Why Harp’s Special Perk Stunned Trump Staff | Inside Trump's Head

The Mar-A-Lago Golf Club, which is not at Mar a Lago, its in West Palm Beach. The golf club every Sunday has a buffet right just over the top. And people talk about it, especially the staffers. Like like, I mean, they get teary eyed, their eyes roll back. because they're actually not allowed to go to the buffet. Natalie. always allowed into the buffet. Not just Natalie, but Natalie with her mother. And among the staff there was like a shield. How to do that?

Should she be doing that? She says that the president says she can be here, but can she be here? That became a major moment within the campaign. Natalie at the buffet. It was an all you could eat buffet. And and you know, the all you can eat president. Michael. Joanna, we're back in the studio.

Are face to face every Tuesday in the studio. I think reliably our safe space. Michael, is it a safe space? Because we have a lot to discuss, not least Donald Trump's weight gain. Is that why he's posting so many pictures of himself and Kim Jong UN? Because he looks slim by comparison. We're also going to gain a contrast gainer. Your favorite phrase? Contrast gainer. We've got Natalie Harp. Is she enjoying this moment. and why did she disappear from official white House photos?

We may always have Natalie Harp from here on in, I hope so. Natalie Harp presidency. Oh, what is it? Be still my beating heart. Let's hope we've also got why the Trumpers. are killing America's wild horses. The Mustangs. That's a variable. Totally. I mean, almost cried when I read that. I mean, how can you? Brilliant. Let's go kill the wild horse. I know what is wrong with these people.

Obviously, we've got the ballroom. We'll always have the ballroom, and we've got Canada. And we've got. I think he's officially now the thinking woman's crumpet in Mark. Carney and the you know, he's the leader that Americans want. And we're saddled with Donald Trump. And we have the dumbest meeting in political history. I want to get to that because it's like a head smacking. Are you talking about Scott Bassett? No, I am talking about Jared and Jeffries.

Oh, Jared and Hakeem Jeffries. Yes, we have to come to that. But I also wanted to just do a quick mention. We're recording this on Tuesday morning and Glenn Maxwell's appeal that she did. herself from her Texas prison camp, where she was moved after she had that. interview with our now attorney general, Todd Blanch, who went to see her in Florida and rapidly moved her after she said. the president was a wonderful man, and she wanted to just say.

congratulations to the president for getting elected again. And he'd, you know, been a great friend of of Jeffrey Epstein's. Not only did she have her appeal thrown back at her, which I'm sure is of great disappointment to her, but the judge said, on the contrary, to the extent it is relevant, far from exculpate her, it incriminated her or reinforces. the correctness of the legal rulings Maxwell challenges.

And that's what the judge said. So sorry, Glenn, you're still in there for your 20 years right now. you can have to wait a bit longer for a pardon. Michael, before we go forward. That sounds ominous. I want to stop. Go. A. little off topic, but to acknowledge what I think. is a story of enormous consequence, actually, possibly far greater. Far greater. What did I just say? Consequence.

Far greater consequence. than possibly even the Donald Trump. presidency, which happened impulsively, which happened today. Go on. Today marks the end of football. And the NFL can't go on. I mean, football. Let's football and in the NFL have been at the center of American culture. for two generations, transformed the media business, made sports.

essentially in sports programing. The center of of. of American media, of American culture. arguably has a fine of a very precise relationship. to the fear, to the idea of masculinity, to Trumpism, arguably. Right, and was certain kind of toxic masculinity and that. Yeah, I mean, I mean, in the center of American culture is this incredibly violence, sport.

so violent that anyone who plays it will get their brains knocked out. We now know this definitive study, a minimum of 25% of the people. who who play major league football. will have brain damage, substantial brain damage. It can't go on. I mean, this is more dangerous than smoking. And so it literally has at this moment. This today marks what will be the beginning.

of the end of and this this doesn't feel new. I mean, it's both new because the survey is or the study is definitive. But, you know, my kids are in their late 20s. There was no way in hell I was going to let. Well you were. I mean, this this now becomes I mean, it is kind of like smoking. Everybody knew smoking was, was was bad. And then in 1964, I think the surgeon general released. a report which which then began the end of smoking.

And and this is, this is definitive. You will if you play football, the overwhelming likelihood is that you will get brain damage. So people won't play. They won't play it in high school, they won't play it in college, and they certainly won't play it professionally. So first of all, this is going to kill 60 minutes. If Barry Weiss doesn't kill 60 minutes, the fact that the American football lead in to 60 minutes will kill 60 minutes. Yeah. No, no. And remember,

remember the profound effect at the end of smoking had on the media business. Can you even remember the days when you used to go into a restaurant. and people would be smoking all over you, all over your food? You would take a plane, people would be smoking. The absurd idea that you would have smoking a nonsmoking rose. I understand this makes a sound like we're from the Jurassic period. I was very enthusiastic smoker. I'm sure you were. I'm sure you were. But I'm that you're glad you don't smoke now. Of course, you couldn't possibly smoke now unless you're emotionally disturbed.

Although it's making a bit of a comeback in in movies and television, actually. But it's amazing how we went from people protesting the ban, especially in New York, to knots of smokers outside. office doors to you just don't know everybody. I mean, I mean, from a god. I mean, the the message was a very powerful one. You will live if you don't smoke, you will die if you smoke. And with similarly that is now the message about about playing football.

Did Donald Trump play football? Is that possibly why he's such an erratic president? No, not a bad segue. Come on. Not a very good. And I'm just trying to think of Donald Trump that that that fat fucker. out on the on the, on the, on the team would have come back towards you. Except you wouldn't because he's got bone spurs. and we've never actually seen him run. He'd probably have his own little golf cart on the football field.

I've never understood the rules of it. I've gone to the Super Bowl. I find the whole thing a sort of spectacle, but I've never enjoyed it because it doesn't seem very sporting. And, you know, someone's going to end up with brain damage. Well, it is an American. It is America. The football field. The football field is America. So what's going to replace it? But I'm a sort of well, what is your America? Yes. Martinis. The Hamptons, eating fresh produce picked by your beautiful wife from the garden.

That's your America. I'm keeping my swimming pool open until the end of October. so I can swim every day. America, the gay life, it's abundance, Michael. It's a life of abundance. All right, well, Donald Trump does look like he's put on weight. I mean, he definitely looks like he's put on weight. Well, no, we haven't even talked about Natalie Harp yet. I can't decide which I want more. Donald Trump's weight gain, an understanding his food intake. more than I already do, or Natalie Harp and the fact that she removed herself.

from the photos this weekend at the Indy car race. Also American. Well, let's go to Natalie here. because I happen to have a new theory about Natalie Harp. Go ahead, which you can see in my Instagram. Getting getting a lot of attention as of two hours ago. Go on. Which is are you sitting on that nice chair, that nice cream chair with the blue stitching with the footstool? Yeah, I think I watched it. Yes. There's so many of them, Michael.

Every day almost. Although I find I can't if we're doing a podcast that gets it gets in the way. Yeah. Well you've got to prioritize the podcast anyway. Prioritize anyway. You know, I was asking that question, which I asked of myself. all of the time, and I think which the question so many of us ask, how how is it that any sane person. could have, in fact, voted for Donald Trump?

I mean, this is what. How is that? What what is it? What is the appeal? What could possibly be the appeal? And then I thought, well, Natalie Harp, there is this this, you know, we look at it, we liberals look at it and say, My God, it's appalling that a. that a comely young woman follows, follows around this man and is there to do. his every anticipate his every need.

And that's that's appalling. How could that ever happen? But I think a good part of the country. says says my God, that shows. what an amazing guide Donald Trump is, that the young, these, these young women are just, just fall in line behind him. And wouldn't that be great? And isn't that what what every man wants and isn't Donald Trump? Isn't this proof of concept?

Donald Trump is a rock star. Interesting. So he's the without having to do any of the singing or the leg. singing on stage like Mick Jagger does he? Well, you're always saying he wanted to be right. He has groups, he has fans, he has groupies. He has fans who don't behave like regular people. because they excuse bad behavior, or they welcome bad behavior, or they they just accept everything. Everything that he does is, is something to be admired.

Well, and also, you know, like like like rock stars, they get the girls well and also some sort of projection, isn't it, that you want other people out there. because you don't think you can do that in your life to be doing that? I've always maintained the Stormy Daniels thing. It was a terrible mistake to go after him for that, because it's. many men's fantasy celebrity golf tournament. A porn star who then leaves at the end of sex and isn't lying. around all needy, wanting to be told that you love her.

You know, it's. I know a lot of men who would be like, sounds like the perfect weekend. Yeah. No, I mean, and also, honestly, I mean, we were talking about this before. in terms of Monica Lewinsky, but a lot of liberals completely understood. why Bill Clinton wanted to hang out with Monica. Well, they certainly didn't punish him for it. As a matter of fact, quite the opposite. Which will be which is relevant to the. to the current midterms, the.

the the second term Clinton midterm. And remember, midterms in especially the second. midterms always go badly for the party in power. Except during during the Lewinsky moment. when in fact Clinton benefited from that. and did quite well during the midterms in his second term. So do we think there is something about.

the notion of sex. and robust sex appeal with much younger women. that works to a politician's advantage because we've always assumed it's. a disqualify. But it turns out certainly in Trump and Clinton's case, not. I mean, I, I think it's how you match the. how the circumstances align. Gary Hart not so good as you might remember, but wasn't that because he challenged the media and said, I'm not doing that.

I'm not. You know, you follow me, see if you can get anything on me. Well, well, Clinton did that to I never had sex with that woman. True. I don't know what what being exposed. Right. And he was splitting hairs because. Well, that was after. sort of. But it is splitting hairs. A why does this work? And it and it works. Because I think partly because.

because you already know that that's what's going on. It doesn't come as a surprise that that, that that young women are trailing behind Donald Trump. I mean, he spent his career doing that. Right? Right. No, I mean, it was certainly not a surprise with, with with Bill Clinton. So I just think that there is and I think it's this part of the problem here. And part of the problem in this entire Trump era is, is,

is is the liberal mind having no imagination. about why someone like Donald Trump would be possible? Right. And do we think I mean, Nell Scovell asked me this this morning, a beast contributor and also the author of Just the Funny Parts, which is the best book. I've read about Hollywood and what it's like being in the writers. room is Natalie Harp, Marla maples in Melania.

Well, I think I think I'm in. So the reference there is, is that Marla maples. came on the scene when Donald Trump was married. to a Varna, and clearly, by her own sense of presence. and publicity helped push Avani out of the picture. Well, and Melania doesn't look like she cares very much. I mean, I was very struck when we saw her at the Indy race on Sunday.

that she was all business pants, white shirt with the popped collar, which is a new thing. I don't know if that's because she's. had some surgery or whatever, but the popped collar is new jacket. And there was Natalie in a little leather Plepler. outfit, chattering away with Eric the sun. And then it looked like Melania and Donald were having an argument. At one point, she sort of flicking him with her hand, as she does from time to time.

And then you see Victor, her father, just to finish my point, looking anxiously. in, he can tell his trouble in Paradise. because he's trying to do the dad thing of like, is everything okay? And nobody was paying him any attention. Yeah, and remember, the facts are they don't really speak, right. They are not. They are seldom in each other's company. Well, you could tell that when they were sitting next to each other. because it looked like they were catching up. and it wasn't going well in just just. to remind everybody that.

that at the Republican convention in 2024, first thing there was doubts about whether she would ever appear. And then she appeared on the last day and. but would not go out into the VIP box. until Trump had left the box to go give his speech. And was that because she was scared of being shot at? Because this was two days after Butler, Pennsylvania? Well, I don't think there was any.

I think it would be very peculiar for anyone to be shot at within. the convention. That would be a real well, you say that, but it's a huge group of people. I could see why people would be. Well, anyway. No. Okay, I can know. She just didn't want to sit next to her husband. Not because he was going to be shot, but because he was. She hates him. Okay. She looked like she hated him on Sunday, but it might have been that she literally. had to sit there and watch the cars going around 175 times. So it was very hot, very nice to one of his close aides.

And this was during the campaign and wondering again why. she had never made one campaign appearance with him. And I, when I pressed this campaign about about this and this person looked at me. like I was a real dummy and said, you mean you want a reason? The reason is that she hates his guts. She hates him. And I thought, oh yes. So for spotting the fuel for.

we get off this subject, which we could go on for some time. I want to tell a story that I reported in, in my book. Is this the buffet story? This is the. story. Good, good, good. Go on. Okay, so at the golf club, the more a Lago. golf club, which is not at Mar a Lago, it's in West Palm Beach. And because. And that's the drawback of Mar a Lago, which it doesn't have a golf course. So you have to go to the golf club. But the golf club every Sunday has a buffet right now.

Now, the buffet in American life has been debased. Now you go to any Holiday Inn and there's a crappy, you know, buffet. with, with those pieces of melon, always pieces of green melon. But in the American Make America Great Again, there is there there. there exists a buffet circa 1965, which is, you know, people. It defined the, the,

the vastness of, of the more of everything of America, right. The abundance of America, those huge sweating hands and those enormous kind of stations. Station. Station after station. The station and and at the golf club, there is one such buffet. just over the top. And people talk about it, especially the staffers. Like like, I mean, they get teary eyed, their eyes roll back.

because they're actually not allowed to go to the buffet. The staff aren't allowed to go to the buffet. No, but they talk about it and they say, a lobster. You get a full lobster and and can go back for a second. if you're allowed into the buffet. Right. On special moments, Natalie. always allowed into the buffet. Not just Natalie, but Natalie with her mother, Natalie. and her mother every Sunday showing up for the buffet.

And among the staff there was like a shield. How to do that? Should she be doing that? And then? Then the people at the. at the golf club serving this are we should we she wants this. She said she's. she says that the president says she can be here but can she be here. That became a major. a major moment within the campaign. Natalie at the buffet. Which is odd because she doesn't look like she eats very much. And in her letters that we showed last week.

that you were given by someone on the campaign, you know, a couple of years ago, it actually says she wasn't eating. and she wasn't sleeping in her lovesick language. Well, well, maybe it's the mother who was putting away the lobster. Or maybe she was coming with a bag and and putting them in there. Who knows? But it was an all you all you could eat buffet. It wasn't all you could eat buffet. And and you know, the all you can eat president.

And well, tell us more because he's clearly put on weight, clearly put on weight. And there was a report that that that that. doctors his doctors are concerned about this. Okay. So it's his loss checkup. He put on 15 pounds from last year and we don't I mean, actually. the numbers here are fudged. So it was that apparently when he went to.

when he was booked for his indictment in Georgia, he put his way the weight. His weight was listed as 215 pounds. Now that is he had to to know he did not. Everybody else has to be weighed, measured, weighed and all that. Not you have to be weighed. Yeah, not but not Donald Trump. He got to say what his what his weight was. Well clearly it wasn't 215 pounds.

No. In the, within the white House they actually. they actually talk about this and they figure that that. on the campaign trail he was probably 250 to 265. And now they think they would the. the estimate is 275 to 290. So and so he is saying that it was 215. in Georgia, which would have been slightly more than, than than two years ago.

And then I think I think now he is in the last physical, it was 238. But these are Trump numbers, right? So I would say it's much where he is coming on the 300 on a fast track. Okay. So he's he's pushing 300 because he certainly looks enormous. I thought he had tried GLP ones. Well that is the. again when I was, when I was writing All or Nothing, a set of people, Mar-A-Lago people,

people who hung out on the Mar-A-Lago terrorists, big gossip center was that he was on GLP ones. Why? Because he was eating less or how do people know? Well, he was he was somewhat he was thinner. I mean, he was looking he looked remarkably notably, let's say better and. and that has but then that didn't last very long.

And possibly the, the side effects or, or for whatever reason. Well, because you'd think. if he has a young woman in tow, he might want to lose some pounds. Or you could look at it the other way because he has a young woman in tow. He can eat as much as he want. Right? Exactly. He can go to his own buffet. And he can you get us into. We should go to the buffet. Michael, how can we get to the Mar-A-Lago Golf Club buffet? I would like to smuggle a lobster out of it.

Well, I'm possibly you can get an invitation. Unlikely that at this point. Although I've gotten them before. You've gotten them before. If you do, I want to be your guest. And perhaps you could wear a wig and we could go in disguise. I would very much like to try them. A Lago golf club, UK. All yours. Natalie. Well, in my dreams, I could go as Natalie. I don't really mean that, actually, but. But it is, it is. I mean, the story remains.

This is a guy. This is a really a fat guy. He's an 80 year old fat guy. who who stuffs himself with junk food, hasn't done a lick of exercise other than getting in and out of the golf cart, and has young women running off to him on the golf course, and also could, could, could fall over at any moment. Would it be a shock if this 300.80 pound year.

old fell over dead? No, it wouldn't be a shock. Well, and it would also be would what he wanted to do on television. Right. He should do it. If he's going to do it, he needs to do it on television. It should be at one of his cabinet meetings when he just doesn't. Well, it's one of those things that probably is difficult to plan for. Okay. So also but it is there is an inevitability. of it, like brain damage if you play football. Also a good segue. Also a very good segue. Okay.

Which takes us to what is the white House making of? Or did they set up the meeting between the son in law, who's actually very thin, almost concave, Jared, and Hakeem. Jeffries, whose normal size, Hakeem Jeffries seems normal and healthy looking. Jared. Looks. I have always thought of Jared looks concave. Ivanka is very thin. Yeah, and actually Trump says Trump says. Jared, he looks gay.

Oh, he does say that. What does gay look like? But he looks in Trump's in Trump's view, thin thin okay. All right. Well we can come on to but I can answer this question. because I actually I actually had had a discussion over the weekend. with, with white House with a white House source. And, and this meeting came up because the white House is furious, or at least the staff in the white House.

totally freaked out and furious because essentially this is Jared Kushner, the president's son in law, having a meeting with the person who will be the Democratic leader of. of the House of Representatives if the Democrats retake the House. And basically, what this meeting said. implicitly, explicitly, is we're going to lose. So we're reaching out to you because you are going to be the new leader.

And and what is the. So everybody in the white House is going, what do you mean we're going to lose? Why would you why would you why would you admit that? Why would you set that up now before. I mean, just we're just at the beginning of the midterm election season. Why? Well, also, why would Hakeem Jeffries take a meeting with Jared Kushner? Because what this will mean without question. is that Hakeem Jeffries, this was already brewing.

But precisely now, because of this meeting, will face a leadership challenge. Why would he possibly do this? What is in it for him? Well, what is in it for him? Stupid? Oh, he's just stupid. I mean, just ridiculous. It's like. So he's going to face a leadership court out. I mean, I think that he's, you know, who, remember? I mean, he's the meeting. Who do we think leaks the meeting that I don't know, okay. Because they're supposed. to have been introduced by a kind of mutual friend in New York.

Right? Yeah. Well, there are two New York guys, and and I, you know, and I'm sure that in Hakeem Jeffries thinking through this, you know, it's Jared knows a lot of rich guys in New York and you know. so I might as well meet with him and maybe I'll learn something. And so maybe he was doing it to as a favor. Or maybe he leaked it to say, look, even the Republicans think that. we're going to win.

Well, I don't think so because it sets him up. I mean, this is devastating. This is devastating for him. I mean, he's been in thin ice anyway. And this is just he just cracked through. Okay. So so the white House was furious with Jared. Everybody's every. Yes. The one both sides are furious with the with their principles. How difficult how difficult is it for the white House. staffers to be furious with the president's?

Well, they can be furious. They just can't control him. They can't do anything. I mean, and this is the other thing that they're a we're aware of that. Jared is operating his own independent office. So what's inside Trump's head over this meeting? Is he like, I can't control my son in law. Is he like, I can't believe that they think. that we're going to lose because I think we're going to win. You never with. Trump you can't talk about his family.

His family is always right. Or he's always, what can I do? Their family. Really? Yeah. Interesting. So it doesn't he doesn't he doesn't pick up the phone and yell at Jared. What were you thinking? No. First thing, he's he's. slightly intimidated by Jared. I mean, that's that's how Jared comes by his by his his. He's intimidated by him. Why? Because he went to Harvard. Because he got the daughter.

Yeah, because he saw all of those. All all of those reasons. And he's thin. And Jared is very good at playing his father in law. I mean, it's a very a kind of. I've seen the way. he moves around his, his his father in law. never engaging, always being able to refocus the subject on. something that is that his father in law wants to talk about.

I mean, it's kind of artful. And remember, Jared is the really the only person. who survived the first term in prosper, right? Right. Okay. Well, the ballrooms prospering. The ballroom is being built as fast as it can be built. As you predicted, those poor, poor people. working on it must be just doing double shifts, I would think. And as this in this came out, I think, I think there was a Washington Post. piece about this that said, you know, the Trump has been selling this ballroom.

on the idea of of that it should be built for security reasons. Right. And then The Washington Post had had a piece. which actually we discussed earlier than The Washington Post. And we're on this story, is that. is that that's ridiculous, because there is all of those security. features are currently exist within the white House proper. And haven't you been into didn't you get a tour of the bunker?

I've gotten a tour of some aspects of it. There are other aspects which you can't. They they don't let you see because it's a high security zone. But the the, the truth about his own even mean in a Trump in a Trump government. Do you think Natalie's mean to the secret zone? Well, the the what it means is that the Trump is that the the basically. the political end of the white House doesn't have anything to do with this. This is and it's really an interesting thing about the white House.

The white House is a facade. masking a military base underneath it. And it's run by the military. I mean, when you go to the white House, it's one of the impressions. The key impressions that you have is that the military is all over. Well, and they're also in uniform. Right. That's always struck me as interesting that, you know, you get shepherded around by they always look like. they're about to go on actually on a ship or on a, on a, you know,

aircraft carrier, because they're often in those kind of white naval uniforms. Whereas actually, if you go to the equivalent in the UK, just because that's the example, I know you're never met by anybody in armed uniform or military uniform. No. Well, again in that was I mean, this was first pointed out to me by Steve Bannon. and I, and I was I went to the white House to see Steve and, and he had himself just gotten to the white House.

and it was like he said, you won't believe it. This is really a military base. I mean, this is all you see, all this fake. This is the white House knocking on the fake, like Jeffrey. Epstein knocking on the columns in the idea that this is a facade. And underneath here, something the public cannot see. is a very, very sophisticated military installation. So is it so Trump saying this stuff. Right. And he's picked this up but he's a lie.

It's just a Trump lie that this is going to be part of this. And the ballroom is not going to be part of this. The ballroom is just so that Donald Trump has another performance space. I think he's building himself a nursing home. So to your point, when he is so fat that he can't walk, he'll just be wheeled in and out of it. and he'll have a hospital bed that goes up and down and a nice view. But they haven't put that in the architect's plans. All right. Can we get to the story that upset me the most, which is this terrible story that was in The New York Times.

about wild mustangs basically. being sold, shipped across America and then. foreign countries. Well, I wish they were being shipped. They are no, they are shipped to foreign countries as horsemeat. Oh, as horsemeat, yes. But they're basically being euthanized. Yeah. No. There. Yes. They're being they're being. Let's they're being slaughtered. Oh don't don't. It's such an upsetting story.

So just talk people through it for those who haven't read it, you know, I mean, I just all I've done is read this story in the times that there are. that there are wild horses have been a protected. part of the American West for years and years and years. And these are largely mustangs, those beautiful brown and white horses, the stuff of Western legends. You know, an administration has gone out of its way to protect these. And why wouldn't you accept the Trump administration?

And it's just round up these horses, which, you know, incur a certain. expense to the federal government in the process of protecting them. So let's not incur that expense anymore. How do we get rid of that expense? We get rid of the horses. And that's what they're rounding up and sent to slaughter. Let's think not just just the cruelty of this, but let's think. about the political sagacity of doing this. What are these? I mean, I've said a zillion times, and of course, that that.

at bedrock, the whole point about the Trump. or the whole underlying fact of the Trump administration is stupidity. Every one of these people is a subpar, stupid person. And this I think, how could you have a more. a more stunning example of that? Let's kill the wild horses. What nobody's going to notice. Do you think they end up? You think America, even even even the manga people are going to say,

this is a good idea. Kill all the wild horses. Do you think that they end up as pat on the all you can eat Mar-A-Lago buffet? No, we don't need horse meat here. We we we export this French horse meat. Yes, we export it to other countries where they eat horse meat. So McConnell is spreading his morning toast with horse paté. Yes. Now, now, we are probably not going to export it. to Canada, which has now levied. Well, if we do have 50% more expensive, we've.

Yes, we've leveraged their levying tariffs on the wild horse meat. Yeah. I mean, they probably have that, but they should. So how does that end. So on the one hand we've got Scott Besson saying anybody that does business with. Iran is over. We're going to come after you there. He was very short on specifics, and he looks like. he was just having a great time up there. I've never seen. anyone look like he was enjoying himself as much as Scott basement.

Finally getting a bit of the spotlight to lecture Iran on how they couldn't. do business with anybody and nobody else could do business with them, and they would be watching. And then we have Canada that we're deliberately. not doing business with, and they're not going to do business with us. Well, let's let's stop on the Iran thing, because I think that I think. we're at another. tipping point in a in a sense. Well, we can't bomb them because we've got no munitions left. So now we're going after what little money there is.

Well, we're going to squeeze them. I mean, let's get this thing. Trump is in his announcement. You know we're going to squeeze them economically. The worst the most. Nobody's ever seen anything like it. But we've already done that. We've already squeezed them. well into a level that we can't really squeeze them anymore. Can we squeeze them anymore? Well, the only way we could probably squeeze. them more is if we got China to squeeze them. But what's in it for China to squeeze them?

Well, and China was noticeably left out of Scott Besson's speech. Yeah. No, I think that this is this is again, we have to say we're doing something. What is the headline? We need a headline on this. This is the headline. What will it mean? It will mean the same as all the other headlines have meant. It will mean nothing. It will mean absolutely. You're stuck there. We cannot figure out a way to get out of this. And the best we can do is, is, is, is.

look for the headline of the week that says we have we have a plan. when the real headline is and again, this is the problem. The New York Times will give this as a headline. This is the plan. Instead of the real headline being there is no plan. We're fucking stumped. Well, we're just in a corner here. We don't know what to do. It makes me so sad for America. It makes me so sad.

This is also unnecessary. Trump was warned repeatedly about doing this. Well, it's not just I mean I mean, yeah, sad for America. Trump is sad for America. Not this. This is I mean I mean, this is this is this is a person who went into a war and. God knows, he's not the first president who have gone into a war, a completely uninformed about what he would encounter. So let me ask you something. George Bush went into a war completely informed, and that was catastrophic.

It was catastrophic for the region. It was. Well, I don't know, I don't think I think that that's a misunderstanding. He was not he he was not he did not know the key things that he had to know. And and he was not only uninformed but misinformed by, by, by American intelligence agencies, although, I mean, he may have. he may have known, he may have been lying himself, lying to himself, lying to the American people.

But there he went into Iraq on. with a whole set of assumptions that proved to be obviously false. And then so, so which is which is worse between the two of you? You've got Donald Trump surrounded by, you know, arguably the least competent cabinet, certainly in modern American history. And then you've got George Bush with Dick Cheney whispering in his ear,

Donald Rumsfeld whispering in his ear, Colin Powell standing up and saying, you know, the Iraqis are about to, you know, get a nuclear weapon. and they're funneling all these pipes, and we've got photos of it. You've got Britain supporting them. It's post 911. There's a sort of jingoism in the air, you know, trillions of dollars spent. Boots on the ground. Terrible for the future of Iraq. What? Who's better between the two?

Well, if the question is more. than rhetorical and directed at me, I would say, who else is it? Direct? Well, I could be rhetorical that no, no nature. I'm being being very specific. But I mean, to to to me. And obviously this is a, this is a long and historical conversation. which will go on for years and years and years. But I would say Bush I mean, I, you know, I mean, as much as, as much as I think Trump is a. unspeakable more.

on the Trump administration, this one in the last. one is really the gang that couldn't shoot straight. And and the Bush administration was, was people. who did things, did things. which resulted in just in the first thing, many, many lives lost, but an enormous amount of damage. I mean, essentially set the path for post nine over 11 for,

for the for 20 years, more than 20 years, 25 years, a quarter of a century. of of of the Middle East going wrong. Almost in every, every aspect of of. of of our planning of policy. of and yet he any effort to achieve peace. Right. And George Bush has somehow been rehabilitated.

is a contrast gainer contrast use your faith to Donald Trump. Yeah. I mean. I mean arguably they're both. done an enormous amount of damage to America in the eyes of the world. But George W. Bush has been reframed as well. It's very easy to do that. In contrast to Donald Trump, the, you know, the 300 pound buffoon. I think you're going to stuffing his face.

All you can eat buffet. How many lobsters does he have on his plate with ham and surf and turf? I'm sure surf and turf is his favorite thing, right? Other than the doesn't eat fish. Oh, he doesn't eat fish. Oh, that was on your list. It doesn't eat fish. I did this list on Substack of things that Jeffrey Epstein, random things. Jeffrey Epstein had told me about his friend Donald Trump. And among those things was Donald Trump doesn't eat fish. and vegetable is a potato.

Of course it is. I don't know, I mean, shrimp is obviously a fish, but yeah, that's. that's often people refer to that as, as as seafood rather rather than. Yes. So maybe he eats maybe he does eat shrimp in addition. to looking like a shrimp, a giant Chilean shrimp. Well, maybe there are shrimp tails left on the floor of the white House bedroom. Well, Michael, but the. But that's an interesting contrast between between.

Trump and Bush, because they now represent opposite ends of the Republican Party. And that's partly why why Bush, George W is now looking rather. rather better than he did when he was in office. was because he represents a more a more. moderate, informed, recognizable.

Republican Party, whether Republican Party or not, a classic neocon and also, interestingly, both of them abstemious. Neither of them drank well. Well, George W Bush did drink well, did drink vast excess. But like Pete doesn't didn't drink on the job and. got up early and went for a run and did. all the things that Trump didn't do. And they're the same age, right?

So, Michael, I have a surprise for you. We have a new artwork from one of our viewers. slash listeners, which I'm very pleased to unveil, and we'll go. with our remarkable A place in the Gallery, a place in the gallery of of video is going to become a. Donald Trump memorial. in Inside Trump's Head Memorial. garden. Whatever studio studio, I think.

Well, regular views of the Daily Beast podcast will know that we have a sort of. Epstein Trumpian monkey face that has become a favorite, and people always comment on it when they come in. I've got a new one for you. This is from a viewer called Frank Manson. Here we go. I'm not going to say anything, okay, but it's Trump. as Caligula. And it's pretty impressive. Frank, thank you very much.

We're going to give this a place of honor on our art. shelf from viewers. Lots, lots of gold. I get it, I get it, you get it. Trump. I like this case. Trumpets. Yeah, well, we should call him Trumpers from now on. Hagel's Trumpers. Let's get more of these. That's. Well, that's. Let's fill up this place. Let's fill up this place. I think there are a lot of people out there doing artwork to express their. creative, inspo again.

Yeah. Creative angst. That's a better way of putting it. All right, we're going to go out on a Limerick from. Garth Reed in the white House. SAT down in a huff, who made ballrooms and brands. out of stuff while his wife sold her brand. And Miss Harp was on hand. And Canada's Mark Carney said enough. If you have been, thank you for joining us, and don't. forget to subscribe to The Daily Beast and Ryan.

John, Heather. Rachel, Neil. Well done. Somebody else. We'll be back on Thursday. So the good news is we have so many beast tier members now. There are too many names to read out and we really appreciate your support.