The Daily Beast Podcast
Episode: The Real Reason Trump Backed Off Greenland: Wolff
Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Joanna Coles
Guest: Michael Wolff (Trump chronicler and journalist)
Episode Overview
In this episode, Joanna Coles and Michael Wolff dissect the real motives behind Donald Trump’s highly publicized but swiftly abandoned push to buy Greenland. They explore Trump’s penchant for distraction, his complex relationship with humiliation and attention, the spectacle of his Davos speech, the political and personal dynamics within his inner circle, and the ongoing fallout from controversies like Epstein and ICE deployments. This dynamic and banter-filled conversation uses insider anecdotes, biting humor, and listener questions to illuminate the current state of American politics under Trump, while offering vivid, sometimes surreal, glimpses inside the former president’s head.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump’s Greenland Gambit: Fire, Fury, and Distraction
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Distraction as a Political Tool [03:32 | 12:03]:
- Trump’s interest in Greenland was always performative and never serious. The panel had predicted it would amount to nothing.
- Wolff: "He sets these fires constantly, but it's really not the fire that he focuses on. What he focuses on is the fire engines rushing to put the fire out." [01:32 | 14:05]
- The outrage and media uproar over Greenland served to shift attention from negative stories like the Epstein files and troubling poll numbers.
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Attention Addiction [14:46]:
- Coles: “So it's the noise and the lights and the drama. He's addicted to the drama.”
- Wolff: “Exactly.”
2. Humiliation, Grift, and Trump’s ‘Peace Board’ [08:00]
- Mar-a-Lago of Diplomacy:
- Trump’s so-called “peace board” initiative, a billion-dollar entry club for nations to negotiate, is dismissed as empty PR and another elaborate grift.
- Only Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Hungary, and UAE signed up; Western Europe and Canada abstained, highlighting Trump’s international isolation.
- Coles: “This is humiliating for Trump. Putin's joined, of course.” [08:00]
- Wolff: “Grift on top of grift...in the end it may not be anything in the end, as with so much, it just disappears, a bit like Greenland.” [10:55]
3. The Davos Speech: Hyperbole & Reality Distortion [21:22 | 22:00]
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Wolff’s Assessment:
- The speech was “not one thing...true,” featuring relentless self-congratulation, invented victories, and dark fantasies about Europe.
- Wolff: “There is no level of hyperbolic exaggeration that this speech did not reach.” [22:00]
- Trump’s world is always “miraculous,” in stark contrast to his depiction of Europe as “darkness at noon.”
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Trump’s Insecurity About Intelligence [26:00 + 31:02]:
- He repeatedly asserts his intelligence (“I’m very, very smart”), revealing deep-seated insecurity.
- Discussion of college transcripts Trump tried to keep hidden.
- Coles: “To me, that was just such an insight into his biggest anxiety about himself, which is he knows he's not very smart.” [26:41]
4. Trump’s Decision-Making: Information Gaps & Outsourcing Chaos [18:28 | 41:00]
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Briefings Ignored:
- Trump avoids traditional briefings; his knowledge, especially on foreign policy, is “profoundly limited.”
- Coles: “He doesn't even know the situation with Greenland...we already have access to it.”
- Wolff: Trump prefers working with people who “know nothing” (e.g. Pete Hegseth), so they can’t challenge him. [20:16]
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Outsourcing & Abandoning Developments:
- As soon as details complicate Trump’s plans (e.g., realization people could be killed in Greenland), he backs off swiftly. [32:27 | 33:00]
- “Dominance without cost. Dominance just based on pronouncements.” [32:27]
5. Domestic Politics: Polls, Minneapolis, and Political Self-Destruction [08:45 | 33:59]
- Economic Troubles:
- Inflation and housing/food prices are up; Trump can’t fix it.
- Minneapolis Crisis:
- ICE tactics and ongoing confrontations have made Minneapolis political ground zero, neutralizing a previous Democratic scandal but now backfiring for Trump. [36:41]
- Wolff: “He is self-destructive...the politics of this never really on the top of his mind. What’s on his mind is the moment.”
- J.D. Vance’s Role:
- Sent to Minneapolis to “solve” the crisis, but this is likely another passing distraction. [38:31]
- Wolff: "Trump manages that everything goes away. Except Epstein." [39:12]
6. The Epstein Files & Congressional Hearings [41:00]
- Ghislaine Maxwell:
- Maxwell will testify before Congress—testimony's persistence is a rare threat Trump can’t make “go away.”
- Coles: “All she wants to do is...get out of jail.”
- Clinton Subpoenas:
- The Clintons refuse to appear, arguing their involvement is limited. Wolff points out Trump and Melania’s own deeper potential connections.
7. Inside Trump’s Head: Empathy, Isolation, Vulnerability [44:55]
- Empathy for Trump:
- Wolff: “I confess to having a feeling of empathy for him...a kind of vulnerability to Donald Trump."
- Despite everything, Trump seems to crave approval and acceptance, but doesn’t know what he wants or how to get it. [45:00]
- Melania & The Succession Question:
- Speculation about Melania’s possible remarriage and the normalization a Vance presidency might bring if Trump were gone. [49:49]
8. Loyalty and the Revolving Door
- Fate of Loyalists:
- Trump’s staff rarely benefit in the long run. Loyalty often ends in public humiliation or indictment.
- Wolff: “It ends in tears for all these people...in the end, he does not wish them well.” [50:45]
9. Perception, News Avoidance, and Living in a Bubble [55:39 | 56:28]
- Everyone Filtering the Truth:
- Trump’s circle shields him from bad news, Fox News reinforces his worldview, and he remains “remarkably untraveled.”
- Parallels in Fashion World:
- Anecdote about designer Valentino choosing to avoid negative news, sparking a discussion about the wisdom—and dangers—of “deep news avoidance.”
10. Anecdotes & Audience Q&A
- Sneaker Con, Tattooed Fans, and the Firehouse Metaphor:
- Colorful stories about Trump being flummoxed at Sneaker Con, and fixating on a tattoo on a supporter’s face.
- Memorable metaphor about Trump enjoying the chaos (fire engines) more than the disruption itself. [01:32 | 14:05]
- Audience Questions Answered:
- Trump’s empathy, the prospects for Melania, J.D. Vance, and the fate of loyalists are discussed with frank and often acerbic humor.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Trump’s Performative Chaos:
- “He sets these fires constantly, but it's really not the fire that he focuses on. What he focuses on is the fire engines rushing to put the fire out.” – Michael Wolff [01:32 | 14:05]
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On Trump’s Intelligence Fixation:
- “First of all, no smart people would ever say that.” – Joanna Coles on Trump’s “I’m very, very smart.” [26:00]
- “I am a very stable genius.” – Donald Trump, recounted by Michael Wolff [31:23]
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On Surviving the Trump Era:
- “It ends in tears for all these people...in the end, he does not wish them well.” – Michael Wolff on Trump loyalists [50:45]
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On Distraction Tactics:
- “He distracts from whatever happened yesterday. He distracts with whatever happens today. But the distraction in itself...also has this value to him, which is attention.” – Michael Wolff [13:31]
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On News Avoidance:
- “Mr. Valentino is a man of beauty. He must live in a world of beauty. No bad news.” – anecdote by Joanna Coles [55:39]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [01:32 | 14:05] — Wolff’s fire engine metaphor: Trump loves the chaos and attention
- [08:00] — Discussion on Trump’s “Peace Board” and its international embarrassment
- [12:03] — Revisiting the Greenland distraction and why it was meaningless
- [22:00] — Davos speech: analyzing Trump’s world of hyperbole and invention
- [26:00] — Trump’s intelligence insecurity and transcripts
- [32:27-33:00] — Why Trump suddenly abandoned the Greenland plan
- [36:41] — Minneapolis scandal, ICE, and Trump’s domestic tactics backfiring
- [39:12] — “Everything goes away. Except Epstein.”
- [44:55-45:25] — Wolff expresses surprising empathy for Trump
- [50:45] — The doomed fate of Trump loyalists
- [55:39] — Valentino anecdote and the perils/benefits of avoiding bad news
Listener Poems & Humorous Endings
- Political Limericks and Haikus:
- Listeners contribute witty limericks and haikus skewering Trump’s behavior and the state of U.S. politics. [58:33-60:40]
- Midnight fingers fly. Losing war against grammar. Sanity on mute.
Conclusion
This episode is a sharp, layered, and frequently irreverent journey through the intersection of Trump’s personal insecurities, performative politics, and the surreal realities of American governance in 2026. Both Coles and Wolff bring incisive analysis, colorful inside stories, and splashes of dark humor, making the conversation as entertaining as it is illuminating. Recommended for anyone wanting an unvarnished, digestible rundown of the motivations and machinations behind Trump-era headlines—especially the infamous Greenland saga.