Trump's Making White House Into a McMansion: Lemon | The Daily Beast Podcast

But actually, he's right that we need a new ballroom. Maybe we do need a new ballroom, but it's not for him to decide. It's for the American people to decide. It's for the Congress who holds the purse strings to decide this. For the historic commission to decide. The white House is a federal building. It's not Donald Trump's house. So if you want to do something to a federal building, you have to get approval for it and it has to go through the process. He hasn't done any of that. He's just torn down and bulldozed the white House. I don't think everything has to be a McMansion. He's turning the white House into a McMansion. He's turning the white House into a mansion.

I'm Joanna Coles, this is the Daily Beast podcast. Today I'm going to be discussing, well, kind of everything with Don lemon. What isn't there to discuss the entire demolition of the East Wing. of the white House in record time, with no congressional approval. It's just an astonishing development. Then there are other little boats bobbing around, initially the Caribbean. and now the Pacific that are being shot.

on the suspicion that they might be carrying drugs. There is the government shutdown. There are TSA workers not being paid. Let's waste no time. There is so much going on who better to discuss it with? And Don lemon of Don lemon live. Don, let's get into it. Don Lemon, we are surrounded by snacks. No, because we're just comfort eating our way through this, right? Because. Yes. And because honestly, I rarely leave a camera and computer.

I can't believe we enticed you out. We coaxed you out like Punxsutawney Phil from your cave. Or actually your beautiful drawing room where you do your podcast from. But we're very glad to have you here. And you're either in your recording studio. Yeah. I want a place to or or not. Or your man on the street with your huge microphone. It's not that huge, huge, huge, huge. Microphone. So the other thing is we must eat chocolate while we can.

because the price of chocolate is going up. So much that they're putting less chocolate in things, and they're doing a lot of vanilla chocolate that doesn't need cacao cheaper. Yeah, much cheaper because the price of cacao has gone up. so much and the price of coffee is wildly, wildly gone. Well that's. Sad. You know, I'm. not a huge chocolate person person, but certain candy bars I will eat. What you seem to be all I, I love all of these. I haven't had a Butterfinger since I was a kid. And there's more butter and less finger, perhaps.

Or they're adding more peanuts to make it less chocolaty. Anyway, we are comfort eating because. how else are we supposed to get through? What is an onslaught of news? I almost don't know where to begin, except I would quite like to begin. with the $230 million that Trump has picked. I think out of the ether, which is money that he believes he needs. as compensation for the Democrats, trying to prosecute him. Yeah.

And the four years when he was in the wilderness out of office? No, it's all retribution. But I mean, honestly, I think he wants that money to pay for the ballroom. That's why I think he wants the money, but regardless. But don't you think he's getting the money for the ballroom from companies? And he wants the money. He pretending he wants it for the ballroom, but I think he wants it. for himself. Well, I wouldn't be surprised, but, I mean, the companies are. I'm shocked at these companies are giving him money. Okay, well, let's just run through the companies we know. Apple, Google, meta, Paul, Intel. Comcast, Booz. Allen. But so far they're giving like five, 10 million that we know about.

Those are the folks that we know about. So I think. They're giving a bit more than that. I was hearing in the 2020 speech. That's a lot of dough. But it's not a lot of dough. If what you're paying for. is access to the president and his cabinet with your ideas. That's what's happening. Right? Pay to play. Pay to play. Yeah. How much would you curry favor? Do you think you could curry some favor though. No I couldn't I'm not built that way. I couldn't do that because I actually believe in the US Constitution. I believe in having morals. That's all thing.

That's Constitution. I believe in being ethical and I don't want to pay someone. You know, I will. I may go out to dinner with you and schmooze you a little bit and whatever, but I'm not going to give you millions of dollars. It's just not we shouldn't do those things in America. But it's embarrassing to me. But those those people are not complaining because they are in the white House. or actually in the white House. Well, and they're up in, they're having dinner with him. They're having dinner with him at Windsor Castle on, ask. I mean, one interesting thing. I thought this week was Mark Zuckerberg saying,

please don't bring the National Guard to San Francisco. We don't need he did it. He agreed to do it. Yeah. And Donald Trump says he's not going to do it. So I mean. So pay to play. So I mean, look, if you have I can understand if you have more money. than God, Mark Zuckerberg and probably all the people. who are giving him money, they can never spend the money. that they have in a lifetime or two lifetimes or multiple lifetimes. So what is it to them to give $20 million? It's not me. And I don't like giving it from their personal right.

This is a company payment, which is probably written. down as some kind of lobbying or. Yeah. But we should find it. So all out of the pile. I mean, it's all out of the pile of money. that they're making from their businesses, and they're pouring them the money that they're making from their businesses, and they're putting it into these other things. So it's still their money that they're giving. to said it's not coming directly from maybe their personal bank account. Right? No, it's the company's money. And I'm sure they argue. that it's to have good business relationships with which is essential.

Right. And we know that Trump can be vindictive. And if you don't help him, he'll come after you. Well, there's always a way to rationalize it, right? Yeah. Always a way to rationalize it. All right. So 230 million. Do you think he's actually under asking and if you were him, you would or if you were advising him, you'd say, why stop at 230 million? Yeah. I mean, if you're if you're going to. Be so. If you're going to go for something ridiculous and I would say yes, I just. I can't believe that he's doing it, I should I mean, it shouldn't. be surprising to me, but I can't believe that he has the gall.

to do what he's doing now. I mean, he those he was prosecuted and investigated for legitimate reasons. Right. And can you remind us what they were? I barely remember in the fog of all these. So it's all sort of blended together. It's like a soup of things. There's so much of it that we don't really know. Like, wait, is this for the Letitia James thing or is it for the, Southern District of New York?

Like what? Which one is it? Right, right. And so there's so many of them. And so I think that trying to pin him down, for one thing, you know, when there's a whole cavalcade of charges and unethical. and unlawful behavior that he has been found guilty of. or should be found guilty of and would possibly be in prison. now if he were not president of the United States. Well, that's clearly what he's sort of running from, right? The fear that he would be in prison. And perhaps he will after.

Right. If we ever get to an after, I mean, Steve Bannon again claiming. that Donald Trump is going to run in 28 and will get elected in 28. Yeah. Ridiculous. But again, just creating the flooding the zone. I don't think that that will ever pass anything weather. I don't think it'll pass the Congress or the Senate or I don't think. you have to have some sort of amendment. I'm not exactly sure what one would have to do, but.

pardon me for my saying, but. It's worth it. Totally worth it. I don't think that, I don't think that'll get passed. So. Well, I think he's going to try to stay there. Maybe, you know, maybe figure something out, where he becomes vice president or something, or he'll do something bizarre, or he'll have someone become president. But basically, he will be the president, and this person will just be sort of the figurehead. Well. Perhaps a bit like Putin. Well, Putin did that. He put in his own person after he'd been president, and then he came back Medvedev.

Medvedev, Medvedev. So he put Medvedev in, and then he came back. Surprise. I'm back. And now I'm never leaving. Yeah. He's never leaving. I mean, what do you think? Do you think he's putting that giant monstrosity on the white House? If he if you think you're leaving, you think he's doing that? He doesn't think he's leaving. That's why he's doing it. He thinks it's his house. He does think it's his house. And it's not big enough. And it's not grand enough.

And he needs to. Moral log. It's really alarming. And the weird thing is how much of it does go back. to the white House Correspondents Dinner you were there with. Obama. With Obama, where Obama is making fun of Donald Trump in so many ways, not least. the idea that Donald Trump would add a Trump, addition to the white House. Yeah.

And here we are all these years later. I think Donald Trump decided to run for president long before that. And I don't think that was the moment that provoked it. But it is astonishing how often we come back to that moment. as it being emblematic of things that clearly triggered Donald Trump. Well, it's just that, I mean, that was the first that was a look on his face, right? There was a visual of it and so, yeah, and and of his. And of everybody laughing at him. Everyone like, he hates people who laugh at him. Yeah. He's not laughing at me. I don't care. It doesn't matter to me.

I don't love people laughing at me. I'd like them to laugh with me. It doesn't matter. But, I mean, have you seen that thing? It is. Of course I've seen. You, I don't know, have you ever been in Mar-A-Lago? I know I've been to the white House lots of times. Yeah. I didn't mean to sound that sounded showy off. Yeah, I didn't mean it like that. But I haven't been tomorrow. Like, I've driven around the outside of it because I was fascinated. But I've not been inside. Have you been? I've not been inside. No, I, I don't want to go in, but I wonder if it is. as tacky as the Oval Office because it was.

What was it, Marjorie. Merriweather posts home or something like that, who had very good taste. But if they screwed that up and turned it into, you know, this. gold plated or whatever monstrosity. like they did the Oval Office, have you seen the Oval Office? It's embarrassing. No, no. But do you think some of the because there's no question. that the white House probably did need a bigger entertaining space. You've been to the parties they have in those big tents. You're like, why are we in a tent? This is the white House. And also it can't be very secure. The tent.

Yeah. I feel like you should be inside a building with bulletproof windows, but I was wondering to myself, is this an England? This might be a class thing where we are deriding Trump's taste. But actually, he's right that we need a new ballroom. Maybe we do need a new ballroom, but it's not for him to decide. It's for the American people to decide. It's for the Congress who holds the purse strings to decide this. For the historic commission to decide. The white House is a federal building.

It's not Donald Trump's house. So if you want to do something to a federal building, you have to get approval for it, and it has to go through the process. He hasn't done any of that. He's just torn down and bulldozed the white House. I don't see anything. The tents don't, I don't mind the tent. They don't bother me. I don't think everything has to be a McMansion. He's turning the white House into a McMansion. He's turning the white House into a McMansion. Yeah, and I think that it's nice. Some things are nice the way they are, and some things should not be changed. Like, do you think the Washington Monument is not tall enough.

or big enough or whatever? You know what I'm saying? So, and we're going to change. That, right? Well, he's going to build his own. Yeah. Right. He's going to put his own arch opposite the Lincoln. That's a sign of. what. What does this mean? The small one a. Small. Anyone who wants to have all of that. So it's like, you know, it's like the guy who drives the giant pickup truck or the. the muscle car. What are you overcompensating for? Why does he need a big ball? I mean, it's not even for the American people. It's for foreign dignitaries. And how often does that happen? It doesn't happen that often. But it could happen more often.

I actually you could build it and should be. And you. Can. You don't have to build it at the white House. if you want to have a ballroom. Right. You can you can build it at some other place and say, this is the ballroom where we're going to entertain foreign dignitaries. They don't have to go to the white House. Why is it necessary for them to go there? Well, just because I think they're better set up for security and things. Oh, yeah, but, I mean, the Pentagon is great. I mean, there are other places in Washington. where you can build it and then build the security. Well, that feels like it would be weird to have a ballroom at the Pentagon. I'm just saying there are other places that are secure.

The white House is not the only secure place in Washington DC, right? Yeah. In fact, now I look back on it. I think it's a miracle that they ever had. heads of state in a. tent, because surely that's a security risk. I don't know if you ever. You've been there, right? Yeah, I know things. Your phone, my phone doesn't work. The planes don't fly over the white House. It's secure airspace. And if someone if someone's going to bomb or do whatever, they can do the same thing to a ballroom that they can do to attend.

the ballroom is going to save you that much. I guess it's. All. It's just brick and mortar or, or wood. It's not going to save you that much. If someone is hell bent on flying a plane into a. Well, and if. They're going into the ballroom. And if Donald Trump's Boeing building, it's probably twice work, right? Not even high. Because. It's not what it's called. Vote. I've always I feel like American houses are made out of Tyvek, which was a material I'd never come across before I moved here. They're all, oh, my, what would I forget what those homes are that are all prefab?

I forgot the name of them, but it looks like it looks like a prefab home. It. It's hideous. And he has horrible taste. Are you sure that you're not just being a snob? No. Yeah. Being a snob. You could be. Right. Okay, so you're being a design snob because we've seen inside. your perfectly designed drawing room where you do. a lot of your podcasting from, which is, you know, the utmost taste.

Beautifully done. Maybe we're just all being design snobs about this. Well, I think it's okay to be a design snob. This is this this, this this house represents. America more than any other structure in the world, even the Capitol. So it should be in good taste, you know? I mean, would you go think about Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle? Would you want that to be in bad taste? No. Yeah. So I mean, and so this is our version of that. And so it should be we should get approval. It should be, it should have a store approval.

It should have architects and beautiful and people who interior. and design and decorators should be a part of this. And it should be in scale of the white House. He's like basically putting like the Superdome, you know, next to, you know, a college football stadium. So it's awful. Do you know what I think we should be thinking of doing is. the minute it opens for business, there should be enormous. projections against the side of it of Don lemon.

Don lemon with your enormous microphone. Because I would love that. Do you know how when Donald Trump visited the king at Windsor Castle. and they put Jeffrey Epstein up against the side of that 200ft. stone tower, they should be doing that against the opening of the ballroom. We should encourage them to come over and stop running this brilliant gorilla. It is, but I think it's all windows. Isn't this thing all windows on the side. So I'm not sure how you can. Still, I think you can still put it on windows.

It's better, obviously, if it's on, you know, 1200 year. old stone walls, but I bet they can figure out a way of doing it. Maybe better. They better get it done fast because the next person who comes in, I'm. pretty sure they're going to tear it down. Oh, you think they're going to try to do room down? I would tear it down. as soon as I if I, if I were elected president, you know, that's the only office I would probably run. I think you should start thinking about running. People ask me to run for office all the time. What kind of office? People ask me if I want everyone to be back in the day.

During Trump's first term, people would say, you should run for president. And I'm like, okay, now I'm not going to do that. Mayor and, Senator. Which would you prefer? Where would you start? What would your start to politics? I would start with the president, man. Like Donald Trump. Yeah. Trump was never elected to anything before white House. No. Yeah. I mean, what I want to be mayor of New York City. No probably not. It's too, you know, it's I think it's a harder job, actually, than the president. Because you have to be slightly more accountable in a weird way. Yes.

Because you're more exposed. You're out there among the people. The president is insulated, right? He's he's got, all kinds of the circles and circles and circles of security around him. So, you know, you don't you're not that accountable. You're right. But I think, yeah. And, Senator, I think senators have, they're a bit more elevated. than Congress people, even though I think Congress does all of the work. And then the Senate and the Senate just kind of sits around and. Demonstrates something that, seriously, you could do.

I could be a senator, but I don't. I wouldn't want to run, and I don't have the patience for it. And I'm too opinionated. But isn't that what it turns out people like? Yeah. And, you know, maybe I'm too flawed. Like, you know, there's a lot. Of what people like. You couldn't be more flawed than Donald Trump. Right? But does that work for anyone other than Donald Trump? Maybe we'll see with the guy in Maine. Right. The guy with the tattoo, you know. Yeah. We'll see the. Democrat with the Nazi tattoo. Yeah. Well, is it Nazi?

A Nazi like, What? Because I think what a great point. Not I think it resembles a Nazi, but it's not quite that. But it looks like a swastika. But actually, it's an ancient. It's, something like that. Yeah. I'm not. I don't know, but I, I'm not. I don't think that Democrats should throw the baby out with the bathwater. I'm not so sure that they should. jettison this person, because I think he's very popular. And it's not a, you know, we all need to get rid of the purity test, right? No one is perfect. Nobody is perfect. And it turns out that people don't want people who are perfect.

No, I mean, George Santos got elected. Oh, my God. He got pardon, but he got elected with people knowing that he was a phony. He got, his sentence got commuted, but I don't think he was pardoned. I think he was just let out of. Yeah. Okay. He was just he. Has the charges or whatever, but I think he was just let out. What. About the Binance guy? The CEO of China? Wow. And he was he was. I mean, everybody they all were guilty. The thing is, if you are if you are,

loyal to Trump, he he respects fealty and loyalty overall. That's what he wants and well. And money and really that's it. Money power loyalty. That's his right. It's easy. I mean, I should write a book called money, power, loyalty. owed to Donald Trump. Yeah, you should. And you can sell it on your platform and at your life events where you can buy. this fabulous T-shirt, which I'm coveting. Isn't it? Five with Don lemon? And it's great.

And I almost wore a Lemon Nation and baseball cap that's black and, my ass. I left my ass. My husband. I said too much, and he goes, aren't you going to be on camera? Why would you wear a baseball cap? It's Tim. I wear a baseball cap on my shirt. He goes, too much. See what it's like? Chanel? Coco Chanel always said, take something off. Yeah, take one thing off before you leave the lever. Yes, ma'am. I think I think I'm going to start wearing this t shirt. Maybe a version of it or just a black t shirt every day. I think the guy's the, all the what do you call them, tech guys?

Mark Zuckerberg. Yeah, his gray t shirts. I think they're. I think they're really smart, because then I don't have to search for outfits. every day, and then you're more recognizable, right? It's like a branding thing. It's like a branding thing. And you don't have to waste brainpower because every decision you make. takes away fuel from your brain. Yeah. So every morning while I'm like, getting dressed and I'm doing this. and I'm on the phone, I'm like, hey, can you, we want this for the open. Can you grab this piece of content? Oh, I just saw this somewhere.

Can we get this? And I'm going, what shirt am I going to wear? Yeah, you shouldn't be doing that. Right. So this is going to be in. Your cognitive resources. Yeah. And so when people look at me. and they see the Don lemon show, they'll know that's Don show. He's wearing the black t shirt or it's wearing the baseball on. These snazzy glasses. Which of, which are very good. Where are they. From? He's a Robert Mark who's a dear friend of mine. Yeah. Oh he is. Yeah, he. Is. Good. Okay. Because those are good glasses. But back to the back to the ballroom. So, I would tear it down immediately, so he better. because it's going to take a long time to build that size of ballroom.

If you think if it's not stop, it should be stopped. Don't you think? Oh, interesting. Yeah. I mean, what would be impressive is if he built it in record time. He's demolished it in record time. But if he could build it, he's. Going to have to. Because if he if I think if he, if he. takes his time or go slow, someone will figure out a way to. Stop and. Lock it or to stop it temporarily. Whatever. But I would tear it down if I were president or if I had the power,

and then I would take. I would tell them to tear it down and try to save as much as possible. And then I would take whatever is usable and I give it to habitat for humanity. But how would you rebuild? But I would rebuild the East Wing the same way. It was an improvement with obviously new and improved. technology and plumbing and all of those things. And I'd probably take the opportunity to do the rest of the white House. I may I may have everyone move out of the white House temporarily, and then I would upgrade the plumbing in the electricity.

without changing it, just making it more beautiful. More modern, but not changing any of the structure, interior or exterior structure. Put it back the way it was, because some things don't need change. Change, don't need to change, and they don't need to be, as I said, a McMansion. And so that's what I would do. And I would take the Rose garden, but put it back in. Perfect. Oh my gosh, it's so bad. It looks like a, like an Olive garden patio or like a Panera. It's. I was seriously in the 70s.

when I was coming of age, and my grandmother wanted a new patio. I was like, you know, Uncle Lester and his new concrete business. came over and poured and they're like, oh, my God, Uncle Lester's coming over. And then they took it and he poured it, and it was like, okay. He did. Okay, let's just paint it and they'll make it look good. and we'll have a nice patio. We'll just put some big iron furniture out there and some, you know, lounge chairs. And that's what it looks like. It's awful. It looks like Uncle Lester's patio. Yeah, it's. Really, really bad.

Governor Newsome calls it the predators pass again, which is quite a good. And I did think it was pretty bad taste of Donald Trump to have. the Republican senators all sitting there having a fancy lunch. when they were on, I think, day 22 of the government shutdown. We haven't even begun to talk about the government shutdown. But it's all bad. It's all bad because you have someone who's obsessed. And Caroline Leavitt said it yesterday. She said that. Donald Trump's number one priority was this ballroom.

The meantime, the government is shutdown. People are being furloughed. Some people are losing their jobs completely. There aren't enough air traffic controllers to keep the skies safe. Some hospitals are either closing or on modified, whatever usage. And, women are being dragged out. of carpool lines, picking up their kids from school like you have. All of these people are rationing medicine. Prices are up negative job numbers. And his number one priority is a ballroom.

It is the perfect Marie Antoinette moment. Let them eat cake. So he's he's going to party. And everybody and all the dignitaries are going to party in this big ballroom. And everyone outside or not, everyone, but many of the people who are on. the outside are suffering because of your policies. Well, and people are not getting government paychecks either. Right. So, and the and they're shooting. little boats is started in the Caribbean now it's moved to the Pacific.

And he's like, well, I'm just going to shoot people. If they're bringing drugs. We have no evidence they're bringing drugs. We don't have any evidence of anything. We have no evidence that these people are bringing drugs. We have no evidence that the people. they're rounding up on the streets are criminal, are not. The evidence that comes back is that 70% of them are not. More than 70% don't have criminal records. And he said, I'm only going to get. the criminals out of here, only the worst of the bad people and, too many American citizens are being swept up for no due process.

They're not seeing any evidence. They're not seeing, any probable cause. They're not seeing any sign warrants from judges. So there's no evidence of anything, but everyone is just going along with it. And I don't understand. why people just aren't up in arms and on the streets every day protesting. And honestly, I'm just using this as a now, you know, and, you know, trying to climb over the walls. of the white House and say, what are you guys doing on the Capitol? And yelling at their their senators and their Congress, their representatives and saying, the fuck are you guys doing? Well, we saw the No Kings, per protests.

I don't want to say the No Kings Parade. I mean the No Kings protest last weekend and we definitely see, more people turning. up at town halls for congresspeople and senators. Right. And certainly people are definitely angry. Do you think a lot of protesters just gone online? So it's not as effective? I mean, what I don't understand is. how come this not be bad for Republican candidates? Because Republicans are losing their jobs, Republicans are not getting paychecks.

Republican people are working at the TSA. This is not like just targeting Democrat voters. Where do you want me to go? How do you want me to vote? What do you want me to say? They're all in a fucking cult, and they only care about. Very, The Walking Dead. To your leader. Just saying. It's all. It's all. It's a cult.

And so, because if Donald Trump has the support of the people. and they believe he does now, even though his numbers are softening, you know. Well, these numbers are really bad. They're really bad right now. And so until I think until he's out of office, they're not going to change because he has the power right now. Even if he doesn't have the numbers, he still has the power to affect them. Their jobs in their district, and maybe even enough influence to primary them or whatever it is. So they're, you know, they're trapped right now. because they went along with this MAGA lie.

They went along with this, and now they're stuck. and and they're getting blamed for the government shutdown. So we have a year to go until the midterms. What would you be advising the Democrats to do. Oh my God. I, the Democrats are you guys drive me crazy. Democrats. They drive me crazy. Because I think there are some good Democrats emerging. Of course there's some good Democrats emerging. But the thing is, is I think they figured this one thing.

I do have to say, the messaging on this. great going with health. care was the best messaging, the best thing that they could do. And this is the only time I see that Democrats are falling in line. They're carrying the message, right? Right. They're toeing the line. And I think that that is great. Finally, I don't understand. And I said this on my show. I don't understand why when MSNBC calls. or ABC or CBS or CNN calls this with, Senator or Congress. woman, we would like to have you on the show tonight.

Sure. That's what I would say. Sure. But meet me at Metropolitan Hospital on 45th Street, and we'll do it from there. I'll be live on your show from there. And they'll say, why are you there? I'm here because this hospital is shut down, because Republicans have got smart, because the government is closed. Right. And people who live here aren't. getting the services from the hospital, the much needed services that they need, the care that they need because the hospital is shut down. and they don't care about your health care. What?

The president cares about a ballroom. Well, he can have it here in this hospital because it's now empty. And so give him this hospital so. That are they going to then just say, well, we love that idea, but we don't have the money to send crews out to do that. Who the the. The TV network. Oh, they will do it. Oh, you think they would go? You think worse. They would go. Of course they they. And then I would say I'm not coming on. I mean, if they can't send a crew, obviously I do the live shots. all the time with my cell phone. You can get there. It's not it's not that hard to do.

The other thing I would do is the election starts now. It's already started. I don't understand why Democrats don't have canvassers, Democratic strategists, consultants, all out in these neighborhoods where women. are being pulled out of out of the the pickup line from school. And I'd have on a vote Democrat or did you vote for this? Donald Trump lied to you. And now your wife, your sister, your grandmother, your uncle, your child. Now they're being deported or they've been detained?

Is that what you voted for? So you shouldn't be voting for Donald Trump. or the Republicans and any in 2026 or 2028. because they lied to you and now your loved one is gone. They took away your rights as an American citizen. And even if you're not right, because some American citizens are being detained. and then getting summonses and fines because they don't. have their papers on them, which is ridiculous. But the Constitution doesn't say citizens have a right to due process. It says all persons, and that means even people who are here.

who are undocumented, who are what they call illegal. So I've had I'd be out in the carpool lines. I'd be out in all of these areas where people are being treated terribly. I'd be at the hospitals, the businesses that are closed. I would say, go take me to the airport. I'd stand in front of the airport with the planes landing and saying, you know what? Today for three hours, there weren't enough people in this control tower. because the Republicans have closed the government. I don't know why Democrats aren't doing that. It's not that hard, Joanna. It's actually quite easy. So, Don, it's time for you to run.

That was like a stump speech. Come on. You've got. the strategy, you've got the personality, you've got the media footprint. It's time to announce it now. I feel like you should announce that you're going to run. Okay. Hello, everyone. I'm Don lemon, and I'm running for, I think, the host of the Don lemon Show on YouTube. Well, that you've already got that you've already have, millions of people, watching you and writing to you and leaving comments.

I look at all the comments you get, and I just think that it's so easy. to sit around and criticize, and people also need. to be able to step up and step into government. Yeah, yeah. But everyone is everyone's kind of, people haven't we haven't seen this before. Like, this isn't what America is supposed to be about. It's like the guy, who just recently. And I think it was a very harsh comparison, but he compared, what Donald Trump did to,

the East Wing, to ISIS. Right. Did you see the the guy who did that? He's like, it's that I. It's it's actually on. Set saying, no, it's. Sexy. And those little boats were like ISIS and al-Qaida. No, he's a he's an archeologist. He's like a real life. Was a guy. We had the Daily Beast. Yeah. Yes. Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. He's a proper Iraqi, a historical archeologist. Who's a real Indiana Jones. Yes. So what they've done to the East Wing and what they've done to the white House. is exactly what terrorists were doing, blowing up beautiful monuments.

in Afghanistan and the Middle East. I think people just aren't used to seeing this in America. Well, and I think the speed with which he moved and the fact that he'd. promised in July he was not going to do anything to touch the East Wing. Another huge lie. Well, it's really about, the whole idea of America. My friend Darren Walk. I don't know if you. Darren Walk is ahead of his foundation. Yeah. And he's stepping down at the end of the month. It's over and he's happy about it.

I interviewed him yesterday. now, so I saw him at dinner last night, which was great. But he has a book called The Idea of America. And the idea of America is that we at least one idea is that we had, we had this idea that this grand idea. that we would treat people with dignity, that people would have certain freedoms and certain inalienable rights, and that the folks who would we assumed that the people who would take office, especially the highest office in the land, would have some sort of moral. principle scruples.

Right. And also believe in that idea of America. What we found out with Donald Trump is that that doesn't apply to him. And so I think we need better safeguards, and rails that can control even. But but with a chief. Executive in the United States. We're supposed to have that with Congress. That's Congress's role, right? They're supposed to, as you said earlier, control the purse strings. And yet, it turns out that Congress is so frightened of being primaried by this man. If they, criticize him, that they won't criticize him. I think we need to figure out how to fix the balance.

We need to balance all of that. Well, even that needs a safeguard. Right? But. But what I'm shocked by this is not only that, but the sense that everybody around him is not only. not acting as a guardrail, they are, in fact, enabling him. And he has surrounded himself by a strange bunch of people. who Michael Wolff was saying on our most recent edition. of Inside Trump's Head, wouldn't be hired by any other president. They wouldn't be selected by any other president.

because they don't have the competencies, but they suddenly realize. they're in a role here that they'll never be in again. And so they're doing everything they possibly can to cause maximum chaos. Yeah, but also at 100% correct. But they wouldn't be hired at the water company or the dog catching company. Some of these people. Right, right. And so he's put he's put compromised. people, flawed, very flawed people in these positions because they so. because they will be beholden to him and they will do whatever he wants. That's the sad truth of it all.

But I think that, it's not. necessarily that people have enabled him because they, they have. But I think, I think the Republicans and the Democrats, it it's sort of a tacit. like they don't they're not explicitly doing it, but because they're so unnerved by it and they don't they're frozen, right? They don't know how to react to it. And so every time they don't react and people, become stalled or freeze and go, wait, what do we I don't know what to do.

Like it. It empowers it emboldens him more himself. I think he has been surprised by what he's been able to get away with, because. every time he gets away with something, then that emboldens him even more. And then he does something else and he goes, oh, extreme. And then he goes, oh, I can get away with that. And then he goes, oh, then I'll do this. And then nobody stops and someone has to go, well, no, no little Trump. You can't do that. Now go to your room. To be fair, there are lots of judges have been doing it right. He defies. Not well. He defies some of them. He hasn't defied.

All of them are definitely brave judges out there. There are definitely brave lawyers out there. And we had Robbie Kaplan, e Jean. Carroll's lawyer on, and she was talking about. She's a force. She is a force. And she was talking about how the legal system is actually holding. It may not feel as if it is what it is, but it is actually holding good. Although it's hard to know how it's holding when he's just randomly.

shooting boats wherever he says he can see a drug dealer. And I don't know how they know that drug dealers. They don't. Well, of course the don't. They have no idea. They have no, I why am I looking for logic in this? Right. I'm so glad you said that because, my husband said to me, he goes, why would he commute? George Santos's sentence like, hey, it's not even that big a figure. Like, no one really cares about him. Why would he do it? And I looked at, I was like, what do you mean, why? And I said, there is no logic to what he's doing.

And then and then he I read the his tweet or post. and it says that he had the nerve or the whatever. I'm paraphrasing to always vote Republican. And I said, there's your answer right there. because but he's not like, who cares? He's a clown. I said, yeah, so it's Donald Trump. So but there's no logic in it. And and it's a signal like it doesn't matter as long as you're loyal to me, if you're in trouble, if you break into the Capitol and you smear feces on the wall. or urine on the wall, or you steal things out of out of,

the leader's offices, if you. break windows, then it doesn't matter, because I'm going to pardon you. If you push over policemen or knock them to the. Yeah, it doesn't matter. So this is all been very gloomy. What do you let me ask you two questions. All right. What's the thing that actually keeps you up at night? And then how can we find joy in life. other than just comfort eating? The thing that keeps me up at night.

Is that any one of these things worse than the others to you. I think the thing that keeps me up at night is that we. This year, this is going to be. Someone asked me about, they asked me if I think our democracy will hold. And so I'm different. I'm different. I asked my friend Darren Walker that interview regarding this book. because he's very hopeful. And he said, I do believe that. I believe, you know, and he said that we have a very complicated history.

And he talked about Thomas Jefferson in Monticello and all that stuff. I don't. believe I believe our democracy is over. I think Donald Trump has killed democracy in America. So you think that the midterms aren't going to happen. or are they going to happen? And he'll disregard the results if they're not in his favor? I think yes. Especially if he's able to take over cities with federal officers. and, and troops and, and the National Guard and all of that. Yeah. So I think our democracy is over is democracy is not just an election.

It's also about how we treat each other. Right. And so about. Institutions. The institutions, what rules we follow. And do we follow the law? Do we follow the Constitution? And so far it's not happening. And so I believe that it's over. Some people believe that it's teetering. I think that we've already we haven't slid into fascism. We've careened into fascism. And that's where America is right now. So when people say, this is not America, it is. It's not who we're supposed to be, but this is who we are right now.

So that keeps me up at night. I don't know how we get it back after this. So back to my original analogy or more example, I think. I think this analogy applies when Trump is gone. We have to tear down the ballroom and we have to rebuild everything. That's what we have to do. We have to tear. all of the stuff that he did down, and we have to rebuild our democracy back. And hopefully, hopefully, you know, 2028, that'll happen. And maybe in the midterms, I hope.

But we've got to stop him from taking over cities. And just. bulldozing local officials, local leaders who the people elected. and just coming in and doing what he wants. We have to stop there. Okay. Between now and the midterms, what are you going to do to stay sane? What do you do when you're I mean, you're on camera most of the time, but in the small hours of downtime when you're not actually Don lemon life. or running around outside with your enormous microphone,

Was obsessed with it. I was I'm going to bring it next time. I'm going to bring you. I'm going to make you one so that you have. It all right, so I can run around to, what do you do to stay sane. and in such fabulous shape? Well, the thing is, is that when I'm sitting there. in front of the camera all day, I don't really get a chance to eat a lot. I eat like, in the morning. Like my husband will make me just out of the goodness of his heart.

He'll make me, like, a yogurt or something. And I'll have that in tea. And I drink tea all day, and that's what I do. And I chew bubble gum, which is bad for my teeth. That's why I'm at the dentist like twice a month. And so, I do that. so I don't eat that much and so I can eat whatever I want. If you don't eat a lot, you can eat whatever you want. So if I feel like I want McDonald's, and I'll go and I'll get, like, a hamburger and some fries or whatever, and then I won't have it for, you know, a couple of months. Okay? But I never deny myself anything, and I just don't eat a bunch. I don't eat a lot, but what do I do? I, I spend time in the community of my family and my friends.

So tonight I have a date night with my husband, and so. And when I get home, I play with my dogs, and then I'll go, you know, take them. to the park real quick, dog park, and then I'll go and back and do my thing. I love what I do, I love how my business is growing. I love that people are recognizing what I do and appreciating what I'm doing. So that is helpful. And I love that.

The thing that I think. other people should take away from this is if you're watching, no matter what happens to you in life, you can always make it into a positive. You always have agency. You always have, power, whether you realize it or not. It may not be the same way you had it before, but, you always have that. And I think Americans have more power than they think they have. And if Jimmy Kimmel did not show them that, and I don't know what. Well, if the No Kings, with 7 million people out there did not show them that, then I don't know what will.

So I think being arrested by masked men. and bundled into the back of the car doesn't make you feel very powerful. I think being zip tie doesn't make you feel powerful. I think not having a salary doesn't make you feel 100%. I think working at the TSA and not being paid doesn't make you feel powerful. But you have to, you've got to find the positives. and the thing that motivates you where, where, where you can fit. And I think that you have to have a mindset of abundance, always.

a mindset of that something good is going to happen to me. today, even though this bad thing. may be happening, something good is going to come out of this. I wholeheartedly believe that a mindset of abundance instead of scarcity. and a mindset of power instead of impotency. Or a mindset of utter fingers, a mindset. Or Snickers. No Snickers. You're going for this. No, no, I'm going to do the Butterfinger, okay? You're doing the Butterfinger and it's so good. I took a bite. And this sugar just it just I could feel it outlining my skull.

But it's so creamy. There's nothing like a Snickers bar, though, right? Snickers. You know what my comfort is? Peanuts. What? A Snickers bar. A bag of plain Lay's potato chips. Yeah, and a Diet Coke. Did you know that there was a report just recently in fortune.com. that said that 40% of people who eat Lay's potato chips. don't understand they're made out of potatoes? No. What do you think they think they're eating? I don't know, but I mean,

I'm eating this Butterfinger, and I know that I'm eating fingers like. people's fingers. So I. Don't know. I mean, it's always good to see you. I hope people check out Lemon Live if they haven't done lemon live. and that you will come back and talk to us again very soon. Thank you. I love our relationship. We're growing into, like, it's. a budding friendship, or at least a healthy respect for whatever. I have no respect for you. I have zero. Zero. You. I love talking to you and I really love your glasses. I'm thinking, why did I have glasses like that? You know, I think podcasters need glasses, right?

You need glasses and merch. They need merch. Thank you. So of course, the one thing Don and I didn't talk about. was Jeffrey Epstein and how so much of what is going on. right now appears to be a major distraction from, as Michael Wolff will tell you, how Donald Trump thinks of it. Epstein. Epstein, Epstein. So the demolition of the entire East wing of the white House,

the taking out of little boats in the Caribbean. that nobody knows if they're drug dealers or fishermen. The government shut down now on, I think, day 30, all distractions from the thing. that we know most unnerves this president, Jeffrey Epstein, if you have been, thank you for joining us. Don't forget to subscribe to The Daily Beast and The Daily Beast podcast.

We are independent media, so we really appreciate your support. Feel free to leave us a comment. We love your ideas for guests and for topics, and we'll be going through your comments. and I'll be going through them with Michael this upcoming week. So beast and a shout out to our top tier BBC members Karen White, Heidi Riley, Connie Rutherford, Sharon Shipley, Andrea Hodel and Free DK. Thanks to our production team Devin Roger Reno and Yvonne Ersan and Jesse Millwood.