Why Trump Will Pay the Price for MAGA’s Vilest Ad | Inside Trump's Head

This has backfired in every possible sense of the word. You can basically find no one. to think this was a good idea except Vivek. Ramaswami, Donald Trump and JD Vance. In this desperation moment for the Republicans. Down to the wire. These close races, which should not be close. This is their Hail Mary pass. I don't think it's going to work.

The Vivek thing represents more of the same. You could not run an ad more glaring. in its contempt and cynicism and cruelty. than this ad. Michael. Joanna I hear a siren. Who's siren? It's. I think the siren is at my end. I'm actually in Texas. I would like to tell you, I'm here for the midterms.

Patrolling and figuring out what's going on. In fact, I'm here for a mother son weekend. I'm here for Formula one. in Austin. Yes. In Austin. Yeah, in Austin. And so the place is crawling with police, actually, and we're getting. a police escort to the track this morning, which is very exciting. I saw the policemen all dressed up downstairs. They looked amazing. I would ask you for the mood of Texas. Vis a vis the Senate race.

But, I don't think you're going to get the mood of Texas itself in Austin. Well, I'm going to try. I mean, Austin, I know is a blue dot, so we'll see. But I am going to try. Obviously I'll be in. I'll be interrogating the police on our way over to see what they think. is going to happen. The the old. Yes. Ask the person who's driving you. I know I always hate that when reporters go. Well, I talked to the taxi driver from the airport, and they told me I'm. not that kind of a reporter, but I'm really on a sort of leisure trip.

Yes, particularly a British reporter in the taxi cab. Yes. It's usually in the Middle East. So I saw a figure this morning that 24 or. 25 million people have already voted, which is about a fifth of the expected total vote. Right. We had 107 million people voted in 2022.

So that was a sort of I guess, people really couldn't face voting. It's not an overwhelming vote. It looks like it'll probably be more this time round. I think it will be. I mean, I think everybody has got the message that this is a consequential election. Well, actually, let's qualify that. I think the Democrats have gotten the message that this is consequential. And I think the, the Republicans are.

in a deep funk of ambivalence. Well, I think they don't. They understand it's consequential, too, because they keep saying, Donald Trump, stay away, stay away. Their scrubbing him from their websites, they're pretending they don't know him. Well, the candidates certainly think it's consequential. It is their job. I think the Republican voters are steeped. in, at best, ambivalence at this point. and means generally,

you stay home and you don't vote. So and that's, that's going to be the major issue. What is the turnout for the Republicans? Which is why they're spending hundreds of millions, if not more on this, on this race at this point, although actually, it's it's. interesting that so many people have voted before. the Republicans began their big spend.

That's right. So we should remind people this is the inside Trump's head. You're Michael Wolff, Trump expert part excellence. The author of four Trump books. I'm Joanna calls the chief content officer of the Daily Beast. And thrice a week we go inside Donald Trump's. head to figure out what he's thinking, because it's very much. an administration of one what is inside his head.

Michael, before we get to take apart what's happening in there, Laska, is it possible that Melania has stepped in and will be discussing this, where her husband has failed to broker any kind of peace. between the Ukrainians and the Russians? She's now accepting credit for having brokered a deal in a place called. where the local population, largely old, have been. marooned under attack from the Russians. I mean, there's such madness going on in the world, and Putin.

now seems to have Trump right under his thumb. And there is some pushback from Republicans, including Darlene Graham. So we have a lot to get to, not least the price of oil. And, of course, Alina harbor's grift. Alina Harbor now apparently signed a contract. for $50 million over a period of five years, and in the process, she managed to secure a pardon. Allegedly, she denies she was anything to do with it.

But who else would pay Alina Harbor $50 million over five years? You mean why else would they pay? Yes. Who else? Why else? Yes. It was. Which point out. Venezuelan gentleman. A Venezuelan gentleman who wanted a pardon. There are two key midterm stories that are going on right now, which is the this this effort to block the vote. in the last before there has even been a vote.

And then of course this Vivek Ramaswami. ad in Ohio, which is threatening to bring down the Republican Party, which would you like to do first, if there's a weight loss gold. you keep chasing and never quite reaching, you're not the only one. Weight loss by hims can help you finally close the gap. with access to a range of FDA approved GLP one medications,

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with clinical study information restrictions, visit hims.com. I think we should do Alaska. Let's start on the far west coast where we were doing our what? We weren't in Alaska. We should go to Alaska. Why haven't we mean to Alaska? We were on the West Coast doing our live event on Tuesday. Let's start on the West Coast and then move into the middle of the country. Let's start with all the Dan Sullivan's.

How many Dan Sullivan's are there? There's Daniel S Sullivan, there's Daniel J. Sullivan. It turns out there's another Dan Sullivan who was a mayor. Everybody's called Dan Sullivan in Alaska. It's very odd. It's very odd. Yeah, I don't. It is, there are a lot of Michael Wolff's. There's another Michael Wolff. Hard to believe. How how how many? Michael Wolf, there is actually. a media consultant called Michael Wolff, a total suck up.

And there's a restaurant in New York, and I always get his reservations. I guess I'm the the, whatever the open table or or whoever the restaurant uses, they. they have this, this wrong. So I get notices of his reservations at this restaurant, and then I cancel them. Oh you can't. Them. Oh, you'll secret is out. I actually once had coffee. with the other Michael Wolff, and he seemed utterly pleasant, actually.

But I wonder how many people have excepted. an interview with him, thinking that he was going to turn up. And then you turned up and and took them apart, or the other way around. I was I was once told that that there was a. that I was speaking at, at Harvard. And there was there is my, my biography, my, you know, that was clearly me, except it wasn't me. He was the person who showed up.

So we should invite him on the podcast. And then I'll interview to Michael Wolfson. And I once did I once, I once I once wrote a, a column about this, the two Michael Wolff, the two Michael Wolff. Okay. Well, Michael Wolff, the other, Michael Wolff needs to insert his middle initial, which is what the incumbent Republican senator in Alaska has had to do. Dan Sullivan, who used to just be. plain Dan Sullivan has had to insert an S who are executive editor,

had to give me an entire seminar on this so I could get my head around it. So the incumbent is now Dan S Sullivan. He's he's facing serious challenge from. the Democratic hopeful, who's a local congresswoman. who was a congresswoman got voted out in 2024, Mary Pell Toler. And there's now another Daniel J. Sullivan challenging Daniel S Sullivan on the ballot.

I know for people listening in Europe and Australia, everywhere. outside the US, this must just out like crazy town. Okay. But for people outside of the country are actually people. within the country to elections are state affairs. They're they're administered by by each state. They occur under the rules of each state. This is a constitutional duty of the states. And that's one of the hurdles.

that Donald Trump is facing in his clear determination. to have an have to have a supervisory. role on the nation's elections. And, you know, where that's going. So they have stepped in this past week, the federal government, the Department of Justice, stepped in. to say that they were going to even before. they they've they've announced that if.

if the Republicans lose this election, then they will step in to contest it. So which is extraordinary and. ridiculous and will go nowhere as one of those other kinds of kinds. of Trump initiatives that that, you know, the outcome of this. It will I mean, having said that, it's not it's it ain't nothing. I mean, it will complicate the election for.

for up to a number of weeks before the courts, the courts rule on this and throw throw the DOJ motion out. But but it's one of those things and it kind of explains. what's going on in the, in the Trump White House. Trump would have, would have been stamping around. and saying, how can this happen to Dan Sullivan's? This is a cheat. This is this is this is wrong.

And and on that he might have a minor point. It obviously the other Dan Sullivan running. is a disruptive tax tactic. Not an illegal one but it disruptive one. So therefore he stamped Trump is stamping around. How can this do something do something, do something. And the and the people around him in the attorney. general, are are kind of like okay. All right. Well, and Daniel J.

Sullivan has given money to Mary Pearl total, the Democratic challenger, and he was a former school teacher. And it does seem like. this is the first time he's ever considered running for Senate. Yeah, but which is not illegal. Is not illegal for you. to actually disrupt an election like that. Anybody can you can get on the ballot. That's what you can do. This is, again, that that.

the Trump administration will face many hurdles, not least. of all the fact that what was done here was not illegal, even if its intention was to help the Democrat. Right. It's actually a sort of Trumpian technique, isn't it? I'm surprised that Trump hasn't figured this one out and decided. to deploy it against Democratic candidates. Well, never say never, but but anyway, this is.

this is one of those one of those signs of his, of his determination in every to use. every possible technique that he can use to frustrate, to frustrate his the loss, he suspects is coming in his, in his direction. So, we're going to see more of these kinds of things and, and I'm, I'm of the opinion not that we're going to see see success on his his part.

Actually, these are all desperation moves. And they are indicative of the of, of the, of the temperature. in the white House that they are really it's hot there. And. and they think that they are in trouble. So they're going to do anything, anything possible. But, one of the reasons they are in trouble is because they are incompetent. and ineffective and they will and, and.

and they are. And Donald Trump is in the leadership role. So he is giving the orders here. And the orders he gives are are everybody. just kind of shrugging and saying, okay, because they know the results of this? The result is this is just going to be thrown out and it's and it will. it will ultimately have no effect. Okay. Well ultimately have no effect. Is it possible a judge in.

because because this was challenged in Alaska. and initially it was thought that this wasn't going to work. And then another judge came in and said, no, this is perfectly legal or it can go ahead. It's possible that another Alaskan judge deems it, you know, deems it's not necessarily illegal, but deems it unfair or something. I'm not quite sure what the legal term would be. That's not unfair. It's not a legal term. Notes not illegal.

That's the kind of it that's not the again not illegal. So yeah that isn't that's not the that's not really the legal issue. The legal issue is that the federal government has no standing here. So that's immediately going to be thrown out. What are you doing here? And if if the Republican Party decides. to in, in Alaska decides to contest this, but they've already. they've already done that and they've already been shot down. So anyway, this is not going to go anywhere except it will be a disruption.

And that's that's one of the things that Trump, putting aside the legal merits. Disruption in itself. is an accomplishment for for Trump. So disruption, confusion. just throwing chaos into into the system. So Michael which sounds like it's going on in in in Austin.

Right. I know it doesn't happen. Chaos. Yes. It does sound like there's a lot of sirens. I have a suspicion that what it is is that when the drivers, like Max Verstappen and this new guy. that everybody's very excited about, who's only 20 called Kimmy. if they move, I know I have, I have I have no idea what you're talking about. Okay. But I know these are drivers that F1 drivers, if the F1 drivers driving politicians know,

if the F1 drivers are being taken. from their hotel to the track, they get a police escort. That's what I think the sirens are. This is this is a parallel reality for me. Okay, parallel reality, but also a parallel reality. going on with Vivek Ramaswami, former co-head of Doge. Remember him very briefly with Elon Musk. What is going on inside Trump's head over his now debacle of a campaign?

Let's explain. For people who haven't been following as myopically as we have, I think everybody's been following this because it's. so vivid and appalling. He, Vivek is running. against a woman by the name of Amy Acton, and they have run a. and with Amy Acton's mother saying, don't vote for her daughter. But mother and daughter have been estranged since the late 1970s.

because the mother's, the mother's husband, Amy Acton's stepfather, abused her at a young, young age. and, was indicted for this and then fled the jurisdiction. We don't know what to this date. I think nobody knows where this this this guy is. I think he might. I think he's died. Are dead. Death is good for some people. And at any rate, Amy Acton's mother. is is is clearly,

a problem? A problem as a just in, in every way. There is nothing to recommend Amy Acton's mother or. Amy Acton's mother's past behavior, or Amy. Acton's, credentials. Actually, as a mother, she's a bad person. So, Vivek, the Vivek Ramaswami.

campaign has put her into this ad and let her spew all over the place. And she looks, by the way, like, like a completely crazy person. This has backfired in every possible sense of the word. I mean, disavowed by Republicans. I, the Democrats, all voters seem to be completely appalled by this. You can basically find no one.

to think this was a good idea except the VEC. Ramaswami, Donald Trump and JD Vance. I don't know of anybody else who's who would be on the side. of this of this ad, but the that, that that, threesome is hanging tight and the Ramaswami campaign is pledging. to put an additional $4 million.

behind this, behind this ad in the closing weeks. So. Yeah, let's what is that about? What is in Trump's head? Why would he do this? Well, we should remind people, too, that Amy Acton. and Vivek Ramaswamy are running for governor of Ohio. The current governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, who is a Republican, has said, please take down this ad. This ad is offensive. And one of the accusations against Amy Acton is she said, we you know,

we and we should point out she and her brother were both taken into. care rather than be left in the presence of their mother, who was clearly incapable of bringing up children. And Amy just that's a British ism. They were they were they were put into the foster system. Okay. They were put into the foster system. And in fact, Amy Acton's brother. has made an ad with her saying our mother was a terrible mother. Amy Acton was abused by our stepfather.

And, you know, Amy's a fantastic person. Amy Acton's mother accuses. Amy Acton, who's running for governor, against Vivek Ramaswamy, of having exaggerated the poverty in her childhood. And Amy said at one point, we lived in a tent and her mother says, we didn't live in a tent, I wasn't true. The mother very much looks as if she lives in a tent right now. I mean, it's incomprehensible that anybody would have thought. this woman would be a good recommendation for anything.

First of all, she looks terrible. She appears to have possibly 1 or 2 teeth left at this point. She is utterly exploitative of the mother, and it's of the situation. Vivek Ramaswamy should be ashamed of yourself. Well, okay, but let's talk about what? Of course he should be. Well, let's. But it's more interesting why he is not and why he is doubling down, and why. Trump and JD Vance are also doubling down with him.

And this is a there's an important political point here. And the political point here is that they believe, and so much of Donald Trump's career would support this business, that that the. that the illiberal and the cold hearted and the, and the fuck you and the owning the libs works. So this is I mean, this is kind of,

you know, in this desperation moment for the Republicans down to the wire, these close races, which should not be close. They are this is their Hail Mary pass. Let is revert to what has worked for us. And yes, everybody says oh my God and gathers their, their skirts around them. But in the past this has worked for Donald Trump. So that is the bet here.

That is why Vivek Ramaswami, who is on the verge of losing. this election, is is not backing down. Well, he also ran for president, didn't he, in 2024? Briefly. Do you think this is going to work for him? Well, as I as I say, this has worked for Donald Trump. I don't think it's going to work, but I have I have across ten years now. thought never thought any of this would work. The and the the notable thing is the horrifying thing,

the thing that makes you question virtually everything. about being an American is that it has worked. And you might say that this campaign, the midterm campaign, what's at stake is exactly that. Does this does this work or does this continue to work, or have people suddenly woken up and said, going down the long list of, of Trumpian.

accomplishments or, or the reverse of accomplishments? From the from the war in Iran to, the masked men on the streets, whether people have had enough of this, this is the Vivek thing represents more of the same. And we'll see if this, if this works. I mean, remember, we could very well wake up on on November. The election is on November 3rd, November 4th, and find Vivek Ramaswami elected.

Elected. And what would we have to conclude then? I mean, this is you could not run an ad more. glaring in its in its, contempt and cynicism and cruelty than this ad. So what do we think about Ohio. and about the country if in fact, Vivek Swamy wins? Well, you have always said that. Trump is a singular character, that there is no one else like him.

And I think he can get away with these techniques. It seems less likely that less likable. characters like Vivek Ramasamy can get away with it. And I, I think, you know, we've always said. that Trump, he's been in the public eye for 40 years. He has a sense of humor, his gimmicks at the last election, pretending to be a garbage man, pretending to serve McDonald's to people work for Donald Trump.

But just because they work for him doesn't mean they work for other people. I hope you're right. Well we'll see. So let's let's point out that that since this ad has been running. the, the, The Cook report, which is one of the, the gold standards in, in evaluating elections, has moved this race from, from a toss up to lean Democratic.

Right. And John hosted the focus of Trump's. her set tea. What would we say sweaty compliments about how firm. his buttocks were and how strong are his muscles. are also looks vulnerable up against Sherrod Brown in Ohio, John Husted got the seat that JD Vance catered in the Senate. He's only been there two years, but he now looks seriously.

under threat from the previous senator, the Democratic Sherrod Brown, who is way ahead now in the polls despite Donald Trump's. sweaty exclamations about John Huston's fine physique. I wouldn't go so far as way ahead. Well, he's ahead, he's ahead. I mean, I think this is still precarious. All of these, all of these races which are on this line really in the balance here.

Republicans could lose these races equally, though, remember, they could win. So so the you know, the the Democrats are seeing. a, a seen a transformative moment. But, you know, let's let's get there. No, it's terrifying to rely on anything other than the polls, really, because we've been to this race before. And it does feel like, oh, I just don't want to I don't want to think.

But there, there, there is clearly the, the there is a. whether this is a blue wave or not, there is a wave of something. There is a wave of enormous. Well, this 40% increase in gas prices. in the last 18 months, that's really what's driving a lot of this. And that's real. Well, I think that there's a I think it's even broader than that. I think that there's a full reconsideration.

We have had we have had a year. plus, let's say, you know, well coming on, coming on two years, but I think it was the upper years of Donald Trump. This is Donald Trump, unfiltered, unfettered, unrestrained. We have seen this. We have seen who the guy is and what that. what what the result of that is war tariffs. cruelty in the streets, prices,

on unrestrained prices of. and his his inability to kind of deliver on anything that he. that he has promised most most clearly on an economy. We've seen all that we've seen that this is we've seen his. we've seen how everything he has done is counter. counter, essentially counterproductive to what he promised. And, on now ought to be.

and seems like it could be. And I think people Democrats are certainly more. and more thinking it will be the reckoning. Well, the other thing that we haven't mentioned, but is clearly, I think impacting people too is, is Russia. and Trump's promise, you know, bravado promised that. he would solve the Russia Ukraine war on the first day that he was in office.

Two years on, it appears that his wife is. now the the missing first lady is now elbowing him. out of the way on perhaps her way to the Nobel Peace Prize, just to just to irritate him. by trying to broker a cease fire in Alaska, which is a corner of Ukraine that has been marooned by Russian troops. and and basically starved of electricity, of food, of water.

It's a dismal situation. Okay. Let's bring up two things in relation to that. First of all, that over the last number of weeks, Trump has basically, basically sacrificed Ukraine. or indicated in every way that he is perfectly willing to do that. Ukraine. is the problem in getting a peace deal. Ukraine is the problem. The greater problem between Trump getting deals with Putin?

So he is waving Ukraine away, not interested anymore, not even pretending anymore, and taking the side of Russia. or taking the side of Vladimir Putin. I think that that is clear. So then against this, we have his wife, Melania Trump, inserting herself in this situation to,

well, we don't know exactly what she's doing, but she seems to be this. she would be inserting herself, though, in a, in a in a way that suggests some sympathy, more sympathy than her husband for Ukraine, and also suggests, well, this is going to be a scene in her forthcoming, television series. I knew that you would say that. I knew when I heard this story, I was like, Michael is going to say,

this is a cynical collection of content for her television series. The other thing that's fascinating about it is. it was actually Pope Leo who apparently first brought. to light with the Russians and said, we have to do something about this. But Melania has has issued a statement. saying that she alone is the person that's made this possible. This is what Melania wrote. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, I come on, I have to do this with the accent.

It was abandoned. Clear. I'm not sure I can that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city. and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible. I mean, hello, Pope Leo, the man is recovering from a cancer operation. The week before, he was hustling on behalf of Alicia. And now Melania Trump has elbowed him out of the way. Out of the picture.

The pope, the Pope. Michael. It's it's beyond. Well, she is she seems to have elbowed out both the pope and her husband. Actually, yes. Can you. imagine if she got the Nobel Peace Prize? Yes. He would divorce her and run off officially with Natalie Harp. No. This is this is extraordinary. And let's remember, against the background background of this, that that. that that that were this her,

that she could have done this a 100 times in the past, in the past years. This is this is a there are there are towns all along the borders, the board, the border towns with, with in in Ukraine, with Russia, many of which Russia has, has now occupied are all in a state. and have been for years in a state of extremis. So, so yeah. Bring it on, Melania.

Let's get in there. Elbow out your husband. Well, I'm particularly fascinated to buy Melania. Special adviser, a gentleman called Mark Beckman, whose hair, like mine, has been growing rapidly over the last few months. He was first on the scene, I want to say, perhaps about nine months ago, in terms of us understanding that there was an active advisor in the background. He's been on television talking about Melania's role as a peacekeeper. She was going to give access to neutral news coverage of what she was up to.

And in fact, it turns out she's given access to Newsmax. Not entirely neutral. Certainly not the BBC, not CNN, not Reuters, who I'm sure might have been. interested to hear about the first lady's ventures into the peace market. Yes. So in other words, this is agitprop by another by another name. or Melania prop Melania prop Melania prop. Well, sorry about that. The Pope.

Thank you for your efforts anyway. But Melania has has stepped up. Okay. But the other the larger story I mean. there's Melania's little. intervention over here, but. but the the larger story and it's an and it's a serious story. I mean, and it's in its, I think present in this, in this election, the Democrats are starting to highlight this. Is this this, you know, we're we're back.

We're back to that age old question. What does. Vladimir Putin have on Donald Trump? Well, I'm very scary for the rest of Europe. This, you know, America, whom Europe has relied upon. since the end of the Second World War, now really having to reassess. who are their allies at this moment and the idea that Russia is being enabled.

in Ukraine and may move further into Europe and is already behind. all sorts of disruptive incidents, is is truly shocking. I mean, it's really mind bending and it's it's. it's important to remember that from the perspective of Europe. And you were in London, you know, last month or earlier this month. This is shocking. This is shocking and it's incomprehensible. No. And it it marks I mean we have gone over a line. I mean, this is.

we are now in a. moment in a stage. where Putin is now threatening, threatening the West, threatening. Europe in a, in a way that I don't think. we have not seen since, since the end of the Cold War. And also, it's not just threatening with drones and bombs, but it's cyber warfare, all sorts of things. going on that clearly could be laid at the door of the Russians.

And there's been very little pushback. in the Republican Party, as we know, there are a few outgoing. Well, I kind of disagree with with this. I think that we are we are seeing I think the Republicans don't know how to react. They are being caught out on this because there is a significant. still a remaining significant part of the Republican Party. that is pretty traditional in their outlook toward Russia. I mean, remember, remember the the Republican, the foundation,

the modern foundation of the Republican Party is to be. is is a is to be opposed to Russia previously the Soviet Union. And and I think everybody is like, oh my God, what, what what do we do here? I mean, this is we could tolerate Trump so far. Have we reached the point where we cannot tolerate this any longer?

Or the point at which we really got to work. hard to rationalize this harder than we have worked before? Well, I was going to point out that there are some outgoing Republicans. who've spoken up Don bacon, who's the outgoing congressman in Nebraska. who's been a thorn in Trump's side, Thom Tillis, who's finally started talking up. and saying Putin is playing President Trump like a fiddle. and warning. that history is not going to look good on an America that failed to rise up.

and defend the Western world if Putin actually gets his way. Mitt Romney, no surprise there. But perhaps what's surprising is that Darlene Graham, who we've talked about on this podcast, the sister of Lindsey Graham, who essentially inherited his seat at the behest of Donald Trump, broke with the president over the weekend and said, personally, I would choose to put the pressure on Russia to end the war. and get gas prices down, because I don't trust Putin.

and I don't trust Russia, which so far seems to be the only. the only thing that she said that remotely. And she, she is in a, in a tough, a tough race to hold on to her. seat or her to some degree, ill gotten seat in the Senate. And that was supposed to be a cakewalk. And it is it is not. Now, it's it's pretty problematic at this point. And of course, Lindsey Graham was very pro Ukraine.

He'd just come back from a trip to Ukraine. when he died shortly after the same day. He got off the plane, actually. But he was adamant that Trump support Ukraine. And of course, this is. if you're his sister, this is a total abandonment of his legacy. There was some, some Lindsey Graham news this this week. You want to talk about that? Yes, yes, yes, yes.

This is the documentary by the Young Turks on. YouTube called The Closet. It's extraordinarily vivid. I seldom have I ever. I mean, this is highly a highly detailed look at Lindsey Graham. Sex life. His hidden in the closet. I it would seem. It would seem, at least from his point of view, incredibly shameful sex life.

Well, and and sad to sex life, too. I mean, I will say Anthony Scaramucci. put me on to to this documentary and he said he could not stop watching it. And I thought, oh, I'll watch for five minutes. You know, I'll just get the sort of lay of the land. It whistles past. It's 33 minutes, I think, and focuses on three men who said. they were rent boys, male prostitutes, and that's how they met Lindsey Graham. And they each go into, as you say, remarkably vivid detail.

about the transactional nature. of the relationship they have with Lindsey. And then the moment that each of them recognizes him. You know, initially they don't. And then gradually they begin to realize who he is. I actually make an unwitting appearance in this. Yes. Not as not as a rent boy. Happily, not as a rent boy, Michael, but I am, I think my my.

my usefulness in this documentary is to is to say without equivocation. that everybody knew that Lindsey Graham was was gay, which is true. I wonder if everybody knew that his. his sex life was paid for. I mean, it's one thing to to assume that somebody gay, it's different to get this insight into his life. And if it's true and if these men and this I mean,

they appear to be sincere. It's very easy to to make mock documentaries. And there may be allegations that, that they're lying. But this is all this is all pretty detailed. I mean, I mean, that's what that's what carries you through the 33 minutes. I mean, it is, you know, I mean, beyond sounding. true, the authenticity.

of the of the details of the scenes, would it be possible to make this up? No. Not exactly. I think that's probably true. And so what it gives you is an insight into the secret life that Lindsey. Graham had that must have caused him enormous stress, enormous stress. And the way that they talk about what he enjoys in the bedroom. also perhaps, is about that to this shame and this,

well, just the secret nature of it and the fear that were it to come out, he would be finished and let you again, let me say what I've said before in relation to Lindsey Graham. Someone who, who, who I knew. If not, if not, well, someone who I, I spoke to on a rather rather often basis. Is that.

the Trump and I'm. just I want to say this as precisely as possible, that the awareness of this within the white House and Donald Trump's. awareness of, of of Lindsey Graham and what Lindsey Graham was doing and, and Donald Trump is in incredible gossipy. once he wants the, the, the lowest information he can get. I would have been if I were Lindsey Graham.

wary of threatened by. Certainly. I would certainly take into consideration. that, that Donald Trump could turn against me at any point. And of course, in the case of Lindsey Graham, he became the, you know, the Trump poodle. And yet his way of being the Trump's poodle, which was to be out, was extremely flattering of the president.

In fact, he was also talking to you. He was talking to other journalists and giving a different vision. of what was going on. So in a sense, living two lives again, I want to be clear, it wasn't as if Lindsey Graham was flattering to the. to to to Donald Trump and then saying to me. that Donald Trump is a fraud and corrupt and, he was. he had a clear Lindsey Graham was not a stupid man.

And he had a clear vision of who Donald Trump was, of what. made of what was in Donald Trump's head, without rejecting that character at all. So, so I used to like to talk to Lindsey Graham because he was funny about Trump. He and, you know, and I thought insightful about him, but in no way, in no way was he turning on Donald Trump or rejecting Donald Trump. Okay, okay. Well, it'd be interesting.

to see if his sister Darlene has anything to say about the closet or Chrissy, which is the title of the of the documentary. But and and you can I can say that she will have nothing to say. Well, viewers and listeners can see for themselves. It's available on YouTube. It's by The Young Turks, and it's free. It's free. So, Michael, what about Alina Harbor? Alina Harbor, who's married a billionaire much younger than herself, you know, for God's sake, goodness sake.

Jesus. What? What can I say? It was actually curious in these, in these Lena. Harbor stories about her relationship. with with this Venezuelan gentleman. and I think another Venezuelan gentleman and, and, and her marriage to. Who is she married to now? Well, she's married to a Turkish businessman, but she, is is alleged to have helped Holyoke.

get a pardon for financial shenanigans. And the Turkish businessman have also has a business in Venezuela, I believe. And, well, it's all very strange. And there was also a payment. I mean, you can't make this stuff up. And I do think the grift is, is getting a little higher on people's radar. But there was a she's now. in an argument with Rick Grinnell, who was.

another gay. friend of Trump's who was running the Kennedy Center. And she claims that her husband, the Turkish billionaire who's, I think 29. Good for you, Lena, because she's, I think almost twice his age. She claims that he had. some sort of payment that was coming in from the Republic of Congo, and it was supposed to be a donation to the Kennedy Center. And it's it's disappeared.

She's arguing that Rick Ronald. somehow did something else with the money, but it didn't end up at the Kennedy Center. And you just can't make this up. It's so complicated. And there are shell companies. And now she's working for something called Concord Partners, which doesn't appear to have anything. to do other than pay her a substantial $10. million fee a year for her advice for her. Just just let me let me add that the last time I was aware of her. domestic arrangements, she was married to a new Jersey parking lot.

King. Well, they got. divorced and she's remarried her third marriage. I'm very impressed that she can find these people. And as you said, she always. Well, well, you know, the the the grift is very attractive to a lot of people. The grift is attractive to a lot of people. And you said that she got very cross with you when you said that. she came to Trump's attention. lying by the side of his pool at Bedminster wearing a bikini.

But in fact, that is how she came to his attention. But I got a lot of, you know, you know, we're going to sue you. And she had various people, representatives call me to say, we're going to sue you. If you if you say that she was lying by the side of the pool. at Bedminster in a bikini, which is presumably. what you're supposed to do at Bedminster, isn't it? Yes. Although they did say admit that that she did, but that, they denied,

that that had anything to do with Trump's interest in her. But she was one of the lawyers that when Trump showed you. a picture of his lawyers, he said they may not be the smartest. lawyers, but they are really hot. They are. I have the highest. Yes. And that included Elena Harbor, Todd Blanche, Lindsay Halligan and Pam Bondi. Well, not Todd Blanche. Oh, really? Todd. Blanche I thought he thought Todd Blanche was central casting.

Todd Blanche was one of his lawyers, but that was not in this. He was he was focused on the, focused on the women, on the women in his legal retinue. Well, we've got when we come back on Tuesday, Michael, we will have exactly a week to go, which is at the moment, we should remind people on election night, Michael and I will be live. Will be live on YouTube, passing whatever is going on out there.

Yes. Or just maybe. Or just enjoying it. Well, enjoying the moment. Enjoying the moment. Although, you know, what happens if if it's. if it's not what we are hoping for. What happens if it's 2016 all over again? Do you mean. Yeah. It won't be 2016 all over again. Because Donald Trump is not running, so. But it could be the results could be equivocal.

I mean, they're not going to be fantastic. It's not going to be a blowout for the for the Republicans. The Republicans are not going to come out of this, in the same state that they are in now. But it could be significantly more equivocal than we think. Well, and you say that Donald Trump's not on the ticket, but he's insisted. that he is on the ticket, which is why he's dashing about the country doing. rallies everywhere.

Yeah, I can't I. Well, that's another question. Does that actually help will he and again go back into what we were talking about. in, in the in the beginning, this is about turnout. Does he. Does Donald Trump's presence manage to get a. what the Trump remember the the. the Trump political career is founded on. what are called low propensity voters. They don't vote.

They're not interested. in politics, politics, or they're not interested in politicians. They are interested in Donald Trump. So Donald Trump not a political base, but understand it as a fan base. If he can bring those people out, then he could possibly. hold on in places that are looking pretty precarious at this point. Right? Also known as low information voters. But the information they do have is that the gas pump where gas is up 40%.

Well, we'll see. We'll see if that's a if that moves them. against Donald Trump or to stay home for Donald Trump. Otherwise, the low information, the information that they do. have is about Donald Trump, Donald Trump. Remember the the intention is a zero sum game. If he gets it, nobody else does. So therefore it's a Donald Trump world.

And and his voters, that's the world his voters live in. That's what he's counting on. True. And his voters also live in the world. where the price of your grocery basket has gone up substantially. Well, that's what the Democrats are counting on. Well, we've got ten days to go, Michael. Ten days to go until the midterm elections. and our next live show.

So I will see you on Tuesday and we begin the week's countdown. See you then. And thank you for our incredible team. And actually, it is pretty incredible since, since we have been floating. around the world over the last several, several weeks, and we still managed. to to appear with or without sirens in the background. Ryan, John, Heather, Rachel and Neil with our thanks.

So the good news is we have so many BBC tier members now. There are two many names to read out and we really appreciate your support.