This Is What Trump's Crazed Posts Are Really About | The Daily Beast Podcast

This is Trump sitting there going, no, I'm a good president. I'm doing all these good things. But almost every single one of them is based on a lie or a misinterpretation. of the facts, and that is what is keeping them awake in the middle of the night. And is why is sending these 67 things? A man is going nuts in front of us feel side. Yeah. Online. Oh my God, this guy is the president of the United States. and he's pumping out this crazy means. but and and they're all about racism and hate.

and his personal vendetta against a former president. It's it's a sign of mental illness. I'm trying to hold this is the Daily Beast podcast. And is it a red line? Is it a red card? Is it red air lingering from the fireworks in D.C. that David Rothkopf, Monday's guest, is struggling to breathe so much to discuss?

Not least, where is Mitch McConnell. and why is his wife in China if he's unconscious somewhere? It's all very confusing, but we will get to it. We want to know what's happening in the NATO summit as we record this. Donald Trump is about to get on grift, Force One, and zoom his way to meet all. his colleagues, NATO colleagues, former colleagues in Turkey anyway. Don't forget to subscribe to The Daily Beast. We are a tiny, tiny number of subscriptions of 700,000.

We would love to get there. And you can become a friend of the beast. Some of you complain about the ads on the podcast. You can have an ad free experience with a subscription. It's up to you. But there are lots of member benefits and we are independent media. That's why we can bring you these conversations. That's why David Rothkopf and Michael Wolff. are as fearless as they are in critiquing this government.

That's why we can have these independent conversations, because we are independent media, and that's how you show your support. So no more time to waste. Let's get into it. David Rothkopf. David Rothkopf. Joanna, how are you? How is the air quality? You are in D.C. and so many fireworks, so little oxygen. Well, I'm just outside of D.C., and none of us are leaving our homes.

I know people who are living, like three blocks from the fireworks, and they were watching it on TV because it was dangerous. It was dangerous because the air quality, it was dangerous because there was a lightning. And, you know, there's a story today that Trump overruled his staff and said, don't leave them out there. Well, the story isn't. I mean, the story is he truth social that he said, I called everybody back. I overturned it, he's overturning the weather. He's overturning public safety. He's overturning soccer.

He doesn't care. He doesn't care what happens to these people. And so he was out there and, you know, he didn't start his thing till 11:00. And. you could hear the rumbling in the distance. And you thought it was cannon fire. But, you know, we all survived. despite the Trump administration. And and I really mean, despite it. I mean, you know, Doug Burgum, the secretary of the interior, was on TV. and he was saying, oh, no, free speech is the reason we let all these fascist.

white supremacists march around Washington with flags, even as they're, like, arresting protesters. at the reflecting pool and and so forth there. These guys wanted this to be as as toxic July 4th as possible. And I think they got their wish. Okay. Well, we've got a lot to get to. I want to know what's happened to Mitch McConnell. I want to know what's going to happen in tonight's soccer when we play this. America should be playing Belgium.

And of course, we've got Donald Trump having several conversations. with Infantino, the head of FIFA, to try and get him to review. in inverted commas the red card decision for Ballygunner. But we've also got Trump and his save bill. We've got the Smithsonian as radical, radical archivists. We've got Putin esque levels of grift.

We've got white House staffers asked to remove pictures, and we've got The Crucible meets Wolf Hall, which is basically how the Europeans are thinking of Trump. as he arrives on Grift Force One. today for the NATO summit in Turkey. So much to cover, so little time. David, what is where should we begin? Should we begin? I mean, I will say the decision.

to call the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, by the president, to ask for a review of the referee's decision and red card for Ballygunner. in the America versus Bosnia and Herzegovina match was pretty. I mean, it's got the euros in a tizzy, I can tell you that. Let's get everybody at a tizzy. It's horrible. It's corrupt. He shouldn't have done it. Cheating. No matter what happens, it's cheating. What happens? The result is tainted.

Because if the US wins with this guy playing, it's tainted. If there is a controversy and there is still, as we're recording. this, a brewing controversy and maybe there's an appeal process. and maybe there's not, it's tainted. It was corrupt, even Sepp Blatter. Now, you know that the heads of FIFA are some of the most corrupt. people in the world. You can tell because FIFA has offices in Trump Tower, right? Well, they have offices in Trump Tower and they gave him a peace prize.

Right. Well, they gave they you know, they're the they're the worst of the worst. And you'll remember also that the last World Cup. was in Qatar, home of Grift Force One. And before that it was in Russia. Hold on big boss Vladimir Putin. Do I have to draw connect the dots here. And so you go Russia, Qatar, Putin. Okay, that all makes some sense, right? Even even with all that, the prior head of FIFA,

Sepp Blatter, which I mean, where do you make up these names? But anyway, Sepp Blatter has come out condemning this decision. as crossing a red line, crossing a red line. If if the decision is to corrupt for Sepp Blatter, you've reached, you know, Mafia high commission levels of corrupt ness. We've got you for taking on FIFA and saying this is unprecedented, incomprehensible and un fucking justifiable.

I put the bit I put the rude word in, UEFA said it was unfucking just look, they should have. It's outrageous. And you want to know something? Just as a 22nd aside, the World Cup has been great. I have watched every single World Cup match. I have it on in the background in my office when I'm going. I've watched them on the Cabo Verde, almost beating Argentina, tears streaming down my face.

There have been so many great stories, and Trump digs down. deep into the reflecting pool or wherever he gets the slime. He's producer. Yeah. And his slimes it, you know, and that's, that's that's what happens. Trump slimes everything. Trump he's lying. He's very thing. He is his the slime monster of the swamp of Washington DC. And he has taken one of the most beautiful sporting events we ever seen. And he's tainted it well. And he just can't bear not to be center of attention, can he?

So you saw the whole brouhaha, the states fair leading up. to his two speeches, one at Mount Rushmore on Friday, one obviously in the mall on on Saturday at the Lincoln Memorial. And. he just can't stand it when. there's something else out there that's getting attention. You got to believe in divine providence, right? I mean, I don't know, everybody listening to this has made different views of this,

but he goes to Mount Rushmore because he wants his face on. Of course. Of course he does. You know, he's going to like, go, you know, we can get rid of that Lincoln guy. That's just enough room for my head. And he wants to be on my way. And and he couldn't do the outdoor event he wanted because there were hailstones. It was like, you know, some biblical storm. Well, it was like God intervening. It was literally like a God intervening. I mean, biblical, I know, I know, but let's just go straight to it.

Biblical. You say biblical hailstones. I say God was intervening. And what happens? He goes back to DC. There are fucking lightning bolts hitting the Washington Monument. I mean, God was doing his best to send a message, right? You know, keep this guy off the stage and then you know what? He finally totters. onto the stage for in his like, did you see his, like, bulletproof booth? And. Well, I don't play him having a bulletproof booth. I mean, I don't blame him.

I mean, today is the day that Tyler Robinson. has his first preliminary hearing for shooting Charlie Kirk. I mean, I get that Trump is much more nervous about being out and about. Now, I would have a bulletproof booth if I would say no, probably because there's a heartbeat somewhere in the white House. that does fake assassination attempts and you must worry about them. Okay, okay, maybe they weren't fake, but it was interesting. There's an article in The New Republic today talking about how mega.

Let's just leave with the facts aside, MAGA, who you know are very fact based. They're not gullible at all. But Mega, they're believing now that a lot of these assassination. attempts were faked. Even Magnus believing that. Wow. Yeah. No, no, this is a story. New Republic. Go read it. But one of the reasons they're believing it is because. Trump has no interest in investigating these things. You know, somebody goes in the reflecting pool like an Olympic.

medalist, and they immediately get arrested and it becomes a big deal. There's an investigation. But their assassination attempts on him, surrounded by all kinds of weirdness, like he doesn't go to a doctor, there's no doctor's report, there's no wounds. There's not. And he's not interested in talking about it, except to put it on a meme coin or whatever. And so anyway, mega mega mega thinks he's. these are made up, but he sits in this bulletproof booth.

and esteems up on the inside and like, you know, pictures can't penetrate it. And it looks like he's like in some satanic lair. And then he comes out and he gives a speech about himself. attacking his enemies, making the whole holiday about himself. At midnight, the fireworks weren't even till the next day. I know it's crazy, isn't it? If you've. tried to quit vaping or smoking and somehow found yourself.

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don't let it head to try fume. That's tr y f you. and use. Code Beast for a free gift with your first purchase. Thank you for you for sponsoring this episode. Well, what? He was really warning David and we must thank him for this warning is the dangers. of communism, the dangers of communism coming to America. And that's what he's fighting. So he was laying out his election strategy amid the fireworks.

Well, he he thinks he's a genius. You got to know he's like sitting in the white House. and he's going, oh, well, mom, Donnie, you know, he's a socialist. He's a communist. Let's say that the communists. are coming to take us over and they go, well, boss, you know, they're not communists. He goes, that doesn't matter. We're going to say they're communists. And he goes, well, you know, boss, you're actually the one that's representing. the views of the Kremlin, and you're actually the one that loves.

the few remaining communist regimes in the world, like China and North Korea. And so you're going to accuse them of communism. and that he throws a tablet or a catch a packet or something. And and there are more stories of him having tantrums. I saw I think there was one in the Daily Beast. It was definitely one in the Daily Beast. And there was a very good piece this morning in the Wall Street Journal. We're recording this on Monday morning about the preparations for NATO. and how the NATO leaders have all been having secret meetings.

to strategize on how to handle Donald Trump. and and even how to send their own tweets or their ex post. or their social media posts, and in some cases, the Norwegian premier. being so anxious about not having given Trump the Nobel Prize. that he gets the Finnish guy to put it out there instead, it's. I mean, what are your what are your sources saying. about what the expectations are for the NATO summit this week?

I mean, Trump's literally about to fly out. The the expectations are low. that the Europeans that I talked to are essentially looking at their watch. They're like, tick tock, tick tock. This guy is going to go, we just have to make it through. a couple of years if he survives that long and tolerate it. But the real subtext within.

NATO is how do we get along without the US? You know, there was a story that broke a couple of days ago that Pete. had this big plan, and the big plan was to pull all US. troops out of NATO, and this had to be stopped by the military. And, you know, the Congress had already passed a law. They couldn't do it. But he's trying to win favor with Trump, put this idea for it. And NATO knows this. NATO knows Trump is trying to blow them up at every turn. So their private meetings, their their meetings without Trump.

are the most important ones because it's how will they survive without the US? How will they survive with less U.S. equipment? They're shifting over from US manufactured equipment to European. manufactured equipment. And, you know, they're expecting the worst. I mean, yet last night, just to give you an example, Trump, who. attacked the Italian Prime Minister Maloney.

the last time they got together, saying she desperately wanted a picture with him. And then she said, well, he's lying. He put out an overnight true social post saying, you know, he may need a restraining order to keep her away from that. And it's like, oh my God. Well, he's he's crazy. Truth social post. I mean, we should go through those in a moment. But but if you're George and Maloney, I mean, what's so fascinating is. you've got the battle of the two marks, right? You've got the head of NATO, the secretary general, Mark Rutger,

and then you've got Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister. He's saying there's overdependence on America. We have to create our own middle state. I think he referred to them in in Davos earlier this year. Middle powers, middle powers, middle powers. Thank you. And then Rutgers saying you know Trump's great. We can we can just flatter him. We just have to schmooze him I mean this has been rude as whole thing, you know. So he's like former Dutch prime minister and he has been.

the one who's the assigned Trump manager at these things. And he goes in and he flatters Trump, and Trump says, oh, Mark's great. I can deal with him behind the scenes. I think there's a somewhat different story there really just killing time. Now, having said this, you know that there was other kind of killing going on. There is a war in Ukraine right now. The Russians launched terrible attacks over the weekend. One of the reasons the Ukrainians are reeling from.

these attacks is they're not getting the air defense from the United States, Patriot missile batteries or from the Europeans, because the Europeans are not getting theirs replenished from the US. The US is withholding aid from Ukraine. Over the weekend, Trump has talked to Zelenskyy, talked to Putin. But basically the US line is the Putin line, which is. we should negotiate on Russian terms and basically seeking. the kind of a solution that blocks in place former Russian gains.

Problem is Russia is losing ground now in Crimea. It's losing ground in eastern parts of eastern provinces of Ukraine. It's losing ground. And the Ukrainians have become so expert. They are the world leaders in drone technology right now. They're launching drones that are hitting Saint. Petersburg, Moscow into Siberia, Russian. oil plants, the biggest Russian oil plant, may be offline for many months.

And there are gas shortages in Russia. And so, you know, Trump does all this clown show and people don't like Trump. And Trump may have a snit. But in the middle of this, there's this major war. in the middle of Europe where millions of people have died. Or what is at stake is democracy. Whether the European Union, whether NATO will be able to survive, whether the Russians will be encouraged to continue attacking it. And the reason we're not having productive discussions on it.

is, Trump declared at the outset, I'm on the side of the Kremlin. And and so, you know, I get it. And I think the NATO summit will be a mess on its surface. And there'll be some funny stories. But beneath the surface you've got two giant stories. One is how the US has turned its back on Ukraine, and it's up to NATO. to dig it out, and how NATO is planning for a future in which the U.S. role is much smaller.

It's just a changing of the guard, isn't it? David, what did you make of the comment from an unknown British. intelligence source that really America right now. was like The Crucible mixed with Wolf Hall? Well, I think that's the kind. of colorful thing that gets a quote, but I don't think it's very meaningful. I mean, what does he mean that, you know, Trump has lots of wives. and he's beheading some of them, or I think he didn't.

Didn't he mean that there is a sort of madness. and a pursuit of enemies for the sake of it, and that there's. a, an overreach of, of power? I mean, funnily enough, when I was back in the UK, where I spent a lot of time in the last six months, I was driving past fountains Abbey, one of the most beautiful abbeys. in in Yorkshire, and just thinking it's a ruin of an abbey. taken down by Henry the Eighth as he built his own church.

And I thought, why aren't there more comparisons of Trump to Henry the Eighth? Multiple wives, but also the sense that he can just do what he wants. He doesn't like the church that the UK has been abiding by. So he's going to create his own church, the Church of England. Well, I guess because the comparisons to Caligula. are broken, a compelling, you know, I mean, you know, people compare him to Caligula to compare them to the emperor Nero. They well, he compares himself to Napoleon and Stalin and Hitler.

Right, right. And that's the point. The point is, he's a mad king. You know, we've had a long history of people drunk with power, behaving in crazy ways. And, you know, Henry the Eighth is one of them that resonates. in the UK and for, you know, fans of Acorn TV or BritBox. But the reality is Trump. is a continuation of a long line of what happens. when you get leaders who are drunk with power and who abuse it.

And and. the thing that's different is. we have seldom seen that in the United States. You may have seen it a little bit in the presidency of, say, Andrew Jackson, but but nothing that has ever risen to this level before. And that's what makes it different, because Henry the eighth lived. in the middle of the 16th century and behaved in ways that, you know, his power was limited to what he could do, and comparatively.

small army and comparatively limited resources. Donald Trump is the head of the most powerful country in the world, least it was when he started, and he has the ability. to inflict damage and to affect the lives of every single individual human. being on the planet, which he has done with trade wars, with pulling back on, fighting global warming, with actual wars.

all around the planet, with destroying alliances around the planet, with. Attacking. people who deserve to be defended, like, you know, the president of Ukraine. and and and and and shutting out. I mean, think that think about his big message of the past week. with the help of the Supreme Court of saying no, remember the Statue of Liberty, remember, you know, our our, our invitation to immigrants, we're turning them away.

We're going to send caissons out of the country. We're going to send people who came here as refugees out of the country. We're not going to let refugees in here anymore. And again, it's another interesting thing. Talk about abuses of power that have unintended consequences. Who is now speaking out against his elimination of temporary. protected status for the Haitian Republicans, the Republican governor of Ohio, Republicans in Dade County, Florida.

They realize these people are vital. to the economic stability and growth of their regions. And and so, you know, yeah, I mean, sure, you know, that's an interesting analogy, but the point is, the real world. consequences of the abuse of power of the most powerful man in the world. Okay. So we've seen. the resurgence of Tom Keene,

the congressman, the return, the return of the return of Tom Kean, who said he'd been depressed, which was why he'd missed, I think, 146 votes. So he's back, but counterbalanced by the disappearance of Mitch McConnell. Do you have any insight into what's going on with Mitch McConnell? We heard that he was found. unconscious in his home three days later. His wife was spotted in China.

The mystery continues, and nobody seen him since, since he was found unconscious. Look, we've seen this. McConnell blackout in the middle of press conferences. We've seen him fall over. He's just an old man who's dying, right? He's on his last legs. The fact that his wife, you know, days after. And it can given that it was literally three days after. he had a heart attack.

and was rushed to the hospital unconscious, she ends up in China. She must have left, you know, hours after this happened to him. and that she was there all along and decided not to come back. Well, you know, maybe it's interesting there is this sort of other subtext, which is, you know, McConnell could be dead. and they'll just keep him in place because they don't want, you know, to have. a, you know, especially election, I suppose, special election. in which Thomas Massie will run for the seat of Mitch McConnell.

But it's like the cane thing, like if a Democrat disappeared for this long, the Republicans would go bananas and they would go, where is he? Replace him, get him out. Mike Johnson was like, you know, he's fine. We you know, we know everything's fine. And he doesn't have to show up. And he can miss ordered in 40 votes. And it's one of the weirdest stories ever. By the way, for those of you who are from the New York area, Tompkins. father was a very well respected Republican governor of new Jersey.

He comes from a pretty respectable family, but he's turned into this. just terrible politician. I guess he got depressed and okay, so he should have sought treatment, but. he should have stepped down from his job and he didn't do it. And they didn't want they they know that elections in new Jersey. have been running against them recently. So they just kept him in place because they want. to maintain their majority, which is razor thin. And at the end of the day, this whole year, the story.

of this whole year is how Republicans could cling to power. when all the forces at play are moving against them. The polling is moving against them. You know, their their base is aging out. Their their policy programs aren't working very well. You know, Trump is less popular. every day on economic grounds, on foreign policy and so on and so forth.

And so they're like, well, how do how do we cheat to maintain power? And so you have to save, save, act what Trump is trying to force through the Congress. And you have Mike Johnson. doing all this weird shit where like he keeps this zombie seat open. And earlier, you'll recall, he like, wouldn't. seat to Democrats who won an election or a Democrat who won election. But instantly when a Republican won an election, he seated them.

They cheat. They're just trying to cheat because they know that that's the only way. they're going to be able to cling to power. Right. Well, Tom Kean is going to face. a very good candidate, a sort of Mikey Cheryl type. candidate in new Jersey, former veteran Rebecca Bennett. She's called a helicopter pilot. I'm obsessed with all the numbers of helicopter pilots coming in, because I think all these veterans have got, you know, understand what it is to lead teams of people.

I think they have a sense of public service, and. she's going to be a very good candidate to take him on, I think. Well, yeah. And first of all, Mikey, Cheryl, the current governor of new Jersey is excellent. And that's helicopter pilot for kids. Unbelievable, right. Navy officer great career. She's done great things like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, like Alyssa Slotkin, who is also CIA operative. It was a senator from Michigan.

There is this movement, national security Democrats, who have a really important role to play. And. Kaine's going to lose to this woman. I willing to stick my well, maybe that's why he's depressed. Maybe that's why he had to retreat for to miss 146 votes. If you're a member of his district and your congressman has missed. 146 seats, you are entitled to have a special election.

I think it's quite extraordinary. But Donald Trump knows he's in trouble. And Trump put out 67. posts on Truth Social and we'll go through some of them. But what perhaps is the most interesting is a list of all the things that he's done. that he thinks, I guess, going to want him reelected. But the first one he started was was was launched. Operation Epic Fury destroying Iran's navy,

the very thing that he said he wasn't going to do, which is get involved in stupid stuff abroad. And then he goes, you know, secured the border. It's down 99.999%. More than 3 million illegal aliens have left the United States. under my leadership. I'd like to have that 3 million checks. That's sensible, I know. I mean, yes, go on. Well, I mean, there's too many to read, but what sort of fascinating. is what he thinks important. and how he's prioritized them, and he prioritizes it with Iran.

I mean, that's one way to look at it. I think the other way to look at. it is like there was a Saturday Night Live character called Stuart Smalley. that was Al Franken played the character, and it was like he would do. these affirmations like, I'm getting better and better and, you know, and to me, this is just neurotic. This is Trump sitting there going, no, I'm a good president. I'm doing all these good things. Here's a list of the good things in case you don't remember them. But as you point out, almost every single one of them.

on this list and the list is like, what, 5650? Yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot of stuff. Yeah. But almost every single. one of them is based on a lie or a misinterpretation of the facts. This is the thing that is so striking, is that. Trump thinks he is reaffirming, but he is actually undermining because the facts don't add up for him. And and that is what is keeping him awake in the middle of the night. And his wife sending these 67 things. But, you know,

I one thing I love, I got to say, I love working with the Daily Beast. I love working with you. And one of the reasons is that The Daily Beast, alone, among all the media outlets that I know in the whole world, is incapable of outrage overload. Every single thing that happens that is outrageous. You stay outraged. We asked it. We are outraged because it's it's not the norm. It's not the norm. And but but the New York Times is bored with it.

I mean, can you imagine The New York Times saying, oh, there were 67 true social. But no, they don't because it's a boring, it's beneath them. But this the man is going nuts in front of us. on the line in front of her. If you had an uncle who, you know, who was 80 years old, who didn't sleep at night, who was sitting there on true social. posting insane rats against the world that are only making his life. more difficult all night long, all night long,

maybe with the assistance of Natalie Harp, who, like you know, provides him with notes and things so that he can post them. But, well, I mean, what would you do? Well, can we just show a couple of other posts that he put up? Because what's also interesting is actually on Truth Social. He doesn't get that much. reaction. The reaction obviously is when it goes off onto other. And that's because. it's true. Social is complete bullshit, right?

I mean, well, it's it's bullshit as a, as a media platform, except the one person you want to hear from is on it. Who's the president? But can we show a couple of the other posts that he put up last night? What about this one of the Obama's plane? This is him clearly rejoicing in the fact he's got a new plane. Yeah, I've seen it. And it's that one which shows the Obama's plane covered with graffiti, including BLM graffiti is.

is is part of his I mean, his he's. he's got a real mental problem with the Obamas obviously. Right. And and and but it's also a racist problem. And he's taking these kind of urban memes, graffiti, BLM and so forth. And he's saying to everybody, look, the Obamas are black. You know, I mean, that's basically what he's saying with this thing. And it's, you know, he thinks this plays with his base and it probably does with,

you know, the white supremacists who are marching through the streets. of Washington this weekend carrying American flags and be all masked. But, but but to the rest of the world, you've got to say, oh, my God, this guy is. the president of the United States, and he's pumping out this crazy memes. But and and they're all about racism and hate. and his personal vendetta against a former president. It's a sign of mental illness, right? It's a sign of mental illness.

There's another one here, which it's as if it's a it's a poster. And it goes, if no one goes to jail for election fraud, what incentive is there not to cheat? Which is such an insight into Donald Trump's mind? Again, hiding in plain sight. It is. And it is crazy. And because he thinks what he's saying is we need to prosecute the people. who, you know, stole the 2020 election from me.

But we all know the 2020 election wasn't stolen, and the only one doing. election stealing is him. And he's the one who is pardoning people. for trying to steal the election for him. You know what? Who be invited to the white House this week and from Colorado. And you know, he is actively trying. to steal the election and he doesn't think he's going to get prosecuted for it. And he has shown you in this true social post.

exactly why he doesn't think he's going to get prosecuted for it. And it's very, very twisted. But again, this is I come back to. where is the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington. Post, NBC, CBS on the fact that what we have here. is the mental dissolution of the most powerful man. in the world, happening in real time in front of all of her. That would be a big story, right? Like if some like, if Hannibal Lecter.

were standing in the Oval Office cutting open the head of the president. and eating his brain, you'd be going, oh, yeah, that's a that's a story. He's eating the brains, the president's brain. Well, something else is eating the president's brain. It's the same story. And we're just going, oh, yeah, just another Sunday at the office. Just old crazy Dawn on his way to the NATO summit, unable to sleep. I mean, I but I just I thank God every morning. for your lack of outrage overload.

Well, we're still outraged by almost everything that Donald Trump does. because he's doing it in theory on behalf of Americans. Right. So I imagine when he arrives at the NATO summit. that the America versus Belgian game will be ongoing, what do you think the reaction of the other leaders are going to be? Obviously, the Norwegian prime minister. is going to be beside himself at Norwegian's victory as well. It should be. It was a great victory.

Yeah. No. What a game. What an incredible match. But America versus Belgium. with Belgian back in the game. Well, like I used to be the editor. of a fairly large publication that dealt with international issues. Is this. What are you talking about? Foreign policy. Okay. Yes. Foreign policy. I was trying. to make it sound bigger than it was, but yes, I was headed for foreign policy. If something like this fell in my lap as an editor, that the president.

is going to the NATO summit, and at the same time, there is a World Cup match. between the US and the country that is the host of NATO. I mean, you know, NATO is in Belgium, based in Belgium. Its headquarters are in Belgium, right. And it's so this is, you know, the the US versus NATO football match. And the president has already called up the head of FIFA. to put the fix it, you know, to say, oh yeah, no,

we got to get our guy in this game, let him play in this game. And of course Europe. UEFA that you mentioned earlier is in a is outraged. just as Europe within NATO is out. I mean as metaphors go it's a little it couldn't be it couldn't be more. extraordinary timing could it, that he's going to a NATO summit. They're playing Belgium tonight, the US team. and of course hard not to root for the US team.

They've had a spectacular season. You know I'm going to say something very controversial here. Maybe hard for you not to write for the US team. But when the United States president cheats like this I can't for the U.S. state. I wish the players well, you know, but the reality is it taints everything. It it makes a kind of sick taste in our mouths. because there is no way they are under. They have sometimes in sports, when a weird thing like this happens in.

the record books, there's little asterisk next to the name of the winner, right? No matter what happens with the OS, there's an asterisk here, and the asterisk is Trump. It's like if they win, it's because he intervened. And if they. if they lose it, it's like game three of the Knicks. where he showed up in Madison Square Garden and screwed up everything. No, I was at that game and it felt decidedly different to other games.

I mean, there he was, asleep behind his bulletproof glass, and you could just feel the energy in the room. He was resoundingly booed when he was shown. on the monitor, and people started singing the national anthem. Well, and by the way, this match tonight, people are listening to this. The match may be over, but took place in Seattle. and there was some talk that Trump would go, but he won't go because he knows that he will get boot. And and so, you know, he's he's intervening.

in some other it's just very it's very, very ugly. But it resonates in a hundred other ways with what's going on. now with NATO, with relations with Europe, with our relations. with international organizations, with corruption, with, you know, the fact that. whatever Donald Trump touches is slimed, starting with the Reflecting Pool and now continuing to the U.S.

men's national soccer team. You know what isn't slimed? The gilded of the gold statues in DC. Have you seen them yet? I'm wearing this shirt because I feel like. I'm trying to reflect. those statues. Valor and sacrifice, which have been reelected. I got to tell you, this is like a play on your part for the attention and love of Donald. It's so it's so is. I'm like, I'm here, I'm in gold. I'm here and I'm in gold.

What happens if if the US loses to Belgium? Do you think Donald Trump knows Goldfinger was a villain in all those movies? They've got 50 pounds of gold leaf, 50. pounds of gold leaf is going on valor and going on. Sacrifice those remarkable statues. What happens if the US loses? Does Donald Trump interfere again? I don't I don't know that he will. You know, maybe there'll be an opportunity for him to do it.

The US will lose in this round or the next round. It's not in the first tier of teams. And you know they will have done a pretty good job. They're a better team than they used to be in the past. They move around, they've got a couple of better players and so forth. And you know they've got an Argentine coach. and he seems to be doing a pretty good job. And so, you know, if you're a fan of U.S. soccer you'll be able to carry this forward. Although I must say I get a little aggravated. listening to the Fox coverage of all of this.

First of all, because one of their commentators, Alexi Lalas, is super MAGA and he's constantly saying, well, this is the big breakthrough US soccer has been waiting for. And I was like, where were you in 1999? I mean, you know, when the US women beat the world, the U.S. women have been beating the world for a long time. You mean if women win, it doesn't count. But secondly, you know, Fox, even in reporting this story. that you're talking about yesterday, said, well, there's a controversy because FIFA has reversed this thing.

And at no point. did they mention the president of the United States had intervened. At no point did they mention the political controversy. around this kind of thing, because it's Fox. And so even watching a sporting event, you can't get the facts from Fox. Well, they report you decide, David. They report, you decide. They report some of what the facts are, and then they report some lies.

And I'm sure that, you know, there'll be a great documentary tonight. on how the US national team should win everything, hosted by Maria Bartiromo. So I mean, last night when we're recording this, England. played Mexico City in a great game. It was very dramatic. Two girls by Bellingham. And then of course, Harry Kane stepped up into the box and got what. ended up being the deciding goal on a penalty kick. Are you following England or are you a Three Lions fan? Of course I am. Of course I am.

And now you've given me the perfect excuse because obviously they meet. Norway on Saturday, so it's going to be Harry Kane, who I think of as my friend, and Erling Haaland, who as we know is now up there as main goal scorer. Erling Erling Haaland is fantastic. I don't know if you've been following him. Six foot five, blond, hilarious, nice. Spent four years of his life growing up in Leeds. So because his father played in a British.

soccer league, I also grew up near there, so we have that in common. But you've given me the perfect opportunity to use. my personal photo of me in the Harry Kane. I picked up what's known as an order of the British Empire, and who should be. also picking up his medal from Buckingham Palace alongside me. But Harry Kane and I have a photo of it, which I am unashamed to show here. It's not often one has a personal connection to the English squad,

but I'm a huge Harry Kane fan and he was so nice. Slow your roll there, okay? Just slow your roll. Why are you going to produce pictures of you and the Norwegian it. Yeah. No I'm not I'm I'm going to take issue with your term. I picked up in order of the British Empire. You at like what? At the McDonald's drive thru window. You picked one up. This is how you are blasé.

Should we refer to you as Dame Joanna calls from now on? It's not a dame. But I did get a wonderful medal. It was a really fun day. My sons and my parents to Buckingham Palace and the highlight for my sons. and me actually was meeting Harry Kane. Wow. When was this? Six years ago. Seven years ago. Six years ago. Years ago. And I haven't known. Well, there you go. David. There you go. I feel intimidated.

I'll get the FIFA peace prize. So, David, one of the pieces that we did in The Daily Beast. last week was about the fact that Trump rarely does any work in the morning. He has he has, you know, executive. time is what it's referred to in his calendar. But frequently he doesn't start the day until 11:00 or 12:00 or even later. Is this common for presidents? You've been a study.

You've been a student of of presidential politics for years now. What time did when you were working for Bill Clinton, what time did he start? This is such a leading question. It's like, is it common for presidents to fly around in planes. given to them by foreign leaders? Is it common for this. to intervene in a game of soccer when their teams had the red card? Yeah. Well, now that you ask, now that you ask, doing it. No, it's not common for presidents not to show up for work,

you know, and, and and, you know, they usually take their jobs pretty seriously. And some of them do crappy jobs and some of them do good jobs, and most of. them, the vast majority of American presidents do a mediocre job. They do a mixed job at being president of the United States. But Donald Trump is it. You know, there are a bunch of recent polls of historians to rate the presidents, and Donald Trump finished dead last in all of them because his record. on foreign policy and domestic policy and corruption on leadership.

And, I mean, it's terrible. But interestingly, and I think this is, you know, maybe it's a triumph for him. He's managed to become the very worst there is by doing the very least he could. And, you know, I saw some interview. Oh that was talk about weird. You said this to me. So he does an interview with Usher Vance where he's supposed to be reading. a children's book, and I'd love to talk about that in a second.

But in it there he was talking about the sports, the different presidents like. And he had Dwight Eisenhower playing golf. And he said, you know, there was a putting green, but I don't like to use that. because I don't want the people to think I'm playing golf. And it's like, what kind of delusional world do you live in? He's played golf like 150 times. He spends a third of his presidency playing golf, right? It's not just that he gets up late, it's that when he's awake, he gets in a motorcade and he goes to play golf.

And then he goes to Margot for a cocktail party, and. and and the thing is, like, like, take the FIFA thing. Why does he have time to do that? Why does he have the time to intervene in this thing? Doesn't he have stuff to do? And apparently he had several calls with Johnny and. Yes, but but we have an economic crisis in the US. We're not creating jobs. There was bad jobs report last week. Prices are high.

There's a war going on with Iran that has not been resolved. There are deep rifts with some of our critical, traditional. allies around the world, whether it's the Europeans or the Israelis. There are a host of other problems across the country. He's not doing anything. There's no agenda. He gets up. Somebody serves him Quarter pounders in bed. He puts on his golf tugs. He put, you know, if he's and you can tell he's having a lazy day.

when underneath his white MAGA hat that he plays golf. in, you've got these long strands of hair hanging down. We did someone asked. We had a very good comment this week that I was going to refer to as. someone said, Does Donald Trump do his hair with an egg whisk? And I thought, what a great comment that was from John White Foot. I loved that comment. I mean, just to your point about Donald Trump's hair just looking, how does he do it looks like he does his hair with a dab or to a vinaigrette.

And it's because, I mean, he, he and it just goes out on the court. His big fat belly is hanging over. There have been recent pictures. So picture of him the other day where his butt extended out. like an extra six inches, clearly, because he's wearing some kind of, depends or something underneath there. And, and you know, he goes on, he plays golf all the time. No president I sue me know Sue the Daily Beast if this is untrue.

White. No, don't sue us. Don't sue us. I'm taking. This president has ever done less work than Donald Trump, who has been conscious. There was a period Woodrow Wilson was in a coma. He probably did less, but then his wife made up for it. Edith, though he did basically ran ran the show. When Donald Trump eventually has. his physical breakdown.

Will Melania step in? Of course I will. I will step in. I first ladies step in for husband. Yes, of course she will. Will you make the decision for America? Decision for Medicare for America? Yes, I make a decision. Yes. Of course she'll step in. She'll probably do a better probably do a better job. Well, she'll probably reverse his stance on birthright citizenship. because otherwise Baron's going to be deported. He's too tall to deport his.

What a weird, sad, sad story. I saw somebody in the internet talking about how Barron used to play outside. the Oval Office to get his father's attention, and his father. It just wouldn't pay any attention to it. And, you know, he was raised by like, two assistants because his mother was never around. Where is his mother? You must talk about this on on inside, Trump said. We do talk about it.

I mean, she's based in according to Michael Wolff. She's really based in New York. She spends her time in New York. So. So Trump's not work and she's not there. This is absentee landlords, tenants at the white House. It's a it's a it's a bizarre, bizarre story. And here's the thing. I will also make this prediction here. We don't know the half of it. We don't know the half of it. We don't know the half of it. That's a very good point.

Although we do know that he made $2.2 billion that came out last week. Since we last spoke, a melania made 17 million. Well, you know, Melania made that great movie, which is a classic. But and you know, and Trump was somebody asked him in the midst of all this, well, you made 3000 stock trades in one day. And he did all this trading the day before he reversed the tariff decisions. to obviously all completely corrupt insider trading. And then he goes, well, somebody handles all that for me.

And literally Don Jr and Eric, who are the ones who handled, were standing six. feet behind him at the time that he was saying all of this kind of stuff. But again, you know, we don't. You had a story in The Daily Beast about Ivana Trump and people saying that, you know, Ivana was, you know, procuring for Epstein like rings. And I happen to know not because I was involved, but because I know people that that was a well known fact. For a long time.

The developer was procuring girls. Yeah. I mean, she was at least seen in this bill. in Europe seeking young girls for parties, young girls for parties. And now she's buried in Bedminster because you get a tax benefit, is buried in a fucking golf course, and you get a tax benefit from it. After she had a horrible accident in which, like every other person.

who posed a threat to Vladimir Putin, she fell down the stairs or off a balcony. Okay, so David, I've been looking at the comments. We get lots of comments when you're on the show. We also get lots of questions. and I thought it would be good to do they say they say Rothkopf is the man. I'm such a big fan. This is Daily Beast Podcasting at its peak. That's from Boomer Dragon Cat. I think that I think. Boomer Dragon Cat is a very insightful person.

And I just want to say, is it Mr. Boomer, Dragon Cat, or Miss Boomer Dragon? It feels like a woman. I don't know, but I don't know why I'm saying that. I just miss Miss Boomer. Dragon cat, thank you very much. Okay, but it's a good question here for you. And if you send in questions for David, we'll start asking them. David, will any of these families go to prison? Do you think after the midterms, assuming. the Democrats get in and who knows, they may not. Should they begin to start.

prosecuting, or at least going after people for the grip, the corruption, the levels of corruption really do seem astonishing. They are astonishing. We've never seen anything like it. The president made $400 million, which is still a lot. The year before he became president. He made 4 or 5 times that the following year. I mean, it was 600 million, and he made 4 or 5 times that. when he became president because of crypto and all these other kind of things.

And it's not to speak of the $400. million airplane with the $400 million upgrades which he's flying around. And now that ultimately he'll get to keep or or. all the deals will never see, that will never be reported. What happened to all the Venezuelan oil money? What happened to, you know, all the side deals. where he approved something or there was a pardon? Who got what in crypto? I don't know that we'll know. I'll tell you this. I think some people will be prosecuted.

I think there will be a big battle that will ensue over whether the president. can pardon people in a blanket way, or a bunch of things that were clearly. illegal. Whether he actually has immunity for acts taken that are not official acts, because in Trump, for us, that's the carve out, right? Official acts. And I think what you're likely to get is a lot of.

a legal battles that will go on for years. Well, Trump's 80. Will Trump go to jail for this? I doubt it. Will his sons go to jail for this in the United States? I doubt it, Mike. They go to jail or might they become open to prosecution. in Albania or Kazakhstan or some other part of the world? Yeah. That's possible. Will the wit coughs or the mix. or some of these others find themselves running afoul? Yeah, I think it is.

But let me tell you something that worries me about this. I've been I've was at a dinner with a bunch of Democrats at a high level, and we started talking about whether. Trump should be held to account. And I mentioned James Talarico said, the first thing I do when I get in. the Senate is going to be to hold them, account for their corruption. And Jon Ossoff has been talking. about holding the Epstein class to account and so forth. And, and all of these people who are there like.

progressives, household names, they would say, they said, I don't think we should do that. You mentioned this last week, and we had a lot of. we had a lot of comments saying, this is terrible. This is absolutely terrible. I do remember that I mentioned it last week. I had another conversation about it this weekend with some of the same people. And, and it's it's a fight right now. I mean, we're having a debate about this because there is. a substantial percentage of Democrats who think that it's just like, move on.

And and I personally, I don't agree with that. Chris Christie made a good point yesterday, I think, with George. Stephanopoulos actually saying that this is Putin levels of grift. The problem is that the public think both sides are corrupt. So and it's baked in with Donald Trump. They understand his corrupt. He. So in a sense,

I can. see why politicians, some politicians might think, you know what? Actually what we should be doing to stay in power is to deliver. for the American people and not get caught up in this. And I can't tell which side will win out in the Democratic Party. Well, you know, we do have some lessons from history, right? The prior biggest, most scandalous. era in US history was Watergate, right? And what happened in the Watergate, which, according to JD.

Vance, would now be 12 hours in the news cycle? Yeah, well, he's a pillar, but but I think that's that's an important point, actually, because JD Vance lives. numb to corruption as a lot of people do. But who won in 1976, a candidate that nobody thought. was even going to be a contender a year before. And it was Jimmy Carter who was a governor.

But I think more importantly for his winning was a Sunday school teacher. and a peanut and and was completely. Yeah, but it wasn't the peanut farm. It was that he was unbelievably scrupulous and clean. And his campaign slogan was, we need American leaders as good as the American people. And I, you know, I don't know who it is, but,

you know, some people say, well, maybe Reverend Raphael Warnock should run. or maybe somebody I mean, look at Talarico in Texas having a good chance. Why does he. Well, he's a seminarian. And and and I just think that. sometimes we can't afford to be subtle. Sometimes candidates emerge and they say, no, I'm I'm the antidote to this corruption. And I think this corruption is so pervasive.

that it is unlikely that anybody who's seen as establishment. or seen as roughly associated with big corporate money. or AIPAC money or other kinds of sources is going to win. I think it's going to be somebody from left field who people go, oh no, that person is different, not connected, and by no means is corrupt. And I think that's where. And then there will be some bunch of reforms that come out of that.

But I think that's where you're most likely to see the public expressing. their revulsion at the. cesspool of MAGA. Washington. hot algae girl. Summer. Nice. Not fast. No, that's that's good. That's from someone called Sinai who very. honestly says not my joke, but it's a good line. Hot algae girl. Summer, to finish off your actually hopeful note to end.

on that Jimmy Carter is a good. is a good analogy in history for what may happen next. Well, people look for somebody who's always. Americans are always looking for change, and Americans are always kind of disgusted with what's going on in Washington. And Donald Trump said, I'm not part of it. That's why he won. Barack Obama said, I'm not part of it. That's why I won on a regular basis.

Bill Clinton said, I'm from Arkansas. I'm not part of it. That's why. What on a regular basis, the candidate who's best able. to present themselves as an outsider. and as an optimist with. And that's what you got to look for. Side optimism. Yeah, that's that's the formula that wins. And we also had a comment from a deaf fan of the podcast. saying that our captions weren't always accurate.

So we looked at Spotify and Apple and actually there's 92% accuracy. So I hope that reassures you that we really are saying the things. that you are reading on the caption. You're probably reading the captions. and thinking they can't possibly be saying these strange things. Yes we are. Okay. David Rothkopf as usual, a great way to start the week. Some hope in there, as well as some cold eyed.

analysis on on the poor Europeans who are, just as you say, waiting it out. Can they get through the next two years? Can Ukraine get through the next two years? Can we get through the next three years? And as I think you discuss in some of your other podcasts, will Trump. get through the next few years? Right, right. Well, I'm sorry to hear the air quality is not good. Stay in your home. Stay in your home, David. I've got to stay in my bulletproof box. We all have them. But I was going to say you can't get into a portion.

Roar around this morning. I will say that your white shirt with the black jacket. Look, I very much like, makes you look like a kind of Puritan judge. It really does. It gives you this sort of Puritan type, you know. Do you know that on the last, like, episode or two episodes ago, you said because I was wearing the head, things that that I looked like. in like one of the founders, you look sort of Benjamin Franklin with black. Okay. Couldn't it have been like one of the handsome founders, not Benjamin Franklin?

I think they were all handsome in spirit. David, I want to recommend Wolf Hall if you haven't seen it. The best, the best. Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell is one of the great, the best actor in the world. And both series of Wolf. are spectacular. And of course, Damian Lewis is Henry V. also fantastic, but particularly the first season of Wolf Hall. because the second one is a little dark. But the first season of Wolf, a series of Wolf Hall,

is top five television series ever in my book. Yeah. Totally agree. Mark Rylance is so good. I remember watching six episodes back to back, something I've never, never done before, I've never done since. It was so good. Well, and Mark Rylance, just if I may, he was in this movie Bridge of Spies. with Tom Hanks. Right. With Tom Hanks. Right. And he played an East German who was a spy,

and he was charged with espionage. And Tom Hanks was his lawyer and then works to get a swap. where he gets returned. But he's in this trial and he's, you know, he could be sentenced to death. and and on a regular basis. Tom Hanks, you know, they say, well, he did this and he did this. and he did this. And Tom Hanks is like, why are you getting angry? But why aren't you upset that they're accusingly all these things and Mark.

Rylance character and Mark Rylance says this in the best dry deadpan said. Would it help? And to me, I've like taken this for these words of Mark Rylance. as watchwords throughout life because it was such a useful thing. Like, if I freak out right now, would it help? And I just can't get enough Mark Rylance and Wolf. And by the way, the books are also there. Books are spectacular by Hilary Mantel, who funnily enough, I, I edited her.

I used to edit Hilary Mantel when she wrote book reviews. for The Spectator magazine, and it was always a thrill. And she was a very eccentric character. who would. occasionally show up at the offices, and she was suffering from a terrible disease, and she could not have been more pleasant or charming. And I was sorry that she she died recently. Jeanne does. Books are genius. They're really her. She also has, and I have it by my bedside.

A very good book on writing, Hilary Mantel on Writing. It's a wonderful book. She was a supremely talented. author, and Mark Rylance brings her characters to life. David Rothkopf, it's always good to see you. You've boosted my week ahead. Can't wait to come back and discuss everything again with you next week. Don't go out. As we've said, we know the air qualities are not good. because you're still fighting through the fug of the fireworks. Best works. Best. Nobody's ever seen anything like it. Nobody's ever seen anything like it.

Fireworks. It did look pretty spectacular. The fireworks, I will say, didn't watch. Well, I watched on social media like everybody else. And I will talk to you next week. I will talk to you next week. I always love talking to you. And if the folks have questions, please send them. We love getting the questions and. and you can see more of David on Deep State Radio, his own network of podcasts, where he's in charge, where he's in charge.

All right. See you next Monday. Thank you. Boss. Well, right. And tell us what you thought of Donald Trump's communist speech, his appearance at Mount Rushmore and the whole 250th anniversary of it all. Leave us your comments on YouTube. Don't forget to subscribe. to The Daily Beast podcast and a big shout out to our team! John Romero, Ryan Murray, Rachel Passa, Heather. Passaro, Neil Rosen, the House, and our intern, Max Shaw.

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