Michael Wolff and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty trace what they argue is a dramatic turning point for Donald Trump as collapsing poll numbers, a grinding Iran conflict, and mounting political backlash leave him increasingly isolated and searching for new loyalists in unexpected places. From Wolff’s explosive reporting on Trump’s growing friendship with disgraced Hollywood director Brett Ratner to the bizarre White House ballroom obsession, the episode connects Trump’s personal fixations, grievance politics, and fear of failure into what Wolff calls the clearest view yet inside Trump’s unraveling mindset. They also unpack a jaw-dropping new “weaponization” settlement fund that critics say resembles a presidential slush fund, the return of the Greenland controversy, rising evangelical pressure over abortion, and the lingering shadow of Jeffrey Epstein as Wolff previews shocking new revelations from his Epstein Diaries series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.