Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles go deep inside Donald Trump’s thinking at the precise moment war breaks out, unpacking his fixation on “winning,” his belief that declaring victory matters more than consequences, and why he sees global conflict the way a producer sees a TV series. As markets fall, allies fracture, and Iran escalates, they trace how Trump frames war as optics, distraction, and personal score-settling, revealing why the end of the story matters more to him than what comes after. Along the way, they connect MAGA loyalty, media spectacle, and Trump’s obsession with control into a single throughline that explains not just this moment, but how he has navigated power for more than a decade. 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.