Why Trump’s Now Losing on a ‘Daily Basis’: Wolff | Inside Trump's Head

This enterprise is coming apart. Donald Trump wants to be Donald Trump, and that becomes clearer and clearer, which means that the enterprise itself gives weaker and weaker. So we're dealing with these two things, the power that he has and the power. that he is losing on a daily basis. Michael. Joanna, how are you? I'm good. Good. But I and I have an observation,

I think in and it's it's. this has been more and more. I've more and more. understood this and appreciated this. And I think it's important moment. It's a moment of demarcation. And it's a two things can be true at the same time moment. Trump is going to continue to be. a mendacious and dangerous and damaging to all kinds of things,

but at the same time, very clearly, as clearly as can possibly be, this enterprise, this Trump enterprise is coming apart. And I think we're right at the center. We're right at the beginning of this in which in which we will see. this progress on an almost day by day basis. And I guess this is this is good news. And but it is more to the point. for us, an important moment in this story.

Okay. So what are the leading indicators? I mean, the last two weeks in particular have been rough for him. But what are you seeing as the I mean, I think the fact that he cannot extricate. himself from this war is a thing that will. that will finish him off in the end. But then I think also the reaction to that, the the way that has weakened him. And now for Congress to have basically said, hey, we're going to take back our power here.

I mean, these. the Republican. Congress that has for almost now, ten years bent to. his will is saying, hey, hey, what? We're not doing this. And that was a devastating vote yesterday. or the day before in which, in which Congress was based. I guess yesterday was basically say. has basically said, we're going to take the war powers back here. They belong to us. We are taking them back.

And that together. Then with just the other day, in which they dug. in their heels on his $1.8 billion slush fund, and then I think this goes this goes into a broader territory. And it all sort of brings this together of of his falling. poll numbers, his the fact that he is in trouble. on all of the, the, the foundational policies of the of,

of his administration that he could fix the economy, that that immigration. was his issue, the issue that was that was fueling him. instead of the issue that is causing him now so many problems, so many problems with his with his base, the health care issues also causing him problems. It's one problem after another after another that he could he cannot surmount.

Including central to this, of course, is the war. Yeah. So interesting. I was at an event on Wednesday night for Prof. G. Markets. They were doing a tour and their surprise guest was Hillary Clinton. And of course she got a huge standing ovation in the room. And she talked about Netanyahu trying to exert pressure. to get them to attack Iran and to remove the leadership.

And they, you know, the claims that he's obviously. made to Donald Trump that the Iranian people would rise up. And she just described how they what is it called? Red teamed it out. I don't know if it's Red team or the war planning it out game. What is it? Wargaming it out. And of course the Strait of Hormuz comes up all the time. and they just figured it wasn't worth it. They couldn't they couldn't make it work. And then who was they? I'm just confused. The Obama administration.

So she's talking about how they're trying to figure out the Iranian deal. And Netanyahu is saying you should just invade. You should just invade. And they're looking at all kind of ways of dealing with Iran. And then yesterday I interviewed Ben Rhodes, who, of course, was very involved. in the Iranian deal and actually led the negotiations for Cuba. because he has a new book out called All We Say. We drop it tomorrow, the interview tomorrow. And he talks very specifically about the pressure. Israel was trying to apply to the US and how they withstood it.

And it's so fascinating to think of Donald Trump being played. so easily by Netanyahu and then listening to what it was actually like. creating those Iranian negotiations and all the other international players. who were involved, and the time it took and the idea that Steve Wyckoff. and Jared Kushner can saunter in there as deal guys, the arrogance of it, the foolishness of it just seems to be sinking Donald Trump.

And I'm just curious at this point, Michael, because you always make this point that Trump blames people. He knows that he's vulnerable. Who is he going to blame for? Iran? Well, I think but let's just step back before we get to that, because I think it is it is important and fun to speculate. who's who's going to get the blame. But the. there was a. there was a story, I think in the times the other the other day.

about about that they had with within the Pentagon, they had warned war gained this out in the Strait. of Hormuz was always a problem. There it was. So this was this was a known, known, the Strait of Hormuz. If we go to war, if there is a a confrontation with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz could be a big problem. And and Trump was told this apparently again.

and again and again, this, this, this came up and the time said that he, that this was unheeded by him. in times language unheeded. But and this again goes to one of those, those themes. of, of the Trump administration and Trump leadership. He just doesn't. And we have come back to this many, many times.

He just doesn't listen. So it's not that it is unheeded when unheeded means means he. he was he was told this and he decided that was not important, rightly or wrongly, that. he made a strategic decision effectively, even if it were wrong. But the problem is much larger than that and goes to a much, a much deeper question of his confidence.

He just doesn't listen. So he doesn't hear it. He doesn't. It's not that he ignored it, it's. that he doesn't hear it because he doesn't listen to anything. So here is this man who has gone to war and he has listened to well, actually, he listened to the one thing that he should not have listened to, which was Bibi Netanyahu convincing him that this was the right thing to do. Essentially, BB said, you can be a winner.

And the it's interesting because the in the in. the gaming out how the Strait of Hormuz might play. Essentially he was being told you could be a loser. and that's the kind of thing he just doesn't listen to. Just blocks it out. Oh, that's a brilliant observation of course, that he might lose that. And that just doesn't compute. He doesn't even want it. He doesn't want the words floating around the room. So again, we're at this incompetence.

I mean, yes, Trump. is is the the most mendacious president we have ever had. Yeah yeah yeah of course all of that. But the other thing, and it may be more important and it may be. and it may be the thing that causes him. much more grief is that he's incompetent. I mean, just just the most basic level of, of the details, you have to be able to absorb the connections.

You have to have to make the executive function. You have to apply. He can't. But also it requires him taking the job seriously. And he doesn't do that either. I mean, it's. as if he just is on the surface of it, as if he enjoys playing the president. as if he he loves all the writing around in the beast and all the attention. And we've talked before about how his addiction is to attention.

What you're saying there, and it's very much on on. point is Trump's presidency is about him. It's about who he is. It's about his brand. It's about his message. It's about what whatever comes from him. And it's again, it's a broadcast issue. He can't take any information in. It's just all it's just information coming out, blah, blah, blah, blah. And okay, so what's inside his head now.

given that things aren't going. as planned, everything he planned is falling apart. You're right. It's who's going to be blamed. No, I just think it's I, I think we got. we got a note that that poor Marco Rubio, poor little Marco, was before Congress saying that the war is over. The war is over. It's done just as as the the Iranians are bombing Kuwait.

Right. And as the strait remains closed and we're now beginning. to see remarkable pictures of all these tankers stuck in the Gulf. They're just stuck there. And it's going to take months to get them out, even when they unlock. the Strait of Hormuz. And I think, I mean, the fascinating thing is that nobody around. Trump is able to penetrate, as you say, his.

his inability to listen. This has always been true. And just just to go back to, you know, in those in the early days. of the first Trump White House, when I was on the scene, pretty ubiquitously on the scene, and when everybody in the white House. was trying to figure out who this guy was, they didn't know. And I mean, he didn't really have any presence in the. in, in, in Washington or in the political culture.

I think I think as a matter of fact, at some point, Trump. Trump told me that before he got to the white House, he had only ever spent like 12 nights in Washington. Anyway. He knew he knew nobody and nobody knew him. And they're trying to figure this out. And so in these as the weeks roll on and everybody. becomes more and more kind of puzzled by, by.

by who he is and how he operates, you know, they would say, you know, it's a big it's a big problem because he doesn't read anything. You know, this in this information intensive job, he really reads nothing. So, so, and so, you know, how do you get information to, to him? And then they would pause. and they said, and that's compounded by the fact that he doesn't listen. So literally there was no way to get him any information. And that has not only has that not changed, but that has gotten worse.

It's like he's surrounded by almost by tinfoil. He's covered in a sort of metaphorical tinfoil hat. that everything is beamed off him. Nothing. Nothing is coming in. Well, let's talk about Rubio's congressional testimony. I mean, there was a fantastic moment when Ted Lieu from California. asked him if he'd ever seen Donald Trump asleep in cabinet meetings. And Marco Rubio, of course, says, no, I haven't.

Of course not. President doesn't do that. And then, Ted, you said, sir, you have just lied to Congress. And then they played two pieces of video where Donald Trump from. of a cabinet meeting where Donald Trump appears. to be fast asleep as Marco Rubio is talking. I mean, it was just a magical piece of congressional testimony. Ted Lieu as what was it? What was it? The guy, Tony De Coble, said about Marco.

Rubio on his second CBS broadcast. Sir, we salute you as Florida man, sir. Mr. Liu, we, Congressman Liu, we salute you as California man. California. We should get to that. Well, we will we will definitely get to California. But do you have any more thoughts on does Marco get the blame for the war? Well, this is again, you have to understand understand this in the global Trump sense. Everybody gets the blame. It's just the question of who's up.

And even within the Trump circle, the aides acknowledge this. It's just my turn. And and that will happen happen here. I mean, Marco Rubio is you know, I'd. say is in his in his maximal position now. and then he will be certainly brought down by this. And, and given everybody who is, who is in a position,

a public position regarding the war will be blamed, except the person who is in the most the highest public position. regarding the war, who is Donald Trump who will not accept any of the blades? And yet it was his decision to do it, despite the fact that everybody laid out. the very clear reasons why this could be complicated for the states. and lead it into the forever war that he claimed he didn't want, just the foolishness of it and and also the sort of strength that they've.

unwittingly handed to Iran. No. And who who now, on a day by day basis is basically trolling Donald Trump, you know, what was that those that Kuwait attack about, it's. kind of saying then. and then after Donald Trump, which they do again and again. and again, they keep moving the goalposts, moving it, moving it. Here's an agreement. Yes, we might take that.

No. But add this. You have to give us whatever. Well, and then there was the story that. that leaked and there were various Republicans saying, oh, it's shocking. This stories leak. We must find the leaker. But one couldn't help thinking it was probably Donald Trump. who'd leaked the story himself about the expletive laden conversation. he had with Netanyahu, where he was shouting at Netanyahu, apparently using the F word. Just saying, this is ridiculous. You've got to stop bombing Lebanon. You're making it really difficult for me. So it felt like he was trying to leak a story, showing he was trying.

to be strong with Netanyahu, who's also clearly got the upper hand here. I mean, Trump looks ridiculous squeezed between Iran and Netanyahu. He's disappearing. Right. Well, just let me again say in in charting this story, the point of demarcation, this enterprise is coming apart. The enterprise is coming apart. So should people be jumping ship at this point? If you're JD Vance, should you be thinking, oh, I need to resign.

I need to get away? No, no, no, I mean, vice presidents never resign. That's ridiculous. And he is. I mean, JD Vance has no alternative but to make the best of it. and to hope being the vice president of the United States, just that fact. will propel him into a moment when he can reposition, remake. Restate who he is.

I mean, I don't think that that's going to happen. I think he's going to go down with this ship, but he can't get off it. He can't get off it. like so many of those poor merchant seamen in the middle of the Persian Gulf. right now. And there are thousands of them dying to see their families again, trying to get fresh food. All of it. What a calamity and a totally unnecessary. You know, there is a greater sense of of. I was going to say. transparency, but there's always been transparency with,

with with Donald Trump. But but through the window, everything that's going on. is so chaotic and confusing. You don't know what it means. But I think more and more now, what we get is a sense of clarity. We do know what it means. We do know that Donald Trump playbook. We do know what he's going to do. We do know why he's he's he's going to do it. And. and it's not and it's, it's it stands out. Its meaning is glaring and obvious, you know,

so this this selection of Bill. Pulte, of all people. to run as director. of national intelligence is, you know, and I think at some point you might have you might have said, okay, well, he's, he's. he has some some he has something in mind there. Maybe it's, it's, you know, bad.

stuff in mind, but at least it's clearly he has something in mind. Once a tough guy in the job or he's there because he values loyalty. There's this thing that people say in politics as though it's. actually often as though it's a virtue. He values loyalty above, above everything else. But I think we now see that's not what's going on here. What do you mean, what is going on? He's just desperate. He's putting someone in as acting because it's unlikely. he'll get through Senate confirmation.

You know, I was talking to a Trump. Trump guy. You know, someone I regard as a basically a decent sort about about this. And I was asking how can he hire these people? And this this person. replied to show that he can. So that is, again, we're back to that thing. It's all about him. It's all about the message that he's sending. So when he appoints these totally unfit people, it's.

a message of control and contempt for rules and standards. That's the message that he wants to send. You know, again, everything in Trump world is about who he is. That's the message. There's this other guy he appointed to to, you know, a. significant Defense Department post, this Elias. Irizarry, I think it was named.

Right. You know, in his singular qualifications. seems to have been that he was he was convicted. He was a January 6th convict. Right. There's a picture of him on the top of Congress, I think, with a huge poll. Clearly a. I mean, it couldn't be more. inappropriate to put him in charge of. I think he's in charge of. trying to extricate people.

if they get stuck in difficult situations. Right? I mean, it's actually a very responsible job. I mean, he. he appeared to be remorseful after January the 6th, said it was a terrible mistake. And he went back and finished at the Citadel Military College. And the judge who sentenced him seemed to believe him, because I think. she wrote a reference for him to go back to college and graduate, which he did. But why would you, if you're Donald, right, of all the people in the world.

Right? Yes. And again, the the message is I don't care. The message is fuck you. And I think that that that is elemental. To what? To how he has, how he sees. his administration, how he staffs his administration. I can appoint this person because I can. But, Michael, how do we then get through? If it's this bad 18 months in, how do we survive the next two and a half years?

I mean, how is this possible with these after? I don't know the answer in these, but I do know I mean, I think you have to. look at this, that two things are happening at the same time. Donald Trump is not changing. And partly the two things are happening at the same time. They're very related here. Donald Trump is not changing. Donald Trump can't change. Donald Trump can't fix the situation that he's in. Donald Trump doesn't want to. Donald Trump wants to be Donald Trump.

And that becomes clearer and clearer, which means that the enterprise itself. gives weaker and weaker and is in fact falling apart. So we're dealing with these two things Donald Trump, Donald Trump and and the power that he has and Donald Trump. and the power that he is losing on a daily. basis, and America is losing with it. Can we just talk for a second about not. what's in his head, but what's on his head in the medical information.

that came out after his third visit to Walter Reed hospital, his third visit, we should point out, in 13 months, he stopped, apparently taking the hair loss drug Propecia. I feel like this could be significant. Well, it could be significant if if, if if suddenly. I mean, I can't even imagine this. I mean, let's be let's be clear. I mean, it's not as if he has taken the hair loss drug.

and that has given him hair. He has no hair. He is a bald man. Is he totally bald? Does he have actually bits around? But does he have like male pattern baldness? And didn't he have a scalp reduction? Jeffrey Epstein told you he'd had a scalp reduction. He did, he did. And and there's a there's a point in, in I think in one of my books, I think in Fire and Fury where, where Avanza is describing his hair. routine and, and how it's how he pulls it up and how he does.

He wouldn't let anyone do it. And it's this careful construction of one of the most. complicated comb overs in. in the long history of comb overs. Actually, Donald Trump's comb over is pretty much. the only one left from the long history of comb overs. But I'm just asking, does he have, like, a fringe of actual hair that you can tie the stuff onto?

Male pattern baldness is is, you know, the top is the top is bald. And you continue to have, have, have hair growing on the sides of your head. Yes. Right. So. Well, anyway, he stopped taking Propecia. I wonder if it's got unpleasant side effects. It must have. Maybe that's what he stopped. And it's also, his hair seems to have changed a lot more recently. It definitely looks thinner. And it.

We've had some gray. and even purple rinse days, and then it goes back to its golden color. Or as one of our commenters said, moldy hay. That the sort of appearance of moldy hay, which I still think. is the best description for Donald Trump's hair. And let's not discount the importance of hair in, well, it's. the United States presidency in general. But this particular hair to this administration, Donald Trump, exists arguably because of his hair.

And there's a great pass. One of my favorite passages. in Stormy Daniels book, where. where she asks him they're lying together. I believe in the bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, but I could be wrong on this. On this, was this when they met at the Celebrity Golf weekend? Was this the famous that was in Reno? And then there was. There were. I think that there was there.

was a subsequent I'm. don't hold me to the. don't quote the yes to the. to the precise interactions. except this conversation is I am I am very clear on. because how could one forget it in which she asks him about his hair. and he tells her and he admits that it looks slightly ridiculous. But you know, he said he always had a lot of hair and he was always proud of his hair.

And then he started to lose his hair. So he started to do it like this and started to color it like this. And then it became the thing. that he was known for, which he liked, and this and this. And then it became, you know, and he describes it became a branding. device for him. And I when I read this, I thought, My God, there, you know, the guy has some level of self-awareness. Who knew, right? Who knew? Well, anyway, for whatever reason, he stopped taking it.

And I will by next. By Saturday's episode, I will look up the side effects. and see what they are, because there must be a reason why he stopped taking it, unless the reason. he hasn't been in public for the last four days, five days, is that he's having a hair transplant, which I suppose is possible. Yeah. No, I don't think that that's possible. I mean, I think that that's. I think. you're either a hair transplant guy or a comb mover guy. Interesting. And you're neither. You're proud or you're. Yes.

Or you're the modern version, which is you get rid of all your hair. Yep. Yeah. Okay. So should we move on? And I think we should to CBS. I think you have strong feelings about 60 minutes. Yeah. Well, I think everybody seems to have strong feelings about 60 minutes. I mean, the, the, the new management of of CBS. and what's the CBS has been bought by.

the Ellison family. It's actually Paramount. Paramount, which owns CBS, has been bought by the Ellison family. And that includes Paramount Studios. And and the the multitude. of cable stations that they that they own. And they are now in the process of adding to that HBO. and Warner Brothers and CNN and all those cable stations. And this is because the Ellison family has supported Donald Trump,

and they've now been able to buy much of American media. because Donald Trump, big surprise, is supporting them. And this this also includes, of course, 60, 60 minutes. 60 minutes is the most prestigious news show on. on network. television, probably on, on on cable television. Two it's it's been on the air for Jesus.

seems to me for generations and generations. It's an American institution. I think it's fair to say so they have so. the Ellison so David Ellison. So this is one of the great, you know, nepo baby adventures. So David Ellison is the guy, the son of Larry Ellison, who is now running all of these media companies. And David and Ellison has no experience in television.

And then, in turn, he hired a woman. by the name of Barry Weiss, who has no experience in television. And and she then hired the other day. a guy by the name of, of Nick Bilton, who has also no experience in television. And together, all of these people have fired. all of the people at 60 minutes who have experience in television. And that has caused,

well, a kerfuffle, to say the least. And one of their one of the leading correspondents, Scott Pelley, who has been there for it would seem like generations, spoke up and said, you have no experience in television. And so he got fired for that. So and there are a couple of. interesting questions here. So 60 minutes, which I.

regard as possibly the most boring show you could, you could ever watch. I know there are many, many people who swear by 60 minutes and that is their. their kind of pillar of earnestness and, and reliability in this world. As a matter of fact, there are so many people who continue. to believe believe this. So 60 minutes is profitable for the company. and continues to be prestigious for the company.

So why would they? This new group of people go after 60 minutes? What could they possibly hope to gain by doing this? Do they go after it because, as someone just said about Donald Trump, because they can. Because they're giddy with power. I mean, there is well, yes, they might. Yes. Obviously. I mean, there's there's a kind of thing. So the world you can kind of construct the world, the previous world was a world run by arrogant people with experience.

And now the new world with Donald Trump as the as the poster child for. this is a world of arrogant people. Run is a world run by arrogant people without experience. And that's certainly what's going on at. at CBS or something more. thought out and strategic, which is that that we got to offer something to Donald Trump.

Right. Well, let's let's talk about that. because of course, 60 minutes ran interviews with Donald Trump. It also ran an interview with Kamala Harris, which Trump then. he sued CBS because he said that they had altered the interview. And it had it had been edited between the trailer. advertising the show and the actual interview that they did. And he sued. Yeah. No, he hates 60 minutes among those kinds of things that he hates.

CNN, you know, the whole media list. I am occasionally on that, that that media list. And we are occasionally on that media list of things that he hates. But in in terms of so to make the Ellison's. the deals that the Ellison's have done, which are kind of extraordinary that they now monopolize. so much of the media business, they did with the support.

and because of the support of Donald Trump. Now, Donald Trump, as we know, is a very transactional guy. It's like, what can you give me? I'll give you this. What can you give me? And if I were these people. and and the costs was 60 minutes. Well, you know, I mean, it's the news division. They don't really care about news. They're not really doing this for the for the. for the news, the.

the to support the integrity of news. There they bought buying these media companies. to be in the entertainment business. We just have to remind people. David Ellison's father, Larry Ellison, was the founder of Oracle. Oracle now has a huge part of TikTok, which is arguably. the most successful social media company in America. Obviously, it was China, Chinese. There was a bipartisan vote to actually ban it, and the compromise was that it would have American ownership.

And guess who gets to be to to have shares in it? Larry Ellison. Right. And he's worth a couple of hundred billion dollars. So it's the only people, I think at this point actually, who would buy. media companies are people who can do it on a semi non-economic basis. But there must be I mean, it's so fascinating how much internal. chaos there must be. At CBS news following Barry Weiss's arrival. And I think George Cheeks, the CEO, had said, don't, don't.

go after 60 minutes, nothing to be gained by going after 60 minutes. And of course they went after it. And I think she does have that sort of swaggering founder mentality. that that works for something like the Free Press, the newsletter. that she launched largely on the back of it being pro-Israel. at a time when people were being increasingly anti-Semitic. And there, you know, with a startup, you can fire people, you can hire people, you can do what you want.

You don't have a big, pesky HR department hanging over you. You're the boss. Everybody's terrified of you. It's not like that. at somewhere like CBS, which is a big tank which is full of people. bubbling with the sanctimony of what it means to be at CBS news. So I think it's a culture clash, as well as the big suck. up to Donald Trump and David Ellison in an inheritor Kraut. I mean, sitting there, the guy just clearly wants to make movies, and now he's lumbered with this thing which is taking him down to reputation.

I mean, if he's looking for his father's pleasure, he can't feel good about this. I mean, makes him look to be a fool. No. And and these. Remember? So Barry Weiss is this, you know, news disruptor. Nick built in whatever his name is, I, I don't have no idea what. Well, Nick Bilton is a writer. He wrote for Vanity Fair.

He's made a couple of documentaries. He's just a writer. He's never been in the television business. But anybody who watches television always believes they can make better television. Right. So. And I think they look at 60 minutes and, and they probably feel like I feel I mean, it is dull beyond all dull. It is earnest beyond all earnest, you know. You know, has anyone I mean, it is for. an audience of I mean, it's for actually quite an old audience.

So in the future there will be problems because the audience is not. being replaced. It's being it's it's for an audience of people who are. who are snoozing. So I think they feel, hey, we can we begin to hear from. Scott Pelley now, we can make this great, we can bring this back to life. But it's very difficult to do that. Plus, you have a situation in which. in which the show makes a lot of money. So what they're going to do and this is inevitable.

It's written. It's it's a done deal that they will now go to work on 60 minutes. And it will not make as much money as it has. It will lose a considerable part of the money that it has been making. This is all so obvious, also apparent, that we can. go home. Well, I'm sure Barry Weiss too was just perhaps. overexcited at the idea of being able to meddle at CBS.

And we should just remind people that CBS has gone through what is it, six heads of news in the last six years? CBS has a way of rejecting any kind of organ transplant. It just doesn't fit within the body of it. And she can't, I imagine, be having a good time. And Nick Bilton had sat down with the staff on Monday to talk to them. Barry Weiss, interestingly, wasn't in the room. And Nick Bilton, unfortunately or fortunately,

depending on your point of view on 60 minutes, Got Eaten Alive by Scott Pelley and the staff. They then fired Scott Pelley. the next day. But it's a mess. It looks like nobody's in charge. And the really interesting thing if you don't have experience in television. is, you know, if you work on if you work on something like a newsletter, you can change everything right at the last minute. It really doesn't matter. But with television you need pictures, you need story. It goes through a process. It has to be legal.

So they've now fired, I think 60% of their correspondents, they've got three left and they fired four of them. And Anderson Cooper took himself out a couple of months ago. And yet they've still got an enormous amount of television to make by September. And you can't do that at the speed that you can do. Digital television takes time. You have to book interviews, you have to persuade people to do interviews. And even if it's straightforward television and it's just Lesley Stahl.

interviewing someone, you still have to set it up. You have to send crews there. It's expensive to do. It's not. You can't just do this like you're doing it for TikTok. That's not going to work. So they have an enormous amount of television to actually make between. now and September when the new series starts again. So what happens to Barry Weiss is that 60. minutes and CBS news in general. don't make as much money as they did before she took over.

And she gets in trouble for that. And she gets ultimately fired for that. because a because everybody gets fired. and and B because Richard Rich. nepo baby kids still like money. Well, and you know that everybody who sees David. Ellison is saying to him, good Lord, what's happening at CBS news? What's happening there, what's happening there? Because it's become a story and it's so easy to think.

you can do these things from the outside and so much harder when you get in there. And let's. bring this back to where we should be, which is which is the trump of it all. Is that as I, as we have, you know, as I've now argued, this is we're seeing we're at the beginning of the end of Trump. So if you're doing these things basically because Trump is your patron, what happens if he becomes a weaker and weaker patron?

Well, then everybody, including, I mean, everybody. in Congress and everybody and the Ellison's, along with those. people begin to move away from him. And so it will be who is who is stuck to the guy. And if you're stuck to him, if that's where you've made your bed, you're going to get screwed. Okay. Well, he's also been screwed on his ballroom.

in terms of Republican senators. voting against giving it $1 billion to build this sort of complicated. security bunker that he he wants to to do. So the ballroom is now sort of floating in limbo. Well, in at the same time, that is he. is this there is this frantic effort. and systematic effort, really more than that, than frantic.

to just put his name and likeness on everything he possibly can. And it's a very Trump. Trump thing. And he believes this has meaning. This isn't just vanity as as I think most of us see this, but. a programmatic way to achieve. dominance, control, importance, significance. So what are you saying about what's going to happen to the ballroom?

We know that there's been lots of private donations for it. He said. It was going to cost 250 million. Then he upped it to 400 million. because he could clearly see that people wanted to write him a check. He is not going to say, yeah, okay, this, this, this didn't work out. And this actually brings us so, you know, this, the $1.8 billion. slush fund, which then his lawyer sent his, his lawyer, Todd. Blanch, out to say, okay, we're not going to do this. And then immediately undercut him and said, no, I love the thing.

So I love I love this slog. Right. When he was asked by Caitlin Collins, is is it closed now? Is it off the table? He was like, I don't know, I love it, so nothing ever comes off the table. It's just it's just a feint to for how you get it back on the table. But who do we think is going to pay for the ballroom. if if Congress has decided they're not going to pay for the ballroom, does it have to be done by private donations, which.

Well, this is this is the United States government. There is a lot of money that comes from a lot of places. I you know, I don't think finding the money is the problem for for this. I think, you know, the, the there is the series of impediments along the way. At least that's the way he's looking at this. And remember, in the real estate business. in New York, there are always impediments along the way. Everybody is always trying to stop you from building things.

So how do you build them? Well, you build them in the dead of night. and you build them because you say that there's something other than they are. You lie, cheat and steal and then you get your building built. Yeah, that's a perfect up some of how you get New York real estate done. Well, we said we were going to talk about California. We also said we were going to talk about sex in politics. Well, geez, take your pick. Take your bet. We could do a drive by of California because I think that's.

Yeah, I mean, I, I mean, California, I mean, the California thing. is interesting to me as a reflection of of. where the Democrats are at this at this point in time. So the Democrats are going to be. they are now being being offered an incredible opportunity. Donald Trump is, by the day weaker and weaker and weaker. And that weakness. depends upon shortly depends.

upon whether or not the Democrats can take advantage of it. Judging by California, it's that's not that's not clear. They certainly have not gotten their act together in California. As a matter of fact, the top vote getter. at this at this point in, in the in the California primary, in the California. primary is is is.

is involves both both Democrats and Republicans. And then the top two go to. A face off in November. So but the top vote getter is a Republican, a rather unlikely Republican by the name of Steve Hilton, who, as it happens, is a friend of yours and a friend of mine. And he's British. He's British, yes. And he is. And he is. His background is not only is he British, but his background.

and his career has been in British politics. So of all of the crazy stuff that is happening in British politics, I would submit that this is the craziest that that a former. Tory spin doctor. might become the governor of California. Yeah, and we interviewed him earlier. I think we interviewed him last year because he has a book out. called California where he claims that, you know,

the Democrats have been in charge of California for 20 years. And it's it's a mess. There are homeless people everywhere. There's too much bureaucracy for businesses. The schools aren't good enough. And yet it is this golden land. It's got the six biggest economy in the world. And he says his, his, his basic policy seems to be just don't do stupid stuff. And that he thinks that the Democrats have just been too woke. Yeah. No, I don't know.

I didn't read Steve's book and I really don't know Steve's. Steve's politics, although at various times, because he's worked at Fox, he's been a good, good source of mine. But I like Steve enormously. I think he's a he's a, you know, he's. a person I, I enjoy spending time. Enormous fun. He's very provocative. He lives in a lovely house with chickens. He's got lots of chickens. In fact, he urged he was behind the reason. why I got some chickens during Covid, which sadly didn't last.

as long as we'd hoped they would due to a. untimely possum invasion, although we managed to save several of them. But he's enormously entertaining and very thoughtful about politics. They got given to a farm. that was better capable, better able to take care of them than we were. And it's interesting to look at this not on a political basis, because I don't. I don't really the the, the politics of California. are occasionally crossed my, my screen in mind, but not too much.

And Steve is a Republican in America. He supported by by Donald Trump. But that would be a character that I don't quite recognize. But then there's this other guy, this billionaire who's running who. I don't think he will get into the runoff, but he I think he'll he'll end up as the number three. But a close number three, Tom Steyer. Yes.

And I mean, he's a progressive liberal and he's a big jerk. I mean, I've had. I've had a bunch of dealings with him and God knows I would, I would. it would be painful. To have to vote for him even if he were the progressive in the race. And and Steve Hilton were the Trump. supported Republican in the race. Well, and neither of them are really representative of their actual parties.

Tom Steyer, also, it has to be said, is has the least. charisma of any politician or political hopeful. I think I've ever seen. The idea. that California would be represented by him is is is a little shocking. He's also just an unpleasant guy. I mean, everything is triangulated. Everything is, is, is about what he can get with his money. Oh, oh, just terrible. But I don't think he's going to be and I don't know anything about the.

the other guy, the Democrat Javier Basara, the Democrats have managed to come up with, you know, in all of the major. Democrats in the party stayed out of this race, including Kamala Harris. Well, let's remind ourselves Kamala Harris was expected to be the frontrunner. Then she decided to take herself out because she wants to run for 2028. And then Congressman Eric Swalwell immediately leapt into front position, pole position until he was felled by numerous accusations of sexual assault.

Back, back to our sex and politics, sex and politics. And Graham Platner, who was having meetings behind closed doors with Democratic senators. this week trying to figure out if he should still run. He is, of course, the oyster men and marine who put his hat in the ring. because the opposition that they were going to give to Susan. Collins, who's the Republican senator up there and frequently, in theory.

on the fence, though she always ends up voting for Trump. Their challenger was going to be Janet Mills, the popular governor of Maine, who's term limited out. and was going to run for Senate and got the establishment endorsement, except that she will be 80 by the time she would get into the Senate. So Graham Plattner has taken her on. You believe that Plattner is now. reconsidering whether or not he should be running? No, no, that's not what I said.

I said he's been having to go and talk to Democratic senators. and sort of explain the sexting scandal. Scandal in inverted commas, because he was apparently sending explicit. sex to women at the time of in the early years of his marriage. And we know this because his wife apparently confided. in a campaign aide that these texts had happened. She knew about them, they'd worked through it, the couple had gone through counseling, yada yada.

Their marriage is stronger than ever, yada yada yada. And the campaign aide. then apparently leaked the text, which is how we know about them. A campaign aide who resigned some time ago. or was forced out of the campaign, as I, as I recall, correct. And and so and just just to note, Platner is not being accused. by any women of illegal. or abusive actions.

Also. Correct. So he's just a. a dirty texter outside of his marriage. I haven't read the text, so I don't know how dirty they are. or how you define dirty, but it was enough to send him and his wife to counseling. But now and just to add that that we did get a glimpse of RFK. Juniors dirty texting. RFK junior, who was married. to a woman to whom he was not married.

You mean to Olivia Nuzzi, the journalist? Yes, exactly. It's no longer disqualifying to be involved in a I guess I guess it isn't. Sometimes it's disqualifying. Sometimes it's not disqualifying. Obviously. Anthony Weiner found it highly disqualifying. But that was that was that was quite some time ago now. Well, and the leader in chief commander in chief hasn't found it. remotely disqualifying. He's got umpteen accusations of a sexual assault.

Yeah, well, these are those because he doesn't obviously text women. But why? I wonder why he doesn't. He doesn't know anything in email. I'm sure he calls them. Right, because he he calls everybody. I mean, I don't think we know where to go with this sex in politics thing. because it is very, a very volatile, changing, unclear moment, you know, and I think that's the grain Platner. argument.

You know, he did. He didn't. Well, they appear to have been consensual texts, which is the difference, right? In fact, tomorrow I am with Fara Thomas in our correspondent in D.C. talking about Republican sex, sex scandals, because there are. a surprising number of candidates standing who've got actual sex scandals. against them, accusations by people of sexual assault and abuse. And in fact, there's one. there's one rapist guy who spent six years in jail for rape standing.

So it's a different I mean, these things are on a gradient, aren't they? These things are on a spectrum. And these the Platner texts appear to be consensual texts. between between female friends and Graham Platner. And the issue is he was married at the time. Part of the picture is here is that politicians have always been dirty. dogs, famously dirty dogs, and we didn't know it. Now we know it, now we know it.

And and also, I think the other thing is, what was so interesting. in the Swalwell case was that the minute the accusations came out, senior Democrats were like, yep, you have to step down. And then. the ripple effect was everybody saying, oh, we all we always knew this about him. We knew this about him. Well, if you knew it about him, why in earth. did you put the party in that position? Where now? Steve Hilton, a Republican, is actually at the top of the ticket right now. I mean, there's knowing about it and then there's knowing about it.

So people didn't know about it. They just know that that everybody says the guy is a dirty dog. And everybody, all of his his evident behavior indicates that. But you don't know. You just know that. Here's another creep in politics. I mean, and to be a creep in politics and really so many of these people, which goes back to likability and people wanting candidates who are fun to hang out.

with the old George Bush. Let's have a beer. Yeah. What? George Bush, there's another guy who had a sex problem, obviously. Wait a minute. Which George Bush are we talking about? George H. Bush? No, no. Well, he had a problem. He had problems, too. But George W obviously had a lot of problems before he became, you know, born again and got off the source. Right. And, and started. going to bed regularly and getting up and running ten miles in the morning.

Yeah. Well, happily, he got himself together. No, he was supposed to be a, you know, a fun guy. And then he became a boring guy. Watched 60 minutes all the time. That was back to 60 minutes. So, Michael, someone sent us, someone called J.R. Have sent us a poem written by Sarah Cliff. Cleghorn in 1914 that she thought was still relevant. The golf links lie so near the mill that almost every day. the laboring children can look out and see the men at play.

Very good. And then we've got two new Limerick Aryans. Limerick Aryans. This is from Mk5. one JK. The once was a bully who loved to spend time. chasing a golf ball all you want, but looking rather gaunt. He will fall and fall in the gulf. Slight problems with the scanning. there, but nevertheless good effort, good effort.

B+ for effort. And then from Richard Thompson, there once was a Strait of Hormuz that everyone needed to use. Netanyahu and Trump started to thump, but Iran said, this time you lose. Great. Very good. Richard Thompson, top of the class. And someone actually sent us. a video of a musical song they have done, which had the very good line in it. He buys them new shoes.

for the Strait of Hormuz, which I thought it was a very good line. I'm trying to figure out if we can actually play. a short burst of it, because it imitates Gilbert and Sullivan. It's very funny. Anyway, I love how creative people are, and there are lots of poems and limericks. in the in the comments, but once again, leave us a comment. And in terms of the book club, we're trying to figure out how to do it. But what I don't want to call it a book, we're not calling it a book. like the Anti Book Club. They would call it a book club on 60 minutes for sure.

Well, what we are going to do is talk about the books that you and I read. to inform some of these conversations, and the one we were going to focus on. right now was King of Kings by Scott Anderson, which you like. And it's about Iran. I do like very I mean, really one of the memorable, one of my memorable books of the year and a book. that that that has really been incredibly helpful. in thinking about Iran in this situation that, that we're now in.

But more important than that. Oh my God, it's a good story. We will be back on Saturday. I forgot to ask people to subscribe. Please subscribe. We're independent media and we love your support. And there aren't the very many people having conversations like this, which is why our subscription base happily is growing and it's growing fast. But we we're trying to get to a million, so we would love your support. if you haven't subscribed.

But thank you to our team. Ryan, Rachel, Neil and John and Heather. 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.