Trump's Vile Reiner Post Confirms He's a Sociopath: David Rothkopf | The Daily Beast Podcast

All of this is convoluted and the corruption is connected. to the closeness to our enemies, is. connected to Trump's lack of character, is connected to his failure to rise to critical challenges, like trying to end the war in Ukraine or address the problems of the United States. And all of it comes back to the fact. that the president of the United States is a sociopath.

And we don't talk about that enough. I'm Joanna Coles, this is the Daily Beast podcast, and we are starting the week of fresh off to what feels like a terrible weekend, the Bondi Beach murders, the Brown murders, and then the terrible news about Rob Reiner. Who better to unpack this with the all talented, all thinking. David Rothkopf, the founder of Deep State Radio, a former official. in the Clinton Commerce Department and the former editor of Foreign Policy.

He knows about everything. And, David, let's unpack what on earth is going on in the world. David Rothkopf is in the house. David, it's very good to see you. On what feels like a very gloomy Monday morning. I'm in a fantastically bad mood, and I don't know if it's. because the news over the weekend was just appalling, or. if it's because I've had too much coffee and I'm going to have some more.

So by the end of the podcast, I may have exploded. Right? Well, I really look forward to talking to you too, Joanna, I. Know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry it was such upsetting news. My son went to Brown University, so I feel I know the campus. well and I feel particularly moved by that one. But then this morning, Donald Trump's. truth social on Rob Reiner is beyond the pale. I don't know if you've seen. it, but for those who haven't, perhaps I should read it.

Please. And this is obviously and I know you. You knew Rob Reiner, and I want to come on to that. But this is how our president responded. to the fact that Rob Reiner, one of the, you know, foremost cultural figures. of the last 40 or 50 years, was found murdered in his home last night. along with his wife, who died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

And here's what our president said. A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling but once very talented movie director. and comedy star, has passed away together with his wife Michelle, reportedly. And here's the bit that's just sociopathic. due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with the mind crippling disease. known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes referred to as TDs.

He was known to have driven people crazy by his raging obsession. of President Donald J. Trump with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump. administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness. with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before, may Rob and Michelle rest in peace. I mean, how does one even responds to something like that?

Well, I think you put your finger on it. Donald Trump is a sociopath. It stands in particularly stark contrast. to the fact that Rob Reiner was a mensch. Rob Reiner was warm, caring, a guy. committed to trying to make the country a better place. You're right, I've met him a couple of times in the context. of a lot of the activities that he did,

involved with Democratic Party politics. But let's set that aside for a second. Donald Trump's true social post. in which he takes this horrific tragedy, sets it aside, makes it about. himself, attacks Reiner. for being opposed to Trump politically. Debases the event.

It's disgusting, it's nauseating, and it's completely consistent with Trump. And, you know, over this weekend, you mentioned Brown University. We had another example of Donald Trump, the sociopath, when he was. called upon to give a response. to the mass shooting at Brown. And he said, as he has said before, things happen. In other words, he shrugged it off.

He didn't really speak to the human tragedy involved, nor, of course, did he speak to his own culpability. for promoting, a violence in America, for opposing common sense gun regulations. that 90% of the American people support. And you've got to ask yourself, I mean, let me ask you, have you ever seen Donald Trump.

express a human emotion, ever a normal emotion. of joy, of happiness for somebody else, of grief. about something else, of compassion for the American people? Ever, ever in his life. He doesn't do it because he's broken. He's broken, and he has no empathy. I mean, that's the thing that we learned. when Mary Trump came on the podcast and had watched him, from a little girl.

She said that on the occasion of her 16th birthday party, her father, who was Donald Trump's older brother, had rented a room from Donald Trump, in the Hyatt Hotel, which at the time he owned for her 16th birthday. And Donald Trump turned up and behaved as if it was his birthday. and was going round asking all the guests if this was the best birthday party.

they'd ever been to, and literally elbowed his 16 year. old niece out of the way so he could be the center of attention. This is a man who seems, well, just seems incapable. of of making it not about himself. Well, that's exactly right. We've seen pictures at international meetings. where Trump elbowed foreign leaders out of the way. so he could get to the head of the crowd so he could get to the camera,

so that he could be the center of attention. And we talk a lot about Trump being a narcissist. because of that, because Trump is all about Trump. You know, Trump wants to name everything after himself. Trump wants to, in this second term as president, just build monuments to himself. You know, a week ago, he changed the name. of the US Institute of Peace to the Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace.

He gave himself top billing over the United States of America. in naming himself the head of the US and naming the place after himself. He wants to name the ballroom he's building after himself. He wants to name the Kennedy Center after himself. The Trump Kennedy Center. He wants to name Dulles Airport after himself. He wants, for reasons that are also. absolutely deranged, build a triumphal arch in Washington, DC.

He said his domestic policy advisor is main preoccupation. was building a triumphal arch, but not just a triumphal arch, a triumphal arch that is bigger and better. than the arc de Triomphe in Paris. I mean, holy shit, you know, the arc de. Triomphe in Paris and most of the other triumphal arch is ever built in. history were built when there was a triumph to commemorate.

You're beginning to thaw my bad mood, David. You're beginning to make me think that there are normal people back out there. But I can't wait for the cabinet to start nodding to this and saying, yes. Rob Reiner, you know, died because of Trump derangement Syndrome, and it's all Rob Reiner's own fault with it, which is the implication of what? Of what he said in his Truth Social, when in fact. we know that the police are looking for his son. Who's the person of interest here? Yeah.

Look, I mean, you know, or Mike Johnson, we'll say when interviewed. Oh, I'm not familiar with that. I haven't been following right. I've never watched a single Rob Reiner film. I've never watched A Few Good Men. I've never watched when Harry met Sally. I never saw him as me. I've never watched Spinal Tap. Well, I can't believe that he's never watched Spinal Tap, actually. But, you know, I mean, but the Rob Reiner movie to remember at this moment, and there have been a lot of quotes about Rob Reiner movies, in the in the past 24 hours.

is Rob Reiner's fantasy of what a successful, decent. American president was like the movie An American President. I loved that with Michael Douglas and, and, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's a great it's a great movie. in which Martin Sheen is demoted to being the chief of staff. He would only later become president. In The West Wing and Aaron Sorkin's wonderful West Wing. Yeah, but the whole point was that the president was human.

The president could feel love. The president would do the right thing, even when it was personally. awkward for him. You know, the the president that Michael Douglas played. in an American president was the antithesis of Donald Trump, just like Rob, Rob Reiner is the antithesis of Donald Trump. And of course, he was meted in all in the family where he was the liberal son. and bumped up against Archie Bunker, his more conservative father. Yeah, there's another irony in all of that, because, of course, Archie.

Bunker was the conservative from Queens, where Trump is from. And this must have, you know, sort of hit Trump pretty hard. as he was sort of coming up because it became used, and the brilliance of the show by Norman Lear. was that it became a way to present. progressive ideas on television. and broke an enormous number of barriers. And I did note that in Trump's psychotic Truth.

Social post, he referred to Rob. Reiner as a television star who became a director. And I think that sort of signals that it was Rob Reiner playing Archie. Bunker, son, that made the first real impression on Donald Trump, who is now, of course, the signature, right wing nut from Queens. And, of course, a former television star.

Former. Yeah. From your lips to God's ears. The last we see of him on television, the better. I mean, how ironic if the obit for Donald Trump. mention that in the first paragraph, the former TV star turned president. I would love that. I have a whole theory. It's called the first line of the obituary syndrome. Is that what we're all essentially guiding towards. Now? But I've seen it in Washington, where certain people achieve a high level job, and they know that the first line of their obituary.

will mention that job and nothing they do after. And so they immediately begin their sort of downhill arc. You know, it's, you know, so-and-so, former National security adviser, you know, which they did 30 years earlier, died today. In other words, that that was it. That was. The peak. That was the peak. I think in Trump's case, the, you know, the. the the more emphasis there is on just how loony.

it was that a former reality show star, five times bankrupt, ran a casino, managed to get chosen by the American people to be president? I mean, it's like, come on, that's not possible. But it happened. So, David, what do you think his cabinet members. are saying between themselves when Trump isn't in the room? I mean, we often hear that,

people talk about Trump behind his back. and laugh about him behind his back. Do you think Marco Rubio. is looking at this truth social and rolling his eyes? Do you think he's so inculcated now that he's nodding vigorously and going, yes, he had Trump Derangement Syndrome, and that's why Rob Reiner died. Marco Rubio has a specific choice, and I think he should break the cabinet. into a couple of groups. There are people in the cabinet like Marco Rubio or people.

near the cabinet like JD Vance, who think they have a future in politics. And so every time they see. Something, I love the way you said that you think they have a future in policy. Yeah. I don't think they do. But they, you know, whenever they see something, psychopathic. from from Donald Trump that might stick to them. I think they get concerned. I think they try to find ways to disappear, sort of do that. Homer Simpson thing where he fades back into the shrubbery. You know, I just sort of come come out of that, come out of the, the imagery.

But I think they're, you know, they're true believers. I think Caroline Leavitt, her. you know, some of the particularly, characterless people that are around Trump or who would never, ever. have the jobs they have if it weren't for Trump, you know, RFK. Jr would never have this job if Trump wasn't so broken. Well, he says, yeah, yeah. He would never have this. And so they they see that, you know, they've got to follow the Trump train.

right to the end because the minute it disappears, the, you know, the scales will fall from people's eyes and they'll be seen for what they are. But this is a bigger story. And I you know, there was just a poll out, overnight. I think it's an NBC news poll that shows Trump's. low popularity rating and also shows that. although he's still got substantial support among Republicans,

fewer people are identifying themselves as MAGA. Fewer people are identifying themselves as Trump brand Republicans. And as we've talked about before, I think what we're going to see in 2026, is, you know, sort of people backing. towards the exit, you know, to sort of doing a Marjorie Taylor Greene. But edging out whether it's, you know, Nancy Mace. or whether it's other members of Congress.

But I think the people are going to start to say, hoo boy, I got to have a new identity because Trump's a lame duck. Trump's psycho Trump. is doing crazy stuff, and that's going to stick to me. And you know, it's going to be worst for all the business sycophants. Peter Teal, the folks at Palantir, the you know, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Andreasen.

Larry Ellison. Larry Ellison, Tim Cook, Wall Streeters who sucked up to Trump, foreign leaders who sucked up to Trump, who have a double problem. First of all, they've destroyed their reputations by. sort sidedly associating. themselves with this maniac. But what if Democrats win in November? What if Democrats take over the House?

Do you think that the sweetheart deals that Trump is cutting with. these people are not going to be investigated? What if Democrats win the white House in 2028? Do you think Palantir, because it's a Trump company or, Larry Ellison's, you know, Empire because it's so closely. associated with Trump, it's going to possibly conceivably. play the role that they play now, or they're going to pay a price for it. And my sense is they're going to pay a price.

Well, even Donald Trump seemed to think that they were in for a shellacking. at the midterms next year. I mean, he was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal at the weekend. and said that he thought that his, economic strategy, i.e. tariffs might not yet have, you know, revolutionized. the economy by the midterms. So he could he foresaw losing. And so he's obviously preparing the ground for a loss there.

Well, I do think there was an insight embedded in a lie, wrapped in. a bunch of bullshit because, you know, that. the insight was, you know, he was trying. he was acknowledging that he's going to lose. And what he's starting to do now is what he did prior to each of the elections. If you crawl in 2016 and 2020, he said, if I lose, it's because it was rigged. Yep. Right. And you know, he does this because he, you know, he can't stand the idea.

of losing face because he's a narcissistic sociopath. And so, you know, what will he do over the course of the next year? He'll say, well, this is the Biden economy, or this is because of the fed or the Congress didn't act quickly enough, or people just don't appreciate how great they really have it. Which, of course, would be ironic, because that's kind of. what is known now as the Biden trap, right?

Of sort of saying, hey, life is great. And people are saying, well, actually, no, you know, and and this is, this is a problem. You can spin people only. So far if you've got a relative who was dragged away by ice, if you've got a relative who can't afford health insurance and who dies. if you've got a relative who's a kid who needed to go on a school bus. and there's no school bus, if you've got a relative who depended on vaccines. and has now been infected because the next door neighbors don't use. vaccines, you know you can't make up a story.

from the white House that's going to counteract all that. And this is this is, you know, this is also part of the beginning of the end. There comes a certain point where. sort of smooth political patter, and owning a big microphone. or a big megaphone just isn't going to work for Trump. And we're at the beginning of that point. He also reminds me of that show, kids Say the Darndest Things.

Donald Trump Says the darndest things. What did you think about his comment that, families. should just buy two dolls, not 30 dolls? Again, this holiday? I mean, he said it before, but he said it again, and I don't want to be told. how many how many gifts I can buy my kids by Donald Trump. Wasn't just asked, by the way, he thinks he should have two pencils erected right away. What would he do with a pencil? Oh, hey, he wouldn't have the slightest idea. what to do with a pencil, but, All he could do is sort of strange.

Sharpie signature. Oh, yeah, well, that's true, but he has a Sharpie ban, as we. Know, and he would break the point of the pencil. But he missed the point of the pencil. He misses the point of all of these things. But I think, you know, you know, this idea of your daughter having $30. tells us a lot more about Ivanka's upbringing than it does. about the normal life of a normal kid. Well, and very notably, Ivanka is nowhere to be seen apart from on her Instagram, where she's wearing the latest designer outfit and parading around Paris.

or wherever she is. Yeah, I'm. Sure the way to Jupiter, Florida. I see. But she must be mixed in. how close Jared is figuring in everything these days, right? Jared is going to meet with Putin. You know, there is this, projects. that Jared is involved with and, and, and, and, Oh in Belgrade. In Belgrade, Serbia, that there is now a backlash. It's kind of a sign.

of what I was talking about before where people are saying, no, no, we don't want to be involved with the Trump project. But in the Wall Street Journal article on. That, this is about him. buying a hotel in the center of Belgrade and a historic site. Right, exactly. And it's a ugly project where they wanted him to build a statue. You know, that was sort of against NATO. And Richard Griddle, who now runs the Kennedy Center when he was ambassador. to Germany, got involved in trying to plump for this project.

But, hey, you know, I think. there was. something embedded in the story that was real interesting, which which I hadn't noticed, which was that, of course, Jared has this big money management company because, well, he never managed money before he was in the last administration. It's because of the Friends of Trump, right? 4.6 billion. This is Affinity Partners, which has also got. a $2 billion investment from the sovereign wealth fund in Saudi.

Right. Exactly. Well, some of that money is apparently going. to try to help finance Larry Ellison's. takeover of Warner Brothers. You know, which is like and Trump. the other day said, oh, yeah, I'll be involved in that. I mean, we've gotten to the point where because the Supreme Court. gave him immunity and because he's a sociopath, he thinks he can do anything, you know, and somebody is going to test that theory. You know, the Supreme Court gave him immunity against official acts.

And I think somebody could probably make a pretty good case. before the Supreme Court that violating the Emoluments. Clause is in the Constitution, that breaking anti-corruption. laws can't be an official act because it's illegal. You know, they're they're putting their thumb. on the scale of American politics through those arrangements. And, you know, the the sometimes. the quid is not directly connected to the quo.

Right. But, you know, yeah, Jeff Bezos gives a bunch of money. or Larry Ellison gives a bunch of money to a Trump project to say that, say, the ball room and then later gets favorable, regulatory treatment. That's what is known to the inside world. And something that the founders were, were, worried about. That's regulatory capture. What happens if the ballroom doesn't get built?

I mean, now, what appears to have happened is that there is, resistance. to Donald Trump's plans for the Trump ballroom. And so there it's a sort of, impasse. So it's possible that the East Wing could stay demolished for the next three years. I think. Then to companies ask for their money back. Is there a time frame that they've made the donation on? I mean, all things that we should know. Yeah. Well, you know, we don't even know how how real this promise of donations.

is because he lies about that stuff all the time. But, but but I have to say a big hole in the ground next to the white House. would be a better memorial to Trump than a than a gilded bomber. Right? You know, I mean, sometimes people do that, you know, they in the middle. of Berlin, there's a blown up church called the Goodness Care, that was destroyed. during World War Two, and they kept it in its destroyed form. as a reminder, that's what that name means to it, to think about that.

And I think the hotel in the center of Belgrade was actually sort of kept. as a, as a cruel memorial of an attack by NATO, actually, there's a sort of resistance to building a hotel on it. because it stands for something and weirdly. not what you would think Jared Kushner would want to take on. Yeah, but they don't care. I mean, you know, it's just as part of, you know, Trump is trying to get a deal. with Ukraine where Ukraine doesn't seek NATO membership anymore.

But at the same time, Trump has put forth the national security strategy, where it's clear he doesn't think Europe is important anymore. And will he draw down U.S. involvement with NATO? Will he weaken NATO? Sure. And will that serve the Russians? Yes. And and, you know, that would have been unthinkable before because NATO were our allies. They were on our side. But Trump has switched sides. And so, you know, all of this is convoluted in the connection. that the corruption is connected to,

the closeness to our enemies. is connected to Trump's lack of character, is connected to his failure to rise. to critical challenges, like trying to end the war in Ukraine. Or address that the problems of the United States and all of it. comes back to the fact that the president of the United States. is a sociopath, and we don't talk about that enough.

And if you were to get on most mainstream media, I'd say he's a sociopath. or say, let's have a bunch of psychologists explore. what the consequences of his narcissism, and his other pathologies are. They wouldn't do it. And so we bury it. We bury it. Well, I don't feel we've buried it at the Daily Beast. We've had Doctor Bandy Lee, we've had Doctor John Gartner. on both of whom talk about his malignant narcissism,

which is a very specific form of narcissism. And, you know, Doctor John Garland talks about the fact that as a child. and this is actually an anecdote in, Maggie Haberman book, Confidence Man. He threw rocks at a pram when he was a child. Donald Trump threw rocks at a pram with a baby in it. I mean, it's like something out of an Edward Bond. Play. Yeah. No. And look, I wasn't saying that the Daily Beast isn't covering it.

In fact, I think it's to your credit. And I think, frankly, if people want to go and discuss these issues, they and and hear about these issues, they've got to go someplace. other than the mainstream media because they're squeamish. There's scream and, you know, imagine Trump's reaction. if CNN does a special call, you know, our lunatic president. You know, I mean, that's sure. So that's definitely broken me out of my morning gloom.

Although it's not going to happen, though, to be fair, Caitlin Collins is doing her best. She's like a one woman resistance at the moment and she's got fantastic her. Caitlin Collins is a legit reporter. She really is. Need to know that her background was working for publications. that leaned right. Which is why Donald Trump was excited about having her at CNN initially. Right. Well, that's right. But she's come on. And she has just stuck to her guns and been a good reporter,

even when it's hard, even when he's I mean, did you see the behavior again. last week of course, with his attack on yet. another reporter who happened to be a woman and happened to be a woman of color? Yeah, he never does it against the male reporter. Well, he did it against Jonathan Karl. I suppose, but he particularly picks on the women. But, David, before we go down that spiral, I wanted to talk to you about something. else, the Epstein of it all, because Jeffrey Epstein does appear to be. the thing that gets most under Donald Trump's skin.

And as much as he has skin, and it's very. orange, as people are always pointing out. The the oversight Committee has subpoenaed. both Bill and Hillary Clinton for this week, actually. And they have through their lawyer, attempted to avoid appearing in front of the oversight committee. They've said they'll write sworn statements. about their relationships with Epstein or at least Hillary said.

she didn't have one. Bill said, well, we know that Bill flew on his plane many times. to Africa for the Clinton Global Initiative. What do you think? Do you do you anticipate them actually. turning up in front of the oversight committee? You worked for the Clinton administration. If you were advising them now, what would you what would you suggest. they do. If I advised that they would go and testify? Because, you know, they're not going to be able to keep anything from the public eye. This is going to be followed, and Republicans are going to push them into the public eye more and more.

And, you know, you just said the Clinton went many times on the plane. It's the assertion of Clinton. that he went four times on the plane and that he ended the relationship. Well, you know, well before some of the worst stuff started to come out. Look, honestly, Bill Clinton was kind of a pig, right? Bill Clinton was his attitude towards women was bad. He had a bad track record with women. Don't ask me why Hillary Clinton stuck with Bill Clinton. I but you know,

you know, if he is involved in this thing, I also know. every Democrat out there is like, damn fine, we should know that. And I think the position of people who want Trump to come clean. is should be to come clean themselves and not to get tied up in lawyers. Now, I know that the Clintons also know that Republicans want to make them. the center of discussion in the hopes that it'll distract from Trump. And they want to weaponize this investigation against Democrats.

like Sam or like Larry Summers and and and, you know, I get it. And I understand why they're there. They're skeptical of that. But I think the thing that is in the interest of the American people. right now is transparency and the thing that is in the interests. of, of of people who want there to be accountability here. is for everybody to be transparent at this point, for everybody to say, speak the truth about what happened here, speak the truth about the cover ups,

because that is the only way to have the accountability. we need for the women who are the victims of this. Because at the end of the day, this is not about Bill Clinton. It's not about Donald Trump. It's not about Jeffrey Epstein. It's about a system that lets rich, powerful guys abuse. and scar women in the worst possible way and get away with it. And and that's what's got to stop here. The other thing I would think is that men who don't do this.

would want this all to come out, because. all men get tarred with this brush. Well, I mean, look, I don't know if I've been do, but I think men who want to, respect the law. Men who seek always to respect women, men. who abhor this kind of behavior. ought to support transparency. And, you know, we do have a deadline coming up this week, December 19th,

which is just four days away, where by law, the administration has to release, the, the files that they've got now, it's going to be a telling day because almost surely they're going to say, well, we have ongoing investigations. and so we can't let you have this, this and this. And that's going to create a big battle. It is not going to provide them with the cover they want it to provide. It is just going to keep the story alive longer. And you know, the you know, it's like quicksand.

You know, the more Trump struggles, the deeper he sinks. And and I think that's going to continue for a long time. And he's going to struggle against it. You know why? Because what he did, how he led his life is disgusting. David, in other news, and I think of you as an expert on the State Department, because of course, you were the editor of Foreign Policy magazine. and the State Department was under your magnifying glass. Marco Rubio has decided to change the font.

He's moving from Calibri back to I think it's called Calibri. Back to times. Roman bold. Or is it times new Roman? Times new Roman? Sorry, but there's more to it than that, Joanna. And I'm so glad you brought this up, because the psychoses. of the president and mass murders over the weekend and and you know, that. the Epstein case and all that, they pale in comparison.

to, to font gate. You know, because it's not just that they got rid of Calibri. It's why they got red up Calibri. Because it was, you know, apparently the Biden administration switched to collaborate. because it was easier for people with certain disabilities to read. And so Calibri was seen as a woke. diversity. type font. And that we had to I mean, it's it's crazy. I mean, it's this is lunacy.

It's a woke font. It's a woke font. And we will not be issuing State Department documents in a woke font. You need a good right wing serif. to prove that, you know, what we're saying is, is in the American spirit. But the other thing they did was they insisted that the font. on these official documents be 14.5. Okay, now that's just too big, isn't it huge.

It's huge. It's huge. It's a waste of. Space, almost as big as the lettering, which now says the West. Wing of the Oval Office, which I'm convinced is because they. those in the cabinet don't quite know their way around the white House. Well, maybe it's related to the same thing. It might be that the West Wing is labeled the West Wing because. of the fading memory of the president, and this type font is really large. because of the failing eyesight of the 79 year old president.

But how crazy, how crazy is it. that they spent one minute doing this? But you know what they did a couple of days earlier. that they're undoubtedly trying to distract from? Go on. They said, if you want to come and visit the United States, you don't have to give us access to five years of your social media posts. so we can screen them. and determine whether you're suitable for entry to the United States. Do you know how much tourism is down this year.

because of other things they've done $30 billion. Okay, it is a very big industry in the United States. Do you think people are going to come to the World Cup. when they fear that ice may come knocking at their door? Because three years ago they posted a meme of Trump. as a, you know, that was unflattering to our dear leader. This, I mean, that the State Department, I mean, I don't know if it's even possible. to do it. They said, well, it might be. I was wondering about that.

I mean, it's probably possible with I. Right? But surely people will just create. For instance, I had a moment where I thought, I wonder if Mark. Zuckerberg is in on this and biopsies recommended to Trump that they do this. So people simply have to open fresh new accounts. It's possible I, you know, I it sounds like the kind of thing. that Palantir said or Elon said, hey, we can handle this. And, you know, some of those, I mean, just to. speak of since psychosis seems to be a theme here, what's going on.

with Elon and that, you know, did the didn't Mike Karp themselves. president or CEO of of of Palantir. like start doing handstands in his chair the other day? Well, he was at the Dealbook conference and it seemed with Andrew Ross Sorkin. and it seemed that he had had something in his coffee. this that morning, perhaps. that's the kindest way of putting it, but he seemed very unable, and I'm sympathetic to this, to be able to sit in a chair for any length of time.

Do a handstand, right? Yeah, I can't, I've never been able to do a handstand for. Viewers, but. Alex Karp had sort of uncontrolled movements. It was it was peculiar and uncomfortable to watch. It was saying crazy stuff. And and you go, oh, he's crazy. And, and you know, he's running this, but the, the, the, the the big boss at Palantir, Peter Thiel has regularly gone on rants about the presence of the Antichrist. These are the super powered people of our day.

You know, it's it's not just that we've got oligarchs, it's that we have insane nerd oligarchs. Insane nerd oligarchs, I knows. Beware the I know some. People. They I know David, you have thoroughly cheered me this morning. I came in just thinking what is happening in the world now you've explained it. We have a sociopathic, malignant. narcissist in the white House and everything trickles down from there. And then his masters are all on the West Coast and they are I, Enos.

I can't even remember what it stands for. Again, just remind me, nerd oligarchs. And. Insane nerd oligarchs. That's kind of where we are. Joanna. The only thing that worries me is that we talk about this complete. breakdown of Western civilization, and you're like, okay, I'm cheered up. Now. I can begin my. Well, no, no. And now I feel I'm back. I've hit my kind of normal level of energy so the beast we can,

we can fire up the team. to make sure that we're reporting correctly on what's going on. And fight for truth, justice, and a return to something like sanity. We have covered a lot of. Ground and a really good sweater. David, you have a really good sweater on this morning that's also cheered me. We're trying to make this a bit more fashion forward. This podcast, Michael Wolf, has set the tone with his wooly cardigans. Well, you set the tone every day. Look at your blazer.

Look at your t shirt of Sarah Jessica Parker smoking joint. Isn't it fun? This t shirt I felt like I needed to join this morning and I don't even smoke. Well, you know, I think it sends it sends a message, and I put this on. Not for your benefit, but because I've got to finish a book. proposal, and I feel like I look like a writer. And I thought, if I look like a writer, maybe I would actually write. You do look like a writer. And in the immortal words of Rob Reiner, I'll have what you're having.

Let us remember Rob Reiner kindly. Well, let us just go back to his wonderful movies and remember A Few Good Men. You can't handle the truth. And and The Princess Bride. The Princess Bride I never saw, but I did take the afternoon off. work to watch the first screening of when Harry met Sally in London. When it came out, because I was so excited to see it. Yeah, I just as it happened, I watched that day before yesterday again.

and, you know, it made you feel good. And, you know, at the end of the day, the legacy of Rob Reiner. is that he made you feel good. And the legacy of the guy who was attacking him this morning. is that he makes you feel awful. Okay, well, on that note, David Rothkopf, come back and see us soon. Look forward to more of your columns. And of course, you can follow David every day on DSR. Deep State Radio for his wonderful podcasts.

where you get more of what's going on inside, Rothkopf said. Yeah, or go to my Substack. Need to know there's there's even bits there. And I promoted one of your podcasts in my last Substack post. Excellent, man. So this is all circular. We're just promoting each other. It is as it should be. And we're both suffering from TD's Trump Derangement syndrome. So there you. Go. Yes. Well, thank you for contributing to mine today. Trump 79 onwards, David, thank you very much for joining us.

And we will see you soon. See you soon. Happy holidays. Same to you. So if you two woke up in a bad mood this morning, I hope that we have assuaged. some of that fury at what's going on in the world. And what else can we do but pay attention? Read the Daily Beast. Join the Daily Beast community, where you will find like minded people, and join one of our threads on YouTube or on Reddit.

And don't forget, here's what will help beast or even be beast. I see that our First Lady has been advancing her. best theory, and has had be more beast. And we're seeing beast. So big thank you to Sandra Clark methinks. Travels with Carl, Andrew Beaver, captain Inator. Harry Clark, Dawn McCarthy, Daniel Doc,

M Greiner, Fulvia, Orlando, Herbie, Andrew, Mela or Mel? Or as Michael always says last, Condé bonds over I love Francisco, Andrea. Hodel, Bo Kok, DC, Sharon Shipley, Connie Rutherford, Karen White, and Heidi Riley. And thank you to our production crew Devin Roger Reno, Anna Von Ersan, and. Jesse Millwood.