This Is The Dark Reason Trump Terrified Graham | Inside Trump's Head

I felt very clearly he was afraid of Donald Trump. I don't think that there's anybody in Washington in. any informed level, who was not aware that Lindsey, Lindsey Graham was gay, but Lindsey Graham was also in the closet. What did that mean to Donald Trump? I'm not sure that it meant anything. more to Donald Trump than he had something on Lindsey. Lindsey Graham was an absolute suck up. He decided that this was how he was going to play. This sucking up was the basic price of admission.

It was the entire thing. That was what you you had to do in order. to get more access in order to sustain access. It was just a question of how much sucking you were willing to do. Joanna, why are we being quiet this morning? Because do we death? Because of death? Because of death. Okay, so the slush fund, big.

slap in the face for Trump from the Miami judge. Mitch McConnell, dead or alive hostage videos. Lindsey Graham definitely dead and has, I guess, my first question for you inside Trump's head, which is where we go. three times a week to poke around and see what's. left in there, is, well, let me read the. let me read the Truth social that Donald Trump put out on on Sunday.

Or maybe it was Saturday night. Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known, is dead. He was always working and was a true American patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed. Three exclamation points. Details and arrangements to follow. So sad. Single exclamation point. Is it possible that Donald Trump is actually sad about. Well, let me. I think my answer to that would be involves the setup to this.

to how it truth. One of these posts gets done and this is a definitely I will guarantee this. It's a Trump saying Natalie, we we need a we need a post on Lindsey. That's it. So that's the that's the sentiment here. Okay. This is interesting because I had an argument. with someone over the weekend about this. And I said, why can't we have a president that just puts out something. that feels solemn and slightly formal?

And he was like, you've missed the point. This is how people talk. This is why people love Donald Trump. Well, yeah. And it's a sort of a double double point here. He gets this because they know the staff. Natalie particularly knows that they have to write in Donald Trump's voice. But surely this isn't Donald Trump's voice with three exclamation points. It feels like a teenage girl. It feels like Natalie Harp's voice. It is Donald. Well, Natalie Harp's voice and Donald Trump's voice.

intersect at some point, right? Because she does. I'd say she does. The overwhelming. number of posts are from Natalie. I mean, there are a lot of the posts that are from him, but I'd say. But because considering how many posts there are. I would say she does three quarters of the posts. So she's the social media with behind him. What's interesting is how few people are on Truth Social. I mean, obviously. his true socials get picked up, but it's amazing how he'll post something.

like this. And there's 4000 likes. Yeah. No, I mean, I think we've we've discussed this before. I mean, this this was a constant theme during the campaign. because he would post in this obsessive, crazy, pathological fashion. and the staff would say, oh my God, thank God he's not on X or Twitter. Oh, interesting. Because they would say it, God, no one sees this, right? Except they do see it now. Well, now.

No, no, actually they don't. There are so many. So all all we see is. those few that actually surface in the media. Otherwise you can't. First thing you can't keep up with them, right? And secondly, the entire media would be nothing but Donald Trump's posts. otherwise. Well, you can clearly see who's got inside his head over the weekend. because there was a post of Jon Ossoff looking like it said pee wee Herman. And then there's a picture of Pee wee Herman and Jon Ossoff.

And then there was a picture of Alfred Newman on. the cover of mad, next to James Talarico with one of his teeth blacked out. Okay, that's Natalie okay with that? I mean, she's the art. Donald Trump doesn't do art, right? So so when he's posting himself as Jesus, that's Natalie. Is it totally Natalie? Yes. Right. And then then the other thing, and it's interesting, I want to come back. to the question of whether Donald Trump is upset about the death of his friend.

He's right there, golfed over 150 times. He has a lot of dead golfing buddies. But those foursomes, it's just, you know, one person. that's not able to come that's very, very Curb Your Enthusiasm line. But but the the. so this idea that Lindsey Graham. sister is going to replace him. in the Darlene Darlene in the in the Senate,

you know basically take up his stub term and then the the. So I think that we're explaining that that is being explained as Donald Trump. posted a truth social about this and that's why it happened. That's not why it happened. Why why did it happen? Well, it's first thing it always happens. Nobody wants to have have have nobody wants, nobody wants an empty seat. Nobody wants a.

The process of calling a special election takes X amount of time. They want somebody who will cast the reliable. They want someone in the. confirmation hearings this week who's going to vote for. Yeah exactly. So they do that. So that's the and it's also a kind of a tip of the hat thing. Everybody likes this. The voters in South South Carolina it's a death thing. It's a death I think it's remarkable. that so many I mean I was looking it up I think 38.

widow widows have followed their husbands. into their seats in the House and then eight senators. Yeah. No, it's a a common place thing. There's actually even there there is a West Wing episode. There is about this. Okay. I just want you to know that were you to have a crash on the Jitney. and to sadly be no longer with us, which I hope doesn't happen,

I'm not going to be calling your sister. I like your sister very much. I've met her. I don't think that she would be as good as you are at going inside. Trump had. You would call my wife in a heartbeat and she would fill in and no one would. No one would know the difference. Yes. Okay, Victoria, we have a plan B should something happen to Michael. But the more this is, this is more about not not about that custom, which is a weird custom. You're absolutely right. But it is a totally weird custom. It's it's the epitome of nepo or Nepo.

Is it nepo or Nepo? That is Nepo. But yeah, I'm not sure. It's not because it's not really. Nobody is really getting anything. It's just literally you're a placeholder. Give me the family. It's a political tip of the hat. It probably actually doesn't happen if the if the if the particular. whoever dies is a hated person in the state and they probably. and they probably do something else. But you know, names in politics are are a big deal and sprout names.

So but, but but this idea. that this that this is that this came from him. I mean, I just want to I think it's important to understand. these truth social and these truth social posts are essentially. a major tool of this. administration of, of of Donald Trump. This is all lobbying. People call him there online. Can he do a Truth Social post about this?

Can he do a Truth Social post about that? We need this. We can't get this through. We can't get this on the media agenda unless he does this. I myself have gotten truth social posts about myself. I've gotten Donald Trump to say terrible things about me. because it, you know, helps sell books. Well, you've got Donald Trump to say. terrible things about you because it sells books.

So so you just you just tweet about my book, I need you to Truth Social about my book. Yes, I wouldn't it would be more complicated than that. I will go to someone I know in the white House who then will do. me a favor and then will suggest to Trump that, you know, I'm a terrible person. And so, for example, this is all everybody. So, so remember this, this is all everybody is kind of. there's an act of manipulation going on.

So everybody's working it all time. So for example, with your first book. when I think he asked for an injunction didn't he. Yes. That that was legitimate. I mean, it was not legitimate, but that that was spontaneous. That was spontaneous. But otherwise you've just been hustling the president like everybody else. Of course. I mean, there's a few others that he's just he's expressed genuine ire, but otherwise it's it's people calling, you know, somebody calling me.

I mean, there's one person from the white House who I remember. there was a particular post about me and then this and then this. Then the person in the white House called me and said, you owe me. Interesting. So, so can we just get back to my first question, please? Is Donald Trump sad? Is he impacted emotionally, psychologically by the sudden death. of someone who does appear to have been a friend,

or at least a golfing buddy over 150 games? Is he? Is he impacted emotionally and psychologically by Lindsey Graham dying? I mean, the man was nine years old. I went. Yes. I mean, I mean, I wouldn't go. he's not breaking down about it, but but but I mean I think so. Yeah, I mean I, you know, yes, he's a golfing buddy, I think, I think every he's lost literally. It's true. He has lost a lot of, a lot of foursome members and it does.

You know, I'm sure it does affect him. somewhat. But you know, he's he's he's the president of the United States. I mean, I mean, let's not even see this exactly in a, in a Donald Trump context. He's the president of the United States. He's dealing with lots and lots and lots of people. in a professional capacity at all times. So how much?

Yeah, I'm sure he's. But wasn't Lindsey someone who was very useful. because he was carrying information? I'm sure. Yes. Yeah, but that becomes a political setback. Yes. I'm sure that he sees this as a political inconvenience. Right. So. So you knew Lindsey Graham. thoughts? I liked Lindsey Graham. I mean, I liked him, you know, a great deal actually.

Now, I think I would say that about anyone who. Who talks to me in, in a relatively unvarnished way. I mean, so you have a kind of relationship with sources. that that develop over, you know, how open are you going to be with me? How how it's not only how open, but how informative. You know, you speak to a lot of people. You call up a lot of people what you're then you get the same old stuff.

You didn't really even have to speak to them. You could have you could have just imagined what they would say. Lindsey Graham, you you would I would speak to him and then he would. say, he would say something interesting, something funny, something, you know, a slight turn on what you're asking him about. Oh, I hadn't thought thought about that. And he would do it. He had the ability, you know, and he didn't really know me. We didn't know each other very well, but he had the ability.

to kind of create that kind of that kind of rapport. And he was. I think, I think it was. And I think this is an important source for your books. Is that what you're saying? Yeah. Yeah. Yes. He he was a source. But in fact, I think he was everybody's source. Right? I mean, I've often thought that in Washington there are only five sources. and they are the five sources for everybody. Right?

There are just people who decide to talk. There are people who decide to talk. There are people who like to talk. There are people who, who, who, who see an advantage in, in, in having their story, their version being, being, being top of mind. You know, there was. Woodward and Bernstein story about, you know, Deep Throat.

And it came out that. that Deep Throat. was they identified him as Mark felt, who was, I think an assistant director of the of the FBI. Yeah. But the truth is, Mark felt was everybody's source during Watergate. So that was that was the kind of one of those interesting constructs. I mean, we've, we've we've given him a name and he's. Deep Throat and parking lots and all that. Right.

But everybody Mark felt talked to everybody during that, that period. Okay. So Lindsey Graham was the source of some of the stories about Trump. Did Trump know and mind? I, I don't know. You know that's an interesting question. And I don't know the answer. And and and remember Lindsey Graham, it wasn't as if he was.

he was necessarily dissing the president. I mean, he was giving a. I would describe it as giving a full picture. He had a sense of the contradictions going on there. He had a sense of the game of playing the Trump game. And, and I would say say two things about about Lindsey. There were two ways of looking at this, that that here was a guy. clearly who enjoyed playing the game.

He was a guy who clearly understood the game. Here was a guy who who very much he was willing. to be Trump's caddie if it got him what he wanted. That was the game. So I put that on one side. The other side. is I felt I felt very clearly. He was afraid of Donald Trump. Go on. You know, and he would talk about this about about Trump was you know, I remember.

once he described Trump in animal terms, he's like, you know, you don't know. I mean, it's like a wild animal. You don't know if he'll turn on you like the bison in Yellowstone. that just tossed that whole grandfather in the in the end, Donald Trump kind of. looks like a bison. Yes. We've always said he looks like a bison. Right. But I felt that I felt that that was that he understood. that he was playing with fire. He understood that Donald Trump could.

was a very volatile presence. Who could, who could? If he was unhappy with you, he would take it out on you. And, you know, behind this, there was this thing. So Lindsey Graham was by. you know, I don't I don't think there's anyone there was. there was no question there didn't I don't think that there's anybody. in Washington at any informed level who was not aware that Lindsey, Lindsey Graham was gay, but Lindsey Graham was also in the closet.

This was a you know, he's say he was gay. Did he have relationships? Did he have lovers or was he gay but didn't act on it? No, I think he probably had relationship, I don't know. But certainly that was the. that was always the discussion. So there was always the thing. And within this was also a discussion within the, within the Trump circle.

So this was very known. And what would what did that mean to Donald Trump. You know I'm not. I'm not sure that it meant anything more. to Donald Trump than he had something on Lindsey. And the thing that you're saying he had on him was that he was there. He knew he was. I think that there was. Yeah. I'm I mean, again, this is this is Lindsey Graham.

Never, never he never said I'm gay. And Donald Trump is going to, you know, if if I'm. Yeah, if I don't suck up to Donald Trump, I'm screwed. Never. Of course, never anything like that. But again, that sense of of. of Donald Trump as this, as this, as this unknown, a constant variable, what is he going to do? And Lindsey Graham having something that he was vulnerable over. because one assumes that, of course, or certainly when he first got elected,

obviously less so now but representing South Carolina. Yeah. No. And even now I think it's, you know, I mean, 71 years old and you haven't fessed up to this. Yeah. I mean I think no, Lindsey Graham obviously also knew the game. You know people are this is politics. This is power at a very high level. If you're if people will do anything to you.

Nothing is off limits in this context. Well, and you will also do anything. Right. So he would swap 180. I mean, what was it. Donald Trump said 40 minutes after Lindsey Graham said January the 6th is enough. Enough is enough. I'm out. 40 minutes later, he called Donald Trump and said, oh, that wasn't me. I didn't really mean it. I don't know why. Oh, yeah. No, no. And we shouldn't. I mean, Lindsey Graham was an absolute suck up. He decided that this was how he was going to play this, how he had to play this,

how he how how to what advantage. it would be to play it this way in absolute suck up. I mean, in embarrassing suck up in people within the Trump circle would. would, would joke about this, you know, if you needed if you needed somebody to reassure the president, you call Lindsey Lindsey cos and tells the president, you know, you're fantastic. Yeah. Right.

And also. it got him what he wanted, which is proximity to power. I mean, it's, it's such a, it's so evident. It was so open. His constant changing of positions that this is. what you had to do to get proximity to power to Trump. Yeah. No. And I think it makes the point the more you suck up. So suck up. Sucking up was was not just the price of, you know, the basic price of admission.

It was the entire thing. That was what you, you had to do in order to get more access, as in order to sustain access in order to, for your access to be greater than anyone else's. It was just a question of how much sucking you were willing to do. But we've also discussed how Trump doesn't like Trump wants people to suck up, but he also despises people who are very complicated. It's a complicated thing how to do that.

And I often think that that was that was why. Lindsey. and, and and so many others then would have. a parallel life talking about I was just going to say, right, the way that you offset the suck up and the shame of the suck up is that you. then try and tell truths about Donald Trump. No, no, in mine him in a different way. So it's very, you know, you know, I mean, this is not so it's not understand this.

It's not just, oh, all I have to do is suck up to Donald Trump. and then I get what I want. And that's just in just that's basic and easy. It's very difficult because you have to suck up to Donald Trump. At the same time, he's showing contempt for you sucking up. So how do you navigate that without killing yourself? And did Lindsey Graham maybe he did. Maybe. I don't think he did. I think it was an aortic schism. No.

But if we say if we say he might have, we just said, you know, that'll be conspiracy clicks, a whole a whole new business, a whole new business. So before we go on to the the ultimate conspiracy going on right. now, which is Mitch McConnell, did Lindsey Graham like Donald Trump? Was he a necessary evil for. Lindsey to get as close to power as he could and maybe Donald Trump? I mean, I don't think really like is is a.

is is a consideration in this context. He's the president of the United States. He's capable of giving you anything that you want, of extending. you power beyond your your wildest dreams. No. So you don't you don't really think in terms of liking. And if you were forced to think in terms of liking, no, you would say, no, this guy's a monster. And do you think he will get his Russia in heaven?

No, I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say. Do you think he will be able to get his Russian sanctions bill through? I mean, that was his plan for the week. Yeah, well, death is often, often helps you in these in these things. Yeah. People. It's another death tip. We have to give this for the memory of. Right. So Darlene will step in for Lindsey and he, she and Richard Blumenthal from Senator.

from Connecticut, who was working on it with him will get it through. I'd say there's a good chance. Yeah. Okay. So next question, given the neo, the neo nature of American politics, should Elaine Chao just step in for Mitch McConnell at this point? Well, no. Well, he he has to be dead. Well, does he have to be dead or couldn't he just step aside? I mean, he doesn't seem to be speaking.

That's the weird thing. Why didn't they just release a video? Everybody has a cell phone. It's very strange. I, you know, this is open, you know? Yeah, yeah. There is no conspiracy. This is only a conspiracy that that that you and others have created. This is a this is this is okay. This is this is. Yeah. This is the click conspiracy. Let's go to something that was probably much more basic here. The guy is in terrible shape. He's at the absolute end of his career.

Nobody wants to say to him, now put this on on him. At this point you're out. You're in such bad shape. I think that this is just the kind of a courtesy moment. which is family especially, is observing. And they're saying, we don't care about this. We don't care what people say. All our only concern is this guy is suffering. He's had a long career. He doesn't deserve this. And we are trying with as much dignity as possible.

And there isn't much letting letting this run its course. So we don't care about about Trump. And we know who we really hate, actually. And we're not really thinking. We're not really thinking about about the Senate. We're not thinking about about about the business of the Senate. or the business of the country. We're just thinking about, you know, Mitch, our. husband or father or whatever, but that's his team.

Are is actually putting out statements saying Mitch is very much engaged. He's, you know, we're having discussions about Iran, which we're going to come on to in a minute. Yeah. Well, yeah, he's probably there's some on some basis. Yeah. Well, I think that he can. he can probably listen and probably is somewhat responsive. Yeah I mean I think he's, he's a quite a, he's, he's in bad shape. He has been in bad shape for a long time.

So this doesn't should not come as a surprise. And he is just they're just trying to run out the clock in. with as much sensitivity to him as possible. So that's the conspiracy sensitivity okay. So sensitivity. So Laura Loomer not one for enormous amounts. of sensitivity, it appears, says he's in a persistent vegetative state, that she put this out on social media and that the white House,

who will call her if she gets things wrong, hasn't called her about this. What do you mean? The white House will call her if she gets things. Well, she says that she speaks to the president sometimes. does what the president wants. So this is she's acting. Remember, Donald Trump hates Mitch McConnell. I would say right up there with all of the people that he hates. Mitch. is maybe at the right at the top of that list.

And so, yeah, so I think, I think he's, he's, he's, he's now torturing Mitch. in his final moments. Interesting. So Trump is torturing Mitch. Yeah. And clearly I don't know how we continue talking about this. But the Strait of Hormuz is closed again. The memo of seems to be disintegrating as we speak. I mean, this is a kind of no, no, I mean, I was thinking about this.

We have this is a this is a yet another seminal moment in this ongoing war. that Donald Trump can't extract him or or, well, us or the United States from. So and we just go on these cycles again, just it's just on repeat, you know, in Trump is always on repeat because he is such a limited. range of, of of intelligence. Finally, this is what this is about.

Limited range of understanding gives him a limited range of options. And so we're back again to where we were, if not last week than the week before. And several, many, many weeks before. that, saying that this is a Donald Trump who promised no forever. wars is now in obviously is a forever war. Do you think he regrets it? Yeah. Well, I think he regrets being in a forever war.

Yeah. Does he? But I think you're asking a different question. Does does he believe that what he's done, that he made errors that have gotten him, gotten him into this position. and got in the United States into this position? No. He never acknowledges an error, doesn't seem to have the capacity to or the. or the self-awareness to appreciate that he might have made an error. You know, this is just, again, someone else's fault.

So he really does seem to be in a situation. where the memo of understanding has evaporated. Each side is attacking the other. Again, this could go on and on. That's what's called the forever war. Yeah. And again, clearly of his making, the memo of understanding. was was meant all things to all people. Therefore, you know, the Strait of Hormuz,

you know, that point of vulnerability which, which has from the, from the beginning of this, of this war has stood out. And now this other weird thing of him charging. Right. So both sides now want to charge for the Strait of Hormuz, right after Marco Rubio, secretary of state, head of national security, governor of Venezuela, whatever he is, all his different jobs,

said it's against international law for anybody to charge. Well, this is this is a Trump thing. And you can see how he does. We're going to we're going to charge. No, I'm going to charge. You know, it's that it's that old fuck, you know, fuck you. Right. So he's learned his foreign diplomacy from watching Scorsese movies. Yeah. Well, it's just again that, you know, to understand the limitations here, just the limitations of intelligence, which is what it is.

I mean, he can't he just doesn't know what to do. This is he he reacts in such a. in such a narrow fashion to almost anything. Think about his language. The language is always narrow. The same language for any situation, the same 11 words used over and over again. All, all. Well, I feel like we're using the same words over. and over again for the Strait of Hormuz, because what else are you supposed to say?

I mean, it feels like we're now stuck in this, as you say, forever. Well, we of course are are stuck. So. And we're stuck because because of of his limitations. in, in, well, getting us into it and then getting us out of it. Well and also his, his sort of obsession with being what he thinks of. as the smartest man in the room, when in fact, they fired all the smart. people who had a sense of nuance and and who'd negotiated with Iran before.

Yeah, well, which wouldn't make any difference, because, remember, he doesn't listen to anyone, right? Okay. Right. Why he fires these people? Because they're they try to tell him things and you doesn't want to hear. Doesn't want to hear. All right. So are the Democrats going to be able. to articulate this in the run up to the election? And we mustn't forget that Trump is addressing the nation. on Thursday at 9:00, apparently eastern time.

He's going to talk about election fraud, or he's basically. laying out his campaign strategy, which is to sow doubt in the American. election system, which for the most part, is pretty damn good. Yeah. What's the question? Well, the question is what the question is, are the Democrats. going to be able to use the Forever War and show voters that actually five. presidents were begged by Netanyahu to get into this war, turned it down.

And Trump was the only fool that was bamboozled into it. I think it's. just the price of at the gas pump. I think the explanation for this. is complicated, and now it's going to be exacerbated. by the fact that that no one knows where this is, what's happening there now? Are we are we at war or are we not at war? Do we have a do we have a cease fire?

Do we not? And we will have another cease fire. Remember, this is going to go again and he's going to give whatever it takes. He will. There will be another cease fire. I, you know, the next two weeks, three weeks, something like that. And then we will go through this again. So, so it just gets so tedious and boring and people switch off. because they're like, aren't stand any more of it. I don't know what's happening. I don't need to understand it exactly. So but but they do understand if the, if the price of the gas pump.

is is hurts, then then that will have an effect. But Trump also knows this. So he's looking at this to say what do we have to do? What do I have to give them now at this to maintain. the price, you know, to bring the price of gas down? He's already bragging about bringing the gas, the price of gas down. as though he as though he's not the reason it did not go up. if he weren't responsible for the lift in the prices. All right. So let's come on then, to your, I thought,

quite surprising column on Substack about Bernie Sanders. Please explain. We're in we're in this moment by what is the Democrats. The entire Democratic Party is in. a, you know, you know, holding their skirts around them because of all of these. fairly far left socialist candidates. are winning or winning Democratic primaries.

I mean, unexpected I, I'm not sure this should have been unexpected, but it is to the. to the establishment, the party leaders, completely unexpected. And they completely don't know what to do about this. And it's now is a situation is the Democratic Party. at war with itself?

And I mean, I was thinking about this and I was thinking, who are these people too? I don't know who these people are. I mean, none of them has seemed to ever have had a job before. And, you know, that one person identified as a grad student. You know, and more importantly, none of them have created jobs, right? Well, they haven't done anything there. They're just literally people who have who have a. who stand for this ideological position, but with no evidence that they can turn that into accomplishments or legislation.

Or so you think, what is this? Who are these people? How did they get there? And and there is probably an answer. They got there because of Bernie Sanders. They're all Bernie Sanders people. He endorses them. That's how they get elected. He you know, and, you know, and I was I was interested in last, last year. when Bernie Sanders and and AOC did this they oligarchy oligarchy.

tour and everybody sort of the Democrats especially Pooh bought this and this. They would go around from city to city and get and turn out. 25, 30, 40,000 people. So that reminded me of when Donald Trump did this in 2016 and the Democrats said, oh, yeah, that's so, you know, Bush, the Republicans. So Bush league. No, the Democrats said, this is Bush league stuff, you know. Yeah, you know, this is not how we do politics anymore,

going from, you know, stadium to stadium. What is this, the 19th century. Right. We're going to find Hillary with her policy statements and people. who couldn't turn out, you know, you know, 30 people. So I so I was I was thinking, thinking about that and I was thinking. that this is this, you know, there is a there is something here. There is meaning here. There is power here and power that the Democrats are ignoring.

And over all this period of time, this ten year, this Trump period of time, there's only one Democrat. who has consistently been there, not gone away, continued to build his base. His people have have radiated out. into into the broader political field, electing these people. I mean, all of these the people who are getting elected. are being elected by people who have worked for Bernie.

Right. So so who's the guy, the guy over this long period of time, this one Democrat, it's it's Bernie Sanders. And how old is Bernie now? I want to read one paragraph. He's 84. He's 84. So we go ten years ago, when he first emerged. as the unlikely national figure, Sanders age was held against him. Ten years ago, it was held against him even though he was leading a youthful. uprising. However, age was hardly his only disqualified.

There was his quixotic socialism, his unreconstructed lefty ness, and even more difficult and irritating and grown up politics, his almost belligerent moralism, moralism. I love that paragraph. And then let's also talk, because there's another. very observational point of us here. This is this is great. There are those of us old enough. This would be me, you to see with some amusement, Sanders.

as an entirely recognizable figure from a time when lefty Jewishness was well. left inhis itself of a rather hoary. sort Jewish summer camp, socialist uncles, folk music, and in my case, a brief teen tenure. as a member of the PSL, the Young People's Socialist League. It seems somewhat hard to reconcile. that the Mamdani and the AOC's and the L sides.

That's the guy in Michigan and Chevaliers, New York and egad, the Platanus. Though hopefully there isn't more than one with this tradition. Not unlikely. These Sanders Knicks have little idea that. their socialism springs from this Jewish neighborhood. So interesting. Yeah. No. So. And I think that that at the end of the day, who is there? Who is the Democrat that is rises above all others,

you know, and there's, there's a big, you know, this big kind of kind of search. for who is the most ascendant, who is the ascendant Democrat. But you're not suggesting. that Bernie Sanders, at the age of he would be 86, would run in 2010? No, but I'm suggesting I'm suggesting that this Bernie bro's. or these Bernie sisters or this, this, this Bernie cadre is what, because Bernie is now too old, probably too old.

These people are are the replacement of that. They are what's rising because of Bernie, because he is the uncrowned king. of the Democratic Party, uncrowned king. Okay, so your friend Andy Beshear is now making noise. And of course, you think of if the Mitch McConnell situation. were happening in California, I think Gavin Newsom would have been having a field day with this. I think it would have been out.

They would have been frantically posting. He would see this as an opportunity for Gavin Newsom to step forward. Andy Beshear is a little bit more reticent, and he. this could be your moment, but he senses that there is a moment and he might be able to seize it. So he's been teasing us with the idea. that he might apply to a point, a special senator, while Mitch McConnell is sitting on the sidelines like this. Right. And very tentative about it.

He told miss now on a Sunday night, which if you want to bury the news. or bury an idea, that's a good place to put it, both on a Sunday night and both on and now. Yeah. Yeah. Well, the guy is running for president. Yes. And somebody said, I mean, this this apparently can't happen. So the law was changed. It used to be that the sitting governor could in the. in the event that there was a vacancy, he could make the appointment.

Right. This several years ago was changed, perhaps anticipating Mitch's. No clearly certain certain decline. And and now it's. there's there the law provides for a special election. A special election, I think relatively soon also. Well, I think he can appoint someone. And he's saying that he's not acknowledging the change in the law.

So he wants to to hold the whole thing up with the legal challenge, which would be an interesting. thing for Andy Beshear to do to get on the national radar. There is a moment here for Andy Beshear to break out of his milquetoast, good old Kentucky governor and actually take a stand. People might like it. Yeah, he could make some good trouble. Well, yeah. Possibly. Possibly. I mean, it's a dicey thing for Andy Beshear. because, you know, Mitch McConnell is very popular in Kentucky.

It's not dicey in terms of him thinking about. his future. Well, he has to make some noise. Well, you know, he is so but that's that's what you have to do. when you're a governor of a swing state. You have to balance that. Yes, you can make national noise and and become. an American liberal hero, but then you're going to have to return. to your own Kentucky, relatively red state.

So if you were advising him. as you were summoned to do last summer at a dinner for him, or not to advise him, but to share ideas, well, share ideas, listen to his ideas, right? Listen to his policy paragraphs. Yes, he's good looking, I will say. I think he's got better. Look, no, I think I think he should probably I mean, he probably he he has to decide what he's going to do. Is he the straight Pete Buttigieg.

No, no, Pete is much more charismatic. Pete is a is a is a, you know, is a pretty good, you know, retail politician. I mean, out there I mean he's a but Andy Beshear must be quite good. because as you say, he's a Democratic governor in a red state. Well, I think one of the things, one of the ways you get to be. a Democratic governor in a, in a red state is that you act more like a Republican.

Well, perhaps people don't know he's a Democrat. Yeah, that's the point. I think it's I mean, you bore everyone to death. I mean, I think that can be that can work and seems to have worked for him. I don't know how you do that. And there's a lot I mean, right now, Andy Beshear and a whole list of other people. in the Democratic Party who are not Bernie Sanders, but who are, in their own way, competing with Bernie. or being being measured against him.

You know, what's the. you know, the contrast, Gaynor, that that that is a significant, a significant element of modern politics. Why is why do we have Donald Trump? Because he managed to look different from every other person. in the Republican Party, and because he put out this. tweet about or this truth social about Lindsey Graham. That sounds like a teenage girl and it's oddly effective, right?

So that kind of thing. Can you communicate? Can Andy Beshear communicate? You know, it's a it's a reach. He should do his version of this. Lindsey will be greatly missed. Exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point. Literally. What everybody is told in corporate America never used an exclamation point. It's embarrassing. It's emotional. And of course, Donald Trump does it. So sad. Exclamation point. No space.

The lack of grammar in this really irritated me. But maybe Andy Beshear needs to do that. But yeah, well, I think I think Andy Beshear has to figure out how to be. how to. be Andy Beshear in a way that is. I guess, surprising to people. I guess that gets attention, which is which is a probably. a contradiction in terms. So unless.

I cannot imagine what makes Andy Beshear. president, not that he would be a bad president. He seems like a very intelligent, reasonable, reasonable guy. And I think maybe that's what you that's what you try to argue. The country is now run. The world is now run by crazy people. What has happened in. at this moment in contemporary history.

is that the crazies have been allowed to rise to the top. And and Andy Beshear. very much seems not crazy. Okay, that's some campaign. I am not crazy. I am not crazy. I am not crazy. All right. So we have many questions. Max, the intern has been collecting your comments and questions, and we've got a few questions I want to address directly with you. First question, Michael is from someone called David Burton,

and it's I've just got to ask, does mic odd. nickname for you bleach his eyebrows? I had never noticed your eyebrows before. No, I think I think what you would notice is that. I don't bleach them, and perhaps I should. What color would you. Well, if you bleach them, you're going to bleach them. Blond? Yes. I don't I don't know white. It doesn't. David Burton, you didn't tell us. Do you want him to bleach his eyebrows?

Someone says, does anyone. have the vaguest idea on how to talk to these two? Does that mean we're able to. Or she's trying to reach us? This is from Kelly, Keith Sands. Kelly. We have. Well, you've just talked. I mean, to us, so. But it might mean something else. It might mean like we're like Donald Trump. You can't. You know, all we do is talk, and we don't let anyone. Right? We have a resistance to more information coming in.

We totally forgot to comment on a several people pointed out that. Natalie Brown, in particular, pointed out that we didn't mention the fact. that Trump talked about the Islamic Republic of Japan. I, I and I missed that. Well, he did well, he did. We miss a lot of it because. And where did that where did he talk about that that was that in a post? It was in I think it was when he was on the plane. He's always on the plane.

Which plane? Well good question. Air force gripped Force One, and here is rather. a good joke from Haris Griff. Force one or. Well, Griff force one is the Qatari plane that we have spent. $600 million at this point, refitting with all sorts of things, but he got $400. million worth of value from the plane and then he gets to keep it. Or does he? Okay, this is from Lindsey via.

Quite a good joke, actually. What happens to a liar when he dies? Well, I see the punchline here. Okay, well, give us the punchline. It's a good one. He lies still. I thought it was a good joke. Thank you. Lindsay, we're up for jokes. Actually. Expands the the Limerick of it all. Michael, there is no pro-abortion. It's pro-choice. Good point out from lead dip. But. But why? Why do I have to subscribe to someone else's language on this?

It's pro-abortion. It's like you're in. You believe that abortions should be legal. We call it pro-choice because we think that that will somehow. elide the fact. that in abortion is being performed taking place. Right. Well, you have your point of view. There you go, Lee. This is what happens if you take on Michael. Be prepared for his response. Joanna, I think you display enormous patients dealing with Michael's continual.

rudeness and dismissiveness for many, many years, for many, many years. Okay. And then final comment for today, praise for the production team. Yes. Great visual design here on YouTube. Best chapter names okay. Final Limerick from edits this week. Trapped for now in a cosmic glitch. Our twin phantoms, much torpor and Mitch. Perhaps they're still alive.

Or does the devil have to decide of his two new arrivals? Which is which? Okay, so we've also got some more art projects set in. This is for you. I'll give you a wrapped version, but this is kind of genius. Have a look at them. Are these. This is from someone called Robert. Are these are these these coasters? These are coasters. Look how good they are. These are fantastic coasters.

He. Robert says he noticed that we drink, but we don't have any coasters. So because we have Formica, I know we have Formica, but. how nice to have a design appropriate coaster. Thank you. And now we have an artist who's been inspired by us and done some portraits. Your portrait. And in the way, how come you don't have an Inside Trump's. Head t shirt? Well, we should get inside. Trump had seizure and I'm not going to I'm not going to wear them.

But well I would like to wear one. Yeah I know we should get one. And so we're we're and actually we'd love your feedback on this. We're playing around with the idea of merch. And I think we're going to launch an Inside Trump's. Head subscription, where as part of the subscription, you get a mug. That's all you get. Well, you get access to you get special access to you and me. get a full uniform hat. Maybe. Maybe. Well, anyway, the point is, it's under way. It's under way.

Would you like to look at the portrait that someone did of me? And they've done one of you, and it's on its way. Apparently, it just has. Mine got here first. And this is from Rebecca. I think it's Rebecca Fatone. Anyway, huge thanks, I like this, I like this, this is a it's a portrait of me. And the portrait of you is coming. Now the question is, will they be doing a portrait of you as you are now, or. when you were at school with all your hair?

I love that picture. We showed people. I think we should show it to people again. We're going to flash it up for people in case they missed you with long hair. If you have been, thank you for joining us. We'll be back on Thursday with more inside. Trump's head and preparing you for the president's speech. on what we think is going to be his view on election fraud. And, of course, tomorrow. It's so fascinating that he would pursue this. I mean, this is a loser issue.

I think it's a loser issue, too. I don't think people believe it, but maybe enough people believe it. I mean, people still think he won 2020. It's curious. And of course, tomorrow the Todd Blanche hearings. So. Oh, we should have gotten to Todd Blanche. That's interesting. I mean, Todd is a really interesting figure. And again, one of those figures, not unlike in Lindsey Graham, to people. who have who have decided that they have to do this,

they have to swallow when it comes to Donald Trump, and they're going to get something for that. And they're doing you know, the Todd Blanche. thing is, is justified on he's the client now. In fact, he is not the client. So that's an interesting thing. The United States is. is Todd Blanche's client. Right. But it is very much I do with the client what the client needs me to do.

Well, we'll see that the hearings start tomorrow. and see whether or not any of the Democrat questioners. And amazingly, the hearings start. Chuck Grassley gets to ask the first questions. And Chuck Grassley is, I think, 93. Well, I'm. sure he can still answer ask a question at 93. Well, Mitch McConnell can't. I mean, and he's nine years younger. And then Lindsey Graham was nine years younger than Trump.

And eventually if you do that one more time, you're going to get to. Oh, no. Lindsey Graham is at my age. Well, that was that actually hit me at that moment. I saw that. I thought first thing, he looks terrible. He looks I think he looks much older than I do. No, he does, he does, he does. And he was always rushing off to Kyiv too. I mean, he'd been there. How have you pronounce it? Ten times. You've been there ten times. You just come back from a long flight.

And that tragic thing of him saying to someone, I don't feel great. Them saying, apparently you need to go and see a doctor. And he was like, oh, I'll go and see a doctor. After I've done Meet the Press tomorrow. There's a terrible yeah, there's a terrible that a man would rather go on television to discuss, I guess, his plans for for Ukraine and getting his bill through. Then he would go to a doctor. You could argue that he was putting the country first and first.

Or you could argue that he was television. Television first. Television first. Yeah, he could have gone on the following week. Anyway, that's what happens with an air dissection. You don't have much time. I should think a lot of people are panicked by that. I bet there'll be tons of people calling their doctors now. Yeah, well, it's that interesting thing that. when I was when I was a kid, I remember every one.

They would say, how did that person die to drop dead? Yeah, yeah. And no one drops dead anymore. It's the more the Mitch McConnell slow exit. Not with a bang, but a whimper. Okay, anyway. On that note. On that note, we will see you on Thursday. Okay. You can thank the production team now, Max, the intern, we've actually got a news fellow with us as well this morning. Charlie Sherwood. Charlie the news assistant.

Ryan. Heather. Ben. Neil. Doug making up names? Rachel. Rachel. Heather. John. John. p Q. Hugh. All of them. All of them. The entire office. 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.