The Daily Beast Podcast
Episode: The Glaring Epstein Files Issue Trump Can’t Escape
Host: Joanna Coles
Guest: David Rothkopf (Founder, Deep State Radio, former editor of Foreign Policy, Clinton Commerce Department official)
Date: February 3, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the deepening controversies surrounding the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files and their reverberations across American politics—especially for Donald Trump. Host Joanna Coles and columnist David Rothkopf discuss how the files upend long-standing denials by powerful figures, what the files threaten to reveal, the collapse of Trump’s public image (and taste), and the potential fallout for upcoming elections. The conversation weaves in the absurdities and vulgarities of the Trump era, the Melania docudrama, cultural flashpoints at the Grammys and Super Bowl, and the murky political fates of figures like Tulsi Gabbard.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Epstein Files: Denials vs. Reality
[02:01, 24:54, 26:36]
- Explosive Revelations: The release of 3 million+ Epstein-related emails and documents has shredded many public denials (by politicians, businessmen, and celebrities) of any connection to Epstein.
- Joanna Coles: “It’s just astonishing how many people said they didn’t know Jeffrey Epstein... and, of course, the 3 million emails that have been released show us completely, completely the contrary of what so many powerful men have been telling us.” [02:01]
- Trump’s Concerns: Rothkopf posits that Trump is deeply worried because “there are crimes where there is no statute of limitation, or there are crimes that will disgust even his last remaining followers.” [01:32, 24:54]
- Systemic Coverups: Rothkopf highlights, “There is something murky at the core of all of this that we just don’t know. But all the evidence says there are a lot of people out there trying desperately to hide it.” [25:58]
- Unconvincing Denials: They discuss Howard Lutnick, Richard Branson, and others whose supposed “limited” encounters with Epstein are debunked by the files.
- Coles: “You have emails desperately pleading to go to the island for lunch and they’re going to take another family and... two 16 year olds, two 14 year olds and a 13 year old with them.” [26:36]
- Rothkopf: “Anybody who stays in touch with him after [Epstein’s 2005 sentence]... he knew, you know, and so did so many of these.” [27:21]
- Sacrificial Lambs: The fallout seems to be targeting “sacrificial lambs” while protecting bigger players.
- Rothkopf: “These are all the sacrificial lambs... being given up to protect other people.” [28:22]
2. Trump’s Vulgarity, Incompetence, and Erosion of Norms
[03:55–07:03, 29:40, 31:00]
- Ugliest American: Rothkopf doubles down on his column that Trump is “the ugliest American ever to have braced these shores.”
- “He is also the most vulgar, the man with the worst taste in America... it’s leaving a mark, right? It’s leaving a mark on Washington... the Oval Office. It looks like a bordello.” [03:55]
- Trump’s Design Choices: Discussion about Trump's penchant for gaudy gold, marble, and casino-style excess in public spaces.
- Coles (mocking Trump’s taste): “Great mirrors. We gotta have great mirrors. Tremendous mirrors. Tremendous mirrors.” [06:24]
- Authoritarian Showmanship: Rothkopf describes the “250-foot triumphal arch” Trump wants in DC and events like wrestling matches on the White House lawn.
- Scatological Metaphor: A signature moment—Rothkopf compares Trump’s constant display of character flaws to a hippopotamus in heat:
- “Like a hippopotamus in heat flicking shit and piss in every direction in order to attract a mate.” [31:00]
3. The Melania Movie & White Immigration Narrative
[07:25–13:41]
- Bribe-umentary: Rothkopf calls the Bezos-funded 'Melania' film a “bribeumentary”—a transactional move to curry favor with the administration.
- Melania’s Portrayal: Coles critiques both the film’s message (Melania as transactional and emotionally remote) and missed opportunities to explore her real immigrant journey.
- Coles: “She is her own person. They have what appears to be a very transactional marriage... she and the President go their separate ways.” [10:07]
- White vs. 'Other' Immigration: The film—and Trump's narrative—present “white immigration as good, all other immigration as bad.”
- Rothkopf: “The Trump narrative and the Melania movie carries it forward is white immigration is good... At the same time, five year old children are being taken off to prisons in Texas.” [13:41]
4. Immigration Backlash and Political Repercussions
[14:29–16:32]
- Policy Backfires: Trump’s immigration policies are now widely disliked, even in red states, as evidenced by a dramatic 30-point swing in a deep-red Texas county.
- Rothkopf: “In the reddest county in America, in Texas... for the first time in half a century, a Democrat won... it swung about 30 points... because people hate what he’s doing.” [15:25]
- Image Problem: Trump’s use of provocative, violent images for propaganda—like masked militia or ICE RS—has “completely backfired.” [16:32]
5. Election Manipulation, Tulsi Gabbard, and Transparency
[17:17, 33:26–37:53]
- Election Interference: Rothkopf discusses Trump's efforts to contest and undermine election integrity, including sending FBI and DNI teams into Fulton County, Georgia.
- “He talked [to] the FBI agents... he wants to be able to prove that this election was stolen from him, or at least be able to raise enough questions...” [17:17]
- Tulsi Gabbard Whistleblower Story:
- Coles references a Wall Street Journal story on a whistleblower complaint suppressed during Gabbard’s tenure as head of intelligence.
- Rothkopf condemns the lack of transparency: “This is supposed to be independent. It wasn’t... whistleblower critiques... supposed to come to Congress. It hasn’t.” [34:06]
- He characterizes Gabbard as “bizarrely close to the leadership in Syria, bizarrely defensive of the Assad regime, close and defensive when it came to the Russians... member of a cult... very strange person.” [34:49]
- Government Secrecy: Alarming trend of less transparency—e.g., Supreme Court staff forced to sign non-disclosure agreements for the first time. [37:53]
6. Media, Satire, and the Unraveling Narrative
[39:12–41:35, 45:18–46:43]
- Information Silos & Identity Crisis: Many voters (even ex-Trump supporters) are facing a “national identity crisis” as the negative effects of Trump’s presidency become undeniable, including economic decline and public health crises.
- “...all the critiques of Trump that they heard from the mainstream media or the left, as they would have called it, they’re all turning out to be true.” [39:12]
- Comedy as Barometer: SNL’s sketches about exasperated Trump supporters illustrate the cultural shift.
- Grammys & Super Bowl:
- Cultural moments at the Grammys (Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish) and the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show being given to a Trump critic.
- Coles: “...the halftime show is a Trump hater who hates Trump's immigration policies and is going to sing in Spanish who just had won best album for the first time ever for an all Spanish album.” [46:21]
7. Optimism for Change, Democratic Party’s Path Forward
[48:46–52:34]
- Mobilization: The public, especially younger generations, view failing institutions and take protest/defense into their own hands—this is seen as both a crisis and opportunity for U.S. democracy.
- Rothkopf: “The only people who can protect us are us.” [48:46]
- 2026 & 2028 Elections:
- Rothkopf is optimistic that Democrats could win big if elections are free and fair but warns the system must be protected first.
- The next Democratic standard-bearer cannot ignore inequality or elite impunity: “...in this election, the majority of voters who will be under the age of 35 don’t think the system works, don’t believe the American dream is real anymore... the control of the country has been stolen by a handful of super rich people...” [50:36]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Trump’s Taste:
“You might say, well... he does casinos and he’s the cheese balliest of all. Cheese ball. Yeah, he is. But now it’s like leaving a mark, right?... it looks like a bordello.”
— David Rothkopf [03:55] -
On Hypocrisy over Epstein:
“It’s just astonishing how many people said they didn’t know Jeffrey Epstein... and... the 3 million emails that have been released show us... the contrary.”
— Joanna Coles [02:01] -
On The Real Stakes of the Epstein Files:
“There are crimes where there is no statute of limitation or... will disgust even his last remaining followers.”
— David Rothkopf [01:32] -
On Trump’s Daily Spectacle:
“Like a hippopotamus in heat flicking shit and piss in every direction in order to attract a mate.”
— David Rothkopf [31:00] -
On Democratic Opportunities:
“If you don’t realize that inequality and elite immunity impunity are central issues... you’re not going to be the candidate.”
— David Rothkopf [50:36] -
On Taking Action:
“The only people who can protect us are us.”
— David Rothkopf [48:46]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 01:32 — What's at stake for Trump with the Epstein files
- 02:01 — The vast scale of powerful men exposed by the Epstein release
- 03:55 — Rothkopf on Trump's vulgarity and legacy
- 07:25 — The Melania “bribeumentary” and immigration narratives
- 14:29 — Immigration policy backlash, Texas special election
- 17:17 — Election interference, Fulton County conspiracy, role of Tulsi Gabbard
- 24:54 — Why certain Epstein files remain sealed
- 26:36 — Exposing the lies of Epstein’s powerful associates
- 33:26 — The Gabbard whistleblower and intelligence community suppression
- 37:53 — Extreme lack of government transparency
- 39:12 — Information bubbles and evolving MAGA identity
- 45:18 — Grammys, Trevor Noah lawsuit, pop culture as resistance
- 48:46 — Civic mobilization beyond institutions
- 50:36 — Democratic strategy for future elections
- 52:34 — Closing thoughts and where to follow up
Overall Tone & Takeaways
The conversation is fast, irreverent, and darkly witty, marked by both satire and clear indignation at unchecked power and hypocrisy. Coles and Rothkopf trade insights and jabs—blending gallows humor with sharp analysis of why the Epstein files matter, how they expose rot in the American elite, and why the coming political realignment could be both turbulent and hopeful. Listeners are left with both alarm at the systemic failures and optimism for change if public mobilization continues.