle a. gentle view at this at this point. >> Yeah. So. So. what happens with this war? I mean, you. say he's got himself into a forever war, which we define as you're unable to get. out of it, that you no longer have. control over it, that you've started a. chain of events that actually you can't. you just can't pull it back. So, how. does this play out for him in the. midterms, do you think? I mean, he said.

he doesn't care about the midterms. We. don't believe that for a minute, even. though he's not helping his party by. trying to undermine, you know, John. Cornyn who would have been a safer bet. than Ken Paxton. >> I mean I mean I mean I mean I mean I. mean I mean I mean I mean I mean I mean. I mean I mean I mean I mean I mean I. mean I mean I mean I mean I mean. Uh we are in the beginning of the. summer. Um the midterms will obviously. take place in November. And um it looks as bad as it can. possibly look. Now, having said this,

and and and I believe that this that the. results will be devastating for him. But. having said this, it's Donald Trump. I mean, it's Donald. Trump and what he does. I mean, because. he is doesn't do what other politicians. do, cuz he is motivated by other things. and other reasons, and he's willing. there's an audacity there. >> Mhm. >> that um that um gratefully few other. politicians possess.

We don't know. >> So, how significant is it that he's. about to enter his ninth decade? He will. be by the end of his presidency, if he. if he gets there, he will be the oldest. serving president. Um. >> Well, and it's not only that. He he's. he's um. you know, he's a 80-year-old obese man. who doesn't do a lick of exercise and.

and um and who's. and has a negative health diet. Um. that's. uh what does that that mean? It means. he's in bad shape. >> Right. And well, you can we we've. chronicled it a lot at the Beast. He has. chronic venous insufficiency, which is. why he has that sort of pooling of fluid. at the bottom of his legs. Um, and he has the sort of cankles, which spill over the top of his socks. and his and his Oxford's. He has. terrible bruising on his hand, which. he's obviously very self-conscious about.

because he puts makeup on it. Although, weirdly, not makeup that actually covers. it up. It's a makeup that that is the. wrong color for his skin and draws more. attention to it. So, I don't know if. he's doing that on purpose or what. Um, but. what do we think about his cognition? I. mean, we tried the Mocha test and it. took us some goes to to get the five. words that you're supposed to learn. Can. you remember what they were? You always. say pants and pants isn't one of them,

but leg. >> Legs, white, cotton, school. >> tomato. >> tomato. >> Okay. >> potato. >> So, so we can. But, he says he's passed. it bigly that no one ever in the world. has passed as well as he has done. And. yet, we can see he is slowing down. He. repeats himself. The weave doesn't well, makes even less sense than it ever did. >> you see this is this is what I I this is. why it's so it's so difficult. Um, um, and and it's partly because this is one. of the things that happens with. cognitive decline is that is that you.

you manifest things that have always. been there, but you manifest them in. more um, dramatic and um, uh, ways. Um, and Trump has always been. crazy. So, um, and he's always been. on the on the edge of incoherence. So, how can you tell if he's crazier or more. incoherent now than before? And I and I. don't know the answer to that. Um,

um, except that I mean clearly we are. not seeing a a person at radical odds. from what he has always been. I mean and. that would be some. We we might be able to forgive ourselves. as a nation if that was true. We didn't. know. But we know. We we have known. >> Right. >> this is who he is. Is he a little more. of who he is? Possibly. But this is. Donald Trump. >> But but the thing that I'm struck by.

with the second administration as. opposed to his first is just how alone. he seems. I mean you think of all these. Shakespearean characters who go mad and. they're all isolated. It's Lear. It's. King Lear on the heath. It's sort of Macbeth. Um he seems so. isolated. His wife is never at his side. His daughter has said politics is too. cruel. I'm I'm staying out of it this. time round. His son he doesn't even go.

to his oldest son's second wedding. >> you're you're seeing Donald Trump in in. conventional human terms. I mean what I. have always said to people as long as. I've been doing this this now is Donald. Trump is not like you or me or anyone we. know. He really is unique in this. Um. and and this is advanced narcissism. Call it whatever it is. I mean I have. never seen anyone anyone like this. Anyone who all of these things and who.

is as indomitable as he is. I mean who. is. I mean. does he feel in any way? Does he feel. sad? Does he feel um does he feel doubt. himself? All of these things. I don't. really think he does. And um and as for. being alone, does he feel lonely? He has. always been a a a a singular person, not. dependent on anyone, not interested in.

anyone, not who doesn't listen to. anyone. I mean, literally, doesn't. listen. It's not that he turns them off. It's just he's talking all the time. He. and it doesn't matter who he's talking. to. He exists as as a a he is the the. most autonomous person I have ever. encountered and who I can ever imagine. has ever existed. It's like he's like a. hermit, but he does it in public. >> He's like a hermit, but he does it in. public in public. A government of one. A.

government of one, a country of one, a. world of one. >> Um follow us. Come join us on the. podcast. >> Yes, join us on the podcast inside. >> all the time. >> Yeah, we do this all the time and we're. just getting used to how we handle all. your questions, but I think we should. come back live. Also, we both speak. faster when we're doing it live. >> Um well, I'm a slow speaker, so anything. to speed me up. >> Anything to speed Michael up. Thank you. so much for your questions. Thank you.

for joining us. This was very much trial. and error. >> have substacks, kind of competing. substacks. We're very competitive. So, um um uh make your choice, one or the. other. >> No, you can do both. You can do both. You can tap into Michael's series. >> It's no fun. >> You can tap into Michael's series about. Jeffrey Epstein. What do you want now? About to drop your 11th episode. >> has just dropped, yes. >> Okay. And um I I need to I need to focus. on what my series is going to be. I need. a series so I can lure people away from.

your substack. >> I could write your series. I can't stop. this stuff, so I could I could just do. it. >> Please write my series. All right, thank. you so much for your questions, your. comments, for joining us from all over. the world. I absolutely love it. And um. we will Are we going to do this again? I. think we should. >> Okay, let's do it again. But uh the. podcast is on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and. Saturday inside Trump's head on YouTube. and wherever you get your podcast.

>> on YouTube Eastern time. That's when it. drops. And then the it drops at midnight. Eastern time on Apple, Spotify, wherever. else you get your podcast. Thank you for. joining us. and. onwards. Onwards and downwards or. upwards? >> Well, at this time in. I would say downwards. Inevitably downwards.