The Real Reason Trump's Lost His Mojo: Don Lemon | The Daily Beast Podcast

I think Donald Trump is losing his mojo. I do. And do you think this is. Is it partly his health? Is it the economy? Is it all of it? I think it's all of the above. I think that, if you build something based on conspiracy theories. and a lot of lies and a lot of, you know, distractions and distortions, eventually people start to see through it and they become disillusioned. And you can't go out there telling people the economy is great, the economy is great, the economy is great. This is the best economy ever.

And they're like, wait a minute, I don't have any money. My energy bills are off. My utility bills are crazy. I'm trying to Kohl's this is the Daily Beast podcast. Big thanks to Hugh Daugherty for holding the fall. I cannot compete with his accent, but I can compete with curiosity. And what the hell has been going on. since I've been out of the country for whatever it was ten days. So Pennsylvania rally, Epstein. photos, health premiums going up, the economy beginning to falter,

and Donald Trump falling asleep pretty much all the time. And then his strange. Slow. Whatever descent down the white House stairs. for the congressional ball, buoyed up physically by the first lady. It's always good to see her. As you know, I'm particularly intrigued by her movements. Anyway, who better to discuss this with and who has more opinions.

than Don lemon from Lemon Life? Don Lemon live in the studio. Don. So, Don. Welcome. Hi. Joanna Coles, how are you? I'm very well. I hear you just had a meta moment. I did okay, so if there's any you. Have you ever get the you're in those mood you like, what am I doing? I'm working so hard, that kind of thing. And so I'm not feeling well. And the only reason I did this was because of you, I do, I love you, thank you. So I jump in a taxi and and Mike.

walking down the street to jump in a taxi, and, I get it. And I hear that open to my show. The music and I look, I was like, oh my God. Looked on the thing and it's like, it's not on my phone. And I looked at the driver. I looked up on the little box at first, you know that little taxi thing, the tap screen, the screen. I was like, I'm not on taxi TV. And then the driver is playing me in his car, on his cell phone, and it's coming through the speakers in the car, and he has it sitting. right in the middle on the dash of the steering wheel.

And so I said, and I just let it play for a while. Yeah. I said to him, I said, what are you listening to? And he said, lemon. And I said, do you listen to him all the time? He goes, yeah, every day. And I say, I said, do you recognize me? And he turned around and he goes, oh, man. So Jonah, that was confirmation to keep going. That is confirmation to keep going. Yeah. So two, may I say is your merch. Don't you love my blue? I mean, I'm distressed. You haven't bought me some of your money. I'll get I. Should probably buy some because we all have to support each other.

But this is fabulous. So this is lemon life with Don lemon. It's cold. I have a cold. So sorry for all of that thing, but I'm. And also what I like is the color scheme of navy and yellow. Really good. Nice shade of yellow and good shade. Navy because navy is hard to get right. Thank you. Did you spend a lot of time organizing it? No. Not really. I like the colors. This one that has a light blue one same color blue. And there's one that has black letters on navy. On navy? That's hard to read.

Red Navy. No, no. Oh, okay. Red letters on navy. And then the light blue letters on me on Navy. Okay. So you so, so real fans will get all three. All three. And the merch is crazy. I have Christmas ornaments. You have Christmas. I should I should have brought it. I mean, you should have watched it. I mean, I feel embarrassed because when I was watching your show, which was, you know, I'm a religious fan, you've got two Christmas trees in the background. Not one, but two. We don't have a single Christmas ornament.

I. Do have. And producer. Get on it, please. Look at. That. Okay, so that's my. You see, that's my Christmas. My holiday stuff. Oh that's. Very. And then right here, that's the ornament. It's really cute. And it's glass. That is little lemon hat. I want people to be able to see it. That is very sweet. Yeah. In a white gloves Santa hat. And I have a New Year's Eve box. I have a New Year's. What's in your New Year's Eve box? I think there are, champagne flutes and,

You don't seem to know. It's champagne flutes and little, little, little party flavor. Right. Favorite things? Those poppers. Yeah. And, you know, the little hats and the glass. It says the champagne glasses. New year's Eve with Don lemon. I'm doing a New Year's Eve special. And of course, you are right. So will you be counting down? So I'll be counting down. Okay. Orleans. And you get to countdown twice because it's a central time zone. I can't find the champagne thing, but it's a champagne. It's a, I'm sorry. It's a New Year's Eve box. Okay, so it's a go to.

What is it that come. Okay. Perfect on merch. Okay. All right, so you're having a better week than I think the president, the president? Yeah. Even though you've got a cold. But you've seen yourself on. Yes. I'm on the phone of the driver. Yeah. He's probably now telling all his passengers. I've just had Don lemon in the back of my cab. Yeah. And he made sure we got a selfie before I got out. Sweet. That's. So. That's such a good New York story. You're right. I've been feeling this for a while, and I think we may have talked about it. When you and I have spoken, you know, on previous podcast, but I know I, I've talked about it.

I think this was, the beginning of the end of MAGA. Either it's going away or it's going to go the way of the Tea Party. or it's rejiggering itself or whatever it's doing. But I think Donald Trump is losing his mojo. I do. And do you think this is is it partly his health? Is it the economy? Is it all of it? I think it's all of the above. I think that, if you build something based on conspiracy theories. and a lot of lies and a lot of, you know, distractions and distortions,

eventually people start to see through it and they become disillusioned. And you can't go out there telling people the economy's great, the economy's great, the economy is great, this is the best economy ever. And they're like, wait a minute, I don't have any money. My energy bills are up. My utility bills are crazy, right? Just wait till you get your health care. Bill and just. Oh my gosh. And so all of that, even now, the Senate and the Congress. that can't even come together on health care. So, Don, explain to me why Republicans can't understand.

what's going to happen when health care premiums rise. Double, triple. In some cases, how do they not think this isn't going to be a huge thing for people? You mean. Republicans in general are lawmakers? You're talking about Republican lawmakers. I mean, Republicans. I mean congresspeople, anybody that requires a vote to be reelected. I don't understand how they think this is a winning strategy to have signed. the big, beautiful bill, to have given a tax benefit.

to billionaires and then to tax regular people, the people that they said they were going to improve the economy for. double their health care premiums. This is all addition to that. Added to what Republicans have been doing on health care for a decade. They've been saying, we have a plan. We don't like Obamacare, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. In the meantime, the insurance companies CEOs are getting richer. I mean, look, it's terrible what happened to the United Health Care CEO, but.

that was the sentiment behind, we believe, behind, behind what the young man did. Right. So how can Republicans think this is a good long term strategy? I don't think they I think they think in this moment that Donald Trump. can get them out of anything, although they're becoming disillusioned themselves with it. I think that they still believe that Donald Trump has a hold. on their constituents, and if they go against him, then they too will be they will be voted out of office.

But are these people not talking to their constituents? I mean, I think Marjorie Taylor Greene resignation. Well, what what do you think? How significant? I don't think. The resignation. I don't. Think that they are as forward thinking as Marjorie Taylor Greene. Marjorie Taylor Greene had to be forced into it, I think, because she got boxed out of a Senate seat. So sometimes it unless when you're forced out of things, you are pushed into a position of awareness that you wouldn't.

have an awakening that she had. And I believe she did have an awakening. I'm not sure if I believe everything on top of it. I think it's strategic. But I think other folks have not gotten to that moment yet where, they're real. The real political capital is where they're with their constituents. and not with Donald Trump. Right. And so, but I do believe that increasingly, Republican. lawmakers are seeing that and they're becoming disillusioned. And I think Marjorie Taylor Greene is just the first domino to fall in this.

There will be others. There's Lauren Boebert, there are others, Nancy Mace, they're still supporting. the president, but not on every issue, not on the Epstein issue. Right. So so we saw a dump of new Epstein photos this on Friday. What did you make of those? How closely did you study them? Perhaps not as myopically as I did. I watched I looked to see if I knew any of the faces. And there's one I don't know. I don't know if you saw the one with Donald Trump and Jeffrey.

I've seen it in the foreground. There's a blond woman with short hair. Yeah, it's either Dubin. Is that who it is? I think it's. It's trying to figure out who it was. And I was like, is she a miss universe, a miss America, miss. Someone who is a miss Sweden. There always a miss some. Yes. And I said that, you know, this morning on my show. Okay. So, I studied them, you know, there was someone in my chat who said, oh, we've known this all along. I said, well, maybe we've known it all along, but to say it's not new information is false. It is new information, right? It shows how buddy buddy they were, the closeness in their relationship, that,

proximity time. They spent a lot of time together at different events. Donald Trump admits that they were friends, but he downplays. the the relationship. You know, they weren't best friends. But according to Jeffrey Epstein, they were best friends. I think. I think these these photos are significant. And let me tell you why they're significant, because and I believe Donald Trump may have already seen the files himself. or he has been briefed on what's in the files.

because every single person that he mentions. when he's trying to distract, it's Larry Summers, it's Bill Clinton, right? It's this other Democrat, but he doesn't mention Steve Bannon or Alan Dershowitz, who's been, you know, carrying Trump's water for the last couple of years. But he talks about all the. Democrats who are in the files that I wasn't sure were in those files. I don't know if it was public knowledge, maybe. I mean, Bill Clinton, we've heard about that. But Bill gates, we heard about. And but he's mentioning people that I think the general public.

were not necessarily aware about. Maybe there were rumors and he's saying, oh, it's a it's a Democratic, you know, hoax and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, why are you mentioning all the people who are in those photographs right now? Because he's seen them, right? He's seen them, or he's either he's seen them or. he was in proximity with them when it happened. Oh, no, that's interesting. Right. And what did you make of the fact that the Democrats redacted. the photos of the women, which they've said all along.

they would redact the photos of the victims? Yeah. What are they? What do we know? These women were victims. I don't know if there were victims, but I think that they should be protected. because just because you're in a photograph with someone, it doesn't mean that you were in cahoots with them, or that you were. either a victim or you were a participant in whatever it was going on. Well, doesn't. That go for the men too? Then shouldn't the men's face be redacted? Not the high profile men, no, because I think there's a difference. between a public figure and just an average everyday person.

Okay, for public figures, if you're a president. of the United States, whether it's Bill Clinton. or Donald Trump or whomever, and if you are in, you know, if you are friendly with one of the most prolific. sex traffickers in modern history, I think that's important. for the American people to know, because those are the people. who are shaping policy and the zeitgeist and world views. But, I don't think that a woman. or an innocent person who was just at a party. should be identified because that may of them, you know.

Right. And also, we don't know if they're victims, perhaps they are. So I do think that those women should be protected in those photographs. And then if there are men who are just some random person. at a party or an event doing that, you've been at events. I've been at events. I was at a Hollywood Reporter event, and I was talking to a young man who worked for MSNBC, and there was. this man behind me with his back to me talking to someone else. And the photographer was where you are. And the photographer said, hey, can I get a picture of you too?

And I just looked around. I said, sure, and I looked and this is before everything happened. It was Harvey Weinstein, right? And so the guy just goes, okay, great. Thank you. Walked away. I didn't think about it. So good to see you. And I continue to talk to the other person. This is before the scandal. But someone would see that picture and say, oh my God, Don Lemon is friends with Harvey Weinstein. I wasn't friends with Harvey Weinstein, right? Right. Hardly knew him. Right? Well, photos can be deceptive like that, except that these photos, everybody seems to be lauding Jeffrey Epstein, the people enjoying his hospitality on the private plane.

Larry Summers and his wife. Yes. Woody Allen, I think so. If you're with them or you're in a number of photographs, if I'm in a number of photographs with the same person at different events. or at my home, that's a whole nother thing. Well, and most of these appear to be at Jeffrey's home. Well, homes, we should say there's one with Richard Branson on the island. He's someone who's going to have to deal with the fallout of this. And I think Richard Branson. Yeah. I didn't know. That. Yeah. There's a picture of Richard Branson.

Dean Caymans, who's the guy that created the Segway. and Jeffrey Epstein, and they appear to be somewhere tropical, which I'm assuming. is his island, though it could have been Richard Branson's island. That all that also doesn't mean that they knew, you know, I mean, let's. No, of course not. And I'm not suggesting they did not. How do you know? They didn't know. I guess you'd have to ask, but still. Right. But the the implicit here's it. It's implicit. The implicit somehow pals of Jeffrey's and are having a good time with him.

I think you say, oh, look, you know, I knew Jeffrey Epstein. I had no idea what was happening and what he deserves or whatever. And, you know, you can check it out over whatever statement that you want to release. when you're just an average, everyday person. You don't have the the, the platform or really the capabilities of releasing. a statement that everybody's going to put in, you know, to exonerate yourself. I think these people I think Richard Branson has agency as people. He can deal with it and others, they can they can deal with that.

What do you think about. have you been following Kathy Rambler, the general counsel at Goldman Sachs? No, I have not. Okay. What is going on? I can well. CNN did a story having really worked through the emails, that there were more than 100 emails from Kathy Romola, who is the former general counsel, white House counsel to President Obama. She's now the general counsel, Goldman Sachs, clearly showing that they had a great relationship,

that she was a frequent visitor to Jeffrey's house, that at one point. she was giving him advice about how to deal with the media, trying to, you know, close in on him. So that seems also an interesting relationship. that we haven't heard much about. Yeah. Well, it doesn't matter. if you're Democrat or Republican or if you have if you're doing something. and it needs explaining needs, it needs to be explained. And whatever the consequences are, I think I don't care what your political.

and I think most people don't care what your political leanings are. That has to be dealt with. You have to suffer the consequences. I don't know that story, but. if she was. giving advice, it was it on a professional level or, well. She says. they had a professional relationship, but clearly they were friends. from the emails. But she's using saying that because. Is she an attorney? She's an attorney. I mean, she was literally president Obama's House, a white House counsel, and she's now the general counsel of, Goldman Sachs. So it doesn't get much better than that.

It's the first woman, senior woman that's been close to him that's got caught up in it. We're used to watching senior men get felled. by their adjacency to to Epstein. But this is the first time a woman I think has gotten caught up in it. Yeah. Even still, I don't know if she knew. I mean, maybe she thought he was dealing with scandal and maybe they were friends. I don't know, I don't want to cast aspersions. on people that I don't really know. I don't feel, you know, knowledgeable enough to to respond.

Totally. Fair. I mean, I'm curious about it because it's. I think public you. Come across a woman getting caught up in it, and also because she was President Obama's, counsel, which he had amazing connections. Jeffrey Epstein, you know, I still find it astonishing that she was running. this horrible network of girls. And then on the surface, he had all these incredible connections, and he was validated by all these other people. The.

You're not surprised by that, Joanna? I'm he was a very rich man, and he had influence and lucky. on an island and a plane. And let me just say, do you know, I don't know what. some of my friends do in the privacy of their homes. But the scale of this network, this industrialized. network of girls is, I think, unparalleled. Yes, that part is. But I'm just saying I'm responding to the general counsel. I forget her name, but.

Cassie, sometimes you don't know. what your friends are doing, and maybe you should be aware. More aware. But people there, I'm sure there were people who were close to him who did. No, I don't think that every single friend or acquaintance with Jeffrey Epstein. had an idea or knew what he was doing, so I don't think that they should be. somehow tainted because they knew or had a relationship or sent an email one time. Right. Well, it's a very interesting question. At this point. They knew he had been in jail for soliciting underage girls. That's true.

What you said is true. Do you have many friends. That have no. Gone to jail. For that? No. True. Right. Yeah. So and I'm not saying that they knew that it was going on. contemporaneously with their friendship post his jail. But. I, I do wonder about it. I do too, and I don't. I don't really have a good answer for that, because if I had a friend who. I don't know if I would still be friends with that person, I doubt that I would be. And if they were. because he was found guilty and hit to, then he'd have to like go to serve time.

And he had to do something. He had a sweetheart deal. Donald Trump yeah. Alex Acosta. Acosta. Based in Florida. And he went to jail. I think he was sentenced for 18 months, but he served 13. And most of the time he was on work release. So he slept in the prison, but he was free to go to work. And my understanding is that he was continuing his behavior. even when he was having to spend the nights in jail.

But also, you have to remember it was a different time. then, you know, this is pre me too. Right? And so right. I'm not saying it's right, it's totally wrong. But society had a different sort of response to those things right now. And society has always had. a fairly. knee jerk horror at the idea of underage prostitution. Yeah. I don't I'm not saying underage prostitution. I'm not talking about underage girls. Yeah, but I guess that was part of it. I was just talking about people who are, you know, I guess sort of traffic.

That's always been terrible. But I just think that now people there's there's an immediate response to, you know, you can't do this. You're not getting a sweetheart deal. Right? Times are different. Right. And so those things that may have been allowed back in the 90s. or the 80s, it's terrible. They should not have been allowed. But those are the times that we lived in. I know you say that, but then you look at the fact that the Trumps appear. to have been behind Andrew Tate and his brother getting out of Romania.

There's your answer. I mean, what's behind all of this? There's your answer. It's it's men being men and I. The New York Times report was very damning. I'd call it. No, I was going to say I've given birth to two men. I hope that they would never be involved in this. This is not all men know. It's not all. Men are not all men are rapists. Of course not. That's not what we're saying here. Okay? But, men, you know, I think men have a tendency to be.

you know, more of ogres and, and sexual whatever. Well, sexually violent. Than women do. That's just not usually not in a woman's nature. And, you know, it's not it's not that much testosterone and whatever. But men have gotten away from for with that for so long, they feel entitled. Not all of them, but some of them. And because we're talking about men. You mentioned the Tate brothers. We're talking about the extremes of the sexes.

Well, a gender not, you know, just the normal everyday man. Right. But their ability to somehow, monetize it with this idea. of the manosphere and, and this sort of. That's a right, Joseph. Right. But it's. but they. have followers and they have influence. And a. Really negative way on young men. Millions and millions and millions of young men. And during the election in 2024, I interviewed a lot of those young men. who got their information from Andrew Tate or Joe Rogan, or for.

Jordan, Peter. Jordan, Jordan Peterson and all of those kinds of folks who are like, you know, it's, this hyper masculinity, right, right. What it is to be a man. And so that's what that's what I'm talking about. But, it's it's terrible. I don't understand it because that's really not. what it's like to be a man at all. Well, I would hope not. I would hope not. Otherwise it would be so depressing to be a man. It's not. It's not what it's in. It's not what it should be like to be a man.

I think that men should be. I think that I think that we should teach women to be protectors of themselves. And I think men should be protectors of protectors of women as well. But in society, you know, but in today's society, especially in this sort of hyper. masculine culture that's on the right, the man is ahead of the house, all right. He leads the household. The woman is at home with kids. We need to have more children. And you know, this whole trad wife thing, that's what the right is preaching. And a lot of young men are buying into that. Well, oh.

Was Erica Kirk's new philosophy. It was Charlie Kirk's philosophy. Right? The Lord is at the top of the household. Yeah. And the man. Yeah. And then hopefully the man is good enough for the woman to follow. That's why. I think the conservatives in the MAGA right now, it's a conundrum with them. Well, it just feels so determinedly unimportant. But that's why again, back to it on modern. And that's why you have the Marjorie. Taylor Greens, a Lauren Boebert and the Nancy Masons of the world saying. that this administration does not protect women. Right. And who knew that it would be Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren.

Boebert and Nancy Mace? Yeah. Leaning into that and supporting Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna. in demanding the release of the Epstein. But I think Thomas Massie is a real is a real hero and champion in all of this. I really think that he is. And I'm looking I have to give as much as you know, I have disagreed, and I don't like Marjorie Taylor Greene's history, you know, of her actions and what she's done. I have to give her credit for what she is doing with the Epstein files. and saying that they should be released and standing up for.

Women, and the idea that you you support the victims as opposed. to the perpetrators, too, which is also important. I mean, who's being protected here? The women haven't been protected. But I was just going to say. it seems like the men are being protected, and I don't know what happened. To Donald Trump keeps saying we can't we can't vilify the men and we mustn't. You know, we shouldn't be using their names. The men who are in the files. Yeah. Yeah. I. come on, I know, you know.

Yeah. No, because he's saying that while he is helping to reportedly. get the tape, brothers released from Romania, from whatever they were in exile or in house arrest in, in in Romania. Right. And Baron Trump is now supposed to be talking to the Tates. Would you okay. As a parent, if your kids said, hey, I'm going to go hang, I'm going to go to dinner. or I'm going to go out to hang out to a bar or a club with the Tates. What would you say?

Well, you know, hopefully I will never have. to deal with that situation, but obviously I'd be appalled. I'll be appalled. My mom would say, no, you're not. You're sticking your ass in this house. And and if you go, I'm going with you. Yeah, well, that's actually the way I probably say, can I come to? Because I would want to find out about them. Yeah. So does Marjorie Taylor Greene. Do you think she leaves politics forever? I love you, you're hilarious. No, I don't think she leaves forever. You think she's coming back?

I think she's coming back. And I think she wants to come back. Either. Maybe as governor, and maybe she wants to run. to run for president, or she'll come back as a contributor, on CNN or somewhere else, or some station which is which is an in itself. political because. she's going to be talking about politics and what's happening in the world. Well, I was thinking Carolyn Leavitt must be coming to the end of her. She must be running out of patience with this job. And she must be just thinking, when do I get my Fox News gig right? Do you think a conversation with, about a with a friend. About that just last night at dinner?

Who is a talent agent? Oh. It's not believe what you're saying. Believes that she loves it. She was built for this. And after this, she's going to have a much bigger career. She's probably gonna end up at Fox News. Yeah. Of course. I mean, I see her with the primetime show on Fox News with her machine gun lips. Yeah, just doing her thing. Yeah, yeah. The interesting part of that is if she had to work at a network. or at a place where she had to rely on and abide by facts and truth,

she would not have this sort of rapid. Yes. Would you say shotgun? Would you say a machine? Machine gun? Yeah. Yes. Because. Because she couldn't. Just because fast. You couldn't just lie about and just say anything. She'd have to. And they would say, you can't say that because it's not true. And then she'd have to go, oh, what do you mean? It's well, it's not true. Fox news would be ideal for. It would be perfect for. Yeah, yeah, it'd be perfect for her. Okay. So you think Marjorie Taylor Greene may come back? Possibly in a run for president? I could see that she might want to be the first female president.

Yeah. Wouldn't it be amazing? Look again. What a turn up for events. I think. First of all, I don't believe it. Now I am I'm willing to believe it at some point. I hope that people have epiphanies. and they have a change of heart. And, you know, sometimes people can. Maybe they get a sodium pentothal shot and pentothal shot and they a truth serum, and they realize, oh, my gosh, I must tell the truth. So I hope there's some sort of evolution for her.

And if she starts to show that in her actions, then I'll say more power to her and I'll give her her credit. But right now, it's too early, and there's too much history of her doing the wrong thing. And I don't just mean, ideologically, but the way that she speaks to people, the way that she, treated a sitting president of the United States, the lack of respect that she has for people, you know, the things that just came out of her mouth,

the conspiracy theories that QAnon that got her to that position. And so that's going to take a while for me, and I believe most Americans to. to get on the Marjorie Taylor Greene bandwagon, she's going to have to change a lot of minds if she wants to have, you know, the possibility of being a president of the United States one day. Right? Or the new leader of MAGA. So, Donald Trump may be a new leader. It may not be MAGA, it may be another party. Maybe. Maybe what she said, on 60 minutes is the party that she's going to be the leader of.

And that is the America First party. So maybe she will start her own party that they own. They're going to start their own party. I mean, Elon Musk said he was going to do that and nobody actually does. Yeah, Elon Musk has the capital, financial capital, the resources to be able to do that. But I don't believe he has the political, savvy to do it. Marjorie Taylor Greene does. Yeah. And in a surprising way. Okay. So President Trump seems to be.

President Trump seems to have a sense that all is not going well. He's getting back out on the road. He did his Pennsylvania rally, I missed it, I was out of the country. Fill me in. Okay, so, I can't sit through a whole rally, so I just. I just watch the clips because it's ridiculous. But, the it is believe there are two reasons why he did that rally. Well, he that his staff asked him or sort of pushed him out there to do the rally.

One is because he's getting in the way. He's getting the word, he's getting in the way of their work. that they're doing in the West Wing and in Washington. And so they want him out, right. And that's interesting. We want to, you know, okay, create some distance. so they can get some stuff done. That is what they're reporting. And you know when they say the streets are talking, the other thing is, is that they see he's underwater. on his numbers on the economy, health care. And his he's, it's even dropped in with immigration, although that's his best one.

But specifically on the ice and all the videos we're seeing, this. Horrible video that's taking his numbers down with immigration. So, they told him you. have to stop saying affordability is a hoax. You have to get out there. This is these are the reports you have to get out there, and you have to tell people. that it's not a hoax and that you have to get them on your side. because your numbers are dropping and you're losing support. And then the first thing he does, he gets out there and he says, it's. a it's, you know, the Democrats, it's a Democrat hoax.

Affordability. They come up with these affordability numbers and they think it. And then my staff says, you know, I shouldn't say it, but I'll say it. It's a hoax. And he says, the economy's great. Gas prices are way down. Energy is great. You got more. you going to have, you have more money and you don't have to buy your kids $37. You just buy them two or whatever, which is preaching us. That's. what is it? Austerity. That's what he's teaching, teaching us,

which is like North Korea or, you know, the Soviet Russia. And so this. Is the land where people can buy this. Is a land of plenty. This is just. The land of $30. Yes. And so people were leaving, but there was someone who spoke at the rally. who said her money wasn't going as far as it was. And I was like, he didn't hear that woman. And then people were leaving the rally. The few people, the couple hundred people who did show up to that rally, right. They were leaving saying the president is wrong, that he's a he's delusional as it relates to the economy. So has he lost his ability to understand the room?

Because one of the things that people have always said about him. is that when he's in the room, he can read the room. He understands what people want to hear, but people don't want to be told that they can't buy 30. But in a way, he doesn't have to because he's president now, right? Got him into office. And so now he's just running roughshod and he wants to do what he wants to do. He wants to become a real billionaire. And he has become a real billionaire. After being in office. He wants to make his friends rich. He's doing it right, wants to make the rich people richer.

He doesn't care about poor people. He doesn't care about working class people. Doesn't. He never has. About losing the midterms. Doesn't he care about losing the house? Well, he does care about losing. So it doesn't matter about his policies. What the way he's trying to win the midterms is through gerrymandering, is through trying to steal seats from Democrats. So he doesn't it doesn't matter what comes out of his mouth. He doesn't really care. So he'll find a way to do it illegally or.

I don't know if it's illegally, but in some nefarious way, he's going to game. the system in order to do it and then continue. to push whatever he wants to push through, and that's to make himself richer. Do you think that we will have proper midterms? Do you think they will actually interfere with them? I mean, remember the big lie? How could we forget. That the chances of us having a proper midterm are diminishing day by day by day? Do you really. Do? Yes. That's alarming.

It is. And but it's giving me hope. When you look at what Indiana did. Well, let's talk about Indiana. Yeah. What what Indiana. That the court there. blocked the gerrymandering that the Republicans wanted to do there. That was a loss for Donald Trump. But they did in Texas. But somehow I think they've gotten it back. I forget exactly what happened to Texas, but this is a problem of his own making. Because he started with this by telling Texas, you got to do this. And then going around Indiana and all those places, and now Gavin Newsom is going to be in a position to be able to add seats.

And so and so, so this is a problem of his own. Mired always does Venezuela backfired on him. Right. Tish James backfired on him. Yep. James Comey by James. Comey backfired on. Them. Right? Putting all his people in at the Justice Department has backfired on him. All of these Epstein, Epstein, Epstein distractions have backfired. And he thought that maybe, maybe I can strike a boat right in Venezuela. I can create this whole thing about drugs. And, and then that'll distract from Epstein.

I mean, I'll sue all of my political enemies or try to prosecute them, rather, and then that and then it just backfires on him. Or I just say the Democrats, you know, it's a hoax because they they. they'll get upset if I say that. And then it just sort of backs backfires out. But what's so interesting too is that he's he's surrounded. And we've talked about this on our podcast a lot, and I know you have two. He's surrounded himself with people who are morons who really can't do the job. These are complicated jobs.

You are held to account in these jobs. There is a court system that holds people to account. So no one is telling him. No one appears to be giving him advice saying, you can't do this because it will backfire. On you because he doesn't have anybody who is willing to do it right. Except for maybe, maybe Susie Wiles. I don't know, maybe her strategy is to get him out of the white House as much as possible. I don't know, but you you've had good bosses. before and bad bosses before, and I've had good bosses and bad bosses.

The good bosses want people around them who are smart and smarter than them. Right? You never want to be the. Smart, never want to be. Donald Trump wants to be the smartest person on the right. And so that's why he hires. And he hires people who are flawed, who will listen to him and who won't stand up to him, and. Who, who beyond any other qualification, are loyal. And damaged. Loyal. And damn, they know that I would not be able to have this opportunity. under any other president. And at any other moment. Right. And that's what a lot of folks are taking advantage of.

The media companies, the companies, the CEOs are cozying up to him beyond the media companies they know. This is a moment to rake it in, rake in the cash. And that's what they're doing. And, you know, democracy, journalism, the First Amendment, all of that. The Emoluments Clause, all of that, scruples, morals be damned. We're getting rich. Do you think that it can ever be repaired? Yes, because. I'm an optimist, I it will take a while to be repaired.

And I do think that, in a weird way, it's it's I think it's kind of good that this this happened because then now people. see they see that we need guardrails as it relates to a president, right? That not all presidents are going to be abide by the rules. Not all presidents, quite frankly, are going to be a squeaky. clean as Barack Obama, regardless about what you think. about what he accomplished and what he didn't. He was pretty squeaky clean as a president. You know what I mean? Yeah, there was never a hint or a. Hint of corruption that he had to that he had to. I mean, he's a black man first. Black president. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, they're they're all getting rich.

Everybody's everybody's turning the other way and just ignoring it. And even even the media, they're just ignoring it or going along. Well, we're not ignoring it. You're not ignoring. No, but I mean, I'm talking about corporate mainstream media. We're not. We're more on the independent and, you know, we're. I shouldn't say the resistance, and I don't mean resisting republicanism or MAGA is and but resisting lies. Yeah. Although I would say the journal has been very good on this stuff. The Wall Street Journal and I, Rupert Murdoch, New York Times has been very dogged on it.

CNN has been doing that. Let me tell you, there's a difference. So when I say that, I don't think the problem is. the journalists are not the problem. It's the gatekeepers. It's what I'm saying. So the journalists can't always be their full selves. because their jobs, they don't want to lose their jobs. They have families. They need to pay their bills. They need to pay for health care. They need to pay their mortgages. They need to, you know, take care of their kids and all of those things. And so if you know, you work for a company that's trying to do business.

with the government, then you're going to be careful, because if you say something and that and you get that, you get Donald. Trump pissed off, your merger acquisition may not go through well. Which is why I think what's happening in the Wall Street Journal is so interesting, because the the op ed pages seem to be very independent, and so does the news that the paper's broken a lot of anti-Trump. Stories and a lot of stories. And they are they are a shining example of that. But not everyone is doing it. I think.

I think that a lot of this stuff that's happening would not be happening. if it were not for the control that Donald Trump has over the media now. Right? Right. It would not it would it would, they would go in, look, they want to he said it at a press conference the other day. It's news that he wants CNN to be sold, that he thinks CNN is being run. by, as you say, very stupid people or dumb people or something like that. I'm not. What I'm. Sure all of the above. He should never be weighing in on a news organization that way.

And so that's the moment where we're in. And he has made it clear who he wants. to own Warner Brothers discovery. Right. Which owns CNN. Right. His friends, the Allisons, who also look like they're going to end up owning TikTok. And they own CBS. And he has said when Marjorie Taylor Greene was on 60 minutes, he put out this scathing post saying they should never have interviewed her. They're worse than the former owners. And why did they go a long way? Basically saying, why did I go along with this sale? Because you're no better than the other people.

So do you think that then end up undermining the paramount deal. for all the Paramount bid, the hostile bid for Warner Brothers? No. Okay, well, it looks like they haven't been able to keep control of CBS. 60 minutes, CBS news. You mean Paramount? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, they're keeping some control over it. I mean, look, I mean, you're talking about. because they interviewed Marjorie Taylor Greene. Yeah, yeah, I think, look, I think that they're going to continue to do good work, but it's more than 60 minutes and it's more.

And they just got started. Barry Weiss is just starting right. And so you know, they are doing. I think she's doing a town. She did a town hall. She did a town hall, with Erica Kirk. I mean, how long has Charlie Kirk been dead? And. Well, Erica Kirk's on a book tour, right? So I think CBS is one of the last stages of the. Town hall and CBS news this late in the game. Sure. Give her an interview on the morning show like you do everybody else.

Give her, you know, a segment on, the evening news, maybe, but a town. hall to talk about what that is pushing ideology in people's faces. And I don't think this late in the game, if there were. if there was a figure on the Democratic side. that news organizations would be rushing to do a town hall with some. I don't even know if there's a figure like that on the Democratic side. Right. There is no one. There's no organization like that. All right. So changing subjects, Donald Trump's health,

you know, I can't believe that he's unable to find a foundation. that actually matches his skin tone on his hand because it's like. there's 48 different tones of foundation and concealer at this point. So why is he wearing one that draws attention to the bruises? But we've talked before about the obvious signs. You know, the cankles, the bruises, the fatigue. He's fallen asleep twice in cabinet meetings.

Does he is he able to stay awake long enough to get to the midterm? That is a very interesting question. Well, first of all, I hear. Caroline Leavitt needs a better excuse than he shaking a lot of hands. And also, he's not. She's not shaking a lot of hands. And so and that and if you shake my hand okay. So yeah. This. Is completely free. I am. Squeezing here. Right, right. That's how you'd have to shake hands. And I want to get that right. Especially on both hands.

Right. Okay. So there's an issue with that. Is he going to. This is something. I hope that people start writing books and articles about because, Donald Trump can't walk in a straight line. If you see him getting on Marine One the other day, you see that, like, Melania is pushing me, the direction is kind of wobbling. He you saw him with Putin and the walking the straight line. You, you hear him like, you know, he can't remember things. He confuses people. Now, look. I'm not saying that the man.

is losing his mind, but has he lost his step? Yes. You know, I'm not I'm not as sharp as I was in my 20s or 30 or 40s. And so this is just something that naturally happens with age. And we should all be so lucky. that we get to be 70 or 80 or 90 years old, because it will happen to all of us. at some point. Right? But that doesn't mean that we want the oldest president. running things right now in. A great so. But I think that the I don't know if they're being, I don't believe if they're being as transparent as possible,

as candid as possible about what is happening with Donald Trump's health. And he is falling asleep and it's definitely for know. They said that, oh, he was just resting his eyes and he's bored. It's like, okay. Well, why is he bought in a cabinet meeting? The world is on, you know, is dealing with so many fires. Well, he but he is alert enough in that cabinet meeting. once he wakes up to be angry and to insult, Somalians and to call, Ilhan Omar, garbage and Somalia and Somalians. Garbage. So he's getting angrier.

He is lashing out at reporters more often, as he always said, outlandish stuff, but not to the degree that he's saying it now. Quiet, piggy. I you know. Yeah, you're a stupid person. You see a stupid person and your network sucks. And, you know, this is why no one watches you. And he said he did things like that occasionally, but now it's almost every day. And what part of it is distraction? I believe in part of it. It's just that I think that he he doesn't have control of his emotions, and I think he's really concerned about the Epstein files.

I think they're driving him a little batty. Yeah, that's an interesting that the Epstein Files has sort of knocked him. It's like the nail in the coffin. That's just sort. Of the thing I think I said, I think I said it on your, in the last podcast we did together. It's the thing that breaks the spell. And I think it has broken the spell for a lot of people, a lot of MAGA supporters. Okay, well, Don, you have to come back. We have to, Wolf. That's this. Yes. That's it. We I mean, we've covered a lot of ground, my friend.

You have to come back and we have to discuss this more because this is a lot. This is a lot. And it's broken the spell. I will come back and discuss more now on my taxi ride home. Yes. My my taxi expectations are going to be so high. They're going to be. But imagine that taxi driver. He's going to be telling everybody he ran into Don lemon. And also it's such a moment when you're like, oh my God. And then you might think, oh, I'm. going mad because I'm hearing my own theme music. I guess what. I thought I was like, what is going on? Right? At first I was like, oh, that's my music.

Yeah, that's very cool. Well, then it was you. It was you talking about how much you like Z biotics. Yeah, yeah, you should get some. It works. Does it really. I don't do I don't have any. If you're a sponsor on my show, I've tried it and I like it. If not right, I don't do it. No, I agree, I. Can, I say can I promote something? Well it depends what it is. You can't promote Z. No no no no no no no no no no. I'm happy to promote Z biotics if you pay us for an upgrade. But I will try them first. Yeah, I didn't drink enough to need sleep. I think you.

Have a couple of glasses of wine and whatever. You should do it. Really? Yeah. And then you'll see you'll. The most I do these days is a tequila gimlet. No. Delicious on a big rock. No, but. My favorite drink. Oh, good. Well, I'm doing something very interesting on New Year's Eve, and I want people to tune in. I'm going to be. I'm streaming live from New Orleans. I have a New Year's Eve special. New Orleans. Okay, here's Eve on the Don Lemon Show, on YouTube, on Twitch, on. You know, you can stream it and. All of it. Yeah. Roadblocks. Oh, can I stream it on the on the Daily Beast?

Maybe. Yeah. Maybe you could. Do New Year's Eve live from New Orleans with Don lemon, and I'll have some special guests and co-hosts, having an. Interesting. Okay. Yeah, well, we have co-hosted one thing before we do. We co-hosted one of the Oscars for CNN. I remember that. Oh my gosh. Yes. Yeah. Long time one. Yeah, that was fun. I, I lost a lot of weight to fit into my dress. But you don't need to lose weight. Well, I thank you for that. Sadly, I no longer fit into that dress, but that was a fun event. Who is that? Is that, This is Prada, this t shirt.

It's the oldest t shirt I have. It's, like 15 years old, and I love it. It looks like some supermodel or an in excess something photo from the 80s. It's really cool, desert Rose. But, Joanna, merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, don't I? I will I will ask you to send me an ornament. I come on, producers, we need some sort of like we need Christmas things in the background. This is what happens, I go away, I come back, nothing's changed. Nothing's changed. I was expecting to walk into a winter wonderland.

I was in Abu Dhabi for the bridge conference. And it's an interesting mix of Middle East and West because you're in a muslim. country, everybody's walking around in white robes and the women are in black. The men are in white robes with those headdresses. The women are in black robes. And then there's Christmas music everywhere and Christmas trees. It's very odd. It's very political. All right. I'm about to look. It's. Thank you. It's all right. So we've we've just exhausted you. You've lost your voice.

No, it's a cold. Can't breathe anymore. Thank you. All right, Don, happy holidays. Happy holidays to. You. Holidays. What I love about Don. is he's just got such great, positive energy. And he's always got opinions about absolutely everything. And I'm intrigued that he thinks that Marjorie Taylor. Greene might run for president. Watch this space. Anyway, he'll be coming back soon. If you have been. Thank you for watching the podcast.

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