The Daily Beast Podcast

Episode Title: The Real Reason Trump's Lost His Mojo: Don Lemon
Host: Joanna Coles
Guest: Don Lemon
Release Date: December 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and candid episode, Joanna Coles welcomes Don Lemon (of "Lemon Live") for a freewheeling conversation about Donald Trump’s apparent loss of momentum (“mojo”), the shifting foundations of MAGA, fallout from emerging Epstein files and photos, the intersections of gender, politics, and the media, and questions over Trump's health and fitness for office. The discussion is peppered with both sharp political insight and personal anecdotes, plus plenty of trademark wit from both host and guest.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Has Trump Lost His Mojo?

[03:03, 08:28]

• Don Lemon asserts that Trump is losing his appeal:

  "I think Donald Trump is losing his mojo. I do." (Don Lemon, 03:03)

• Lemon links this growing disillusionment to a foundation built on “conspiracy theories, lies, distractions and distortions” running up against economic realities.
• Trump’s repeated positive messaging about the economy rings hollow for Americans facing personal financial strain.

  “You can't go out there telling people, the economy's great... and they're like, wait a minute, I don't have any money.” (Don Lemon, 03:13)

• Coles references a series of events—Trump’s public fatigue, peculiar rallies, Epstein photo dumps, rising health premiums—as symbolic of this decline.

2. Personal Anecdote: Don Lemon's "Taxi Moment"

[04:50]

• An entertaining aside where Lemon recounts hearing his own show in a New York taxi driven by an unsuspecting fan, affirming his cultural relevance and reach.

3. MAGA Movement: End of an Era?

[08:28, 11:52]

• Lemon suggests MAGA may be going the way of the Tea Party—disintegrating or mutating—citing Marjorie Taylor Greene as the first “domino to fall” among prominent defectors.
• Other Republicans (Lauren Boebert, Nancy Mace) are showing increasing independence, especially in matters like the Epstein files.
• Lawmakers still fear Trump’s hold over their base but are slowly realizing real political capital lies with constituents, not with Trump.

4. GOP Healthcare Policy and Political Strategy

[09:30]

• Coles and Lemon both question how GOP lawmakers remain blind to the unpopularity of doubling or tripling health care premiums, which undercuts their own electoral prospects.

  “How do they not think this isn’t going to be a huge thing for people?” (Joanna Coles, 09:30)

5. Epstein Files and New Fallout

[12:13–20:06]

• Discussion of newly released Epstein photos and their significance, especially Trump’s ties to Epstein.
• Don notes how Trump tries deflecting attention by naming Democrats, ignoring Republicans also implicated.

  "He talks about all the Democrats who are in the files... but he doesn't mention Steve Bannon or Alan Dershowitz." (Don Lemon, 13:41)

• Debate over redacting women’s faces in the photos: Lemon argues that high-profile men should be identified due to their influence, but average women deserve privacy.

  “If you are friendly with one of the most prolific sex traffickers in modern history, I think that's important for the American people to know.” (Don Lemon, 15:06)

Notable Quotes

• On the photos:

  “Maybe we've known it all along. But to say it's not new information is false. It is new information. It shows how buddy, buddy they were.” (Don Lemon, 13:03)

• On double standards:

  “Shouldn't the men's face be redacted?”
  “Not the high profile men... there's a difference between a public figure and an average, everyday person.” (Joanna Coles/Don Lemon, 14:55)

Other High-Profile Figures Named

• Kathy Rummler, former Obama White House counsel, now at Goldman Sachs, is called out for her close relationship with Epstein, reflecting the bipartisan nature of the fallout.
• Lemon emphasizes that all implicated parties (Democrat or Republican) must be held to account.

6. Gender, Hypermasculinity, and the "Manosphere"

[23:24–26:31]

• Coles and Lemon discuss the influence of Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, and the "manosphere" in shaping young men's perceptions of masculinity—often in troubling directions.

  "Millions and millions and millions of young men... get their information from Andrew Tate or Joe Rogan..." (Don Lemon, 24:54)

• The "tradwife" traditionalist trend in right-wing politics is critiqued as "determinedly unmodern."
• MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, Lauren Boebert, Nancy Mace are cited as unexpected advocates for female victims, demanding Epstein file releases.

7. Media, Gatekeepers, and Trump’s Strategy

[46:39]

• Lemon distinguishes between frontline journalists (doing commendable work) and “gatekeepers” (media executives, owners) who restrict what stories get told due to fear of government retribution.

  “The journalists are not the problem, it's the gatekeepers... they have jobs, they don't want to lose their jobs..." (Don Lemon, 46:49)

• Coles points to the Wall Street Journal as an example of an outlet bucking that trend.

8. Trump’s Health, Fatigue, and Cognitive Decline

[50:16–53:19]

• Coles and Lemon discuss Trump’s apparent physical and cognitive decline: mismatched foundation makeup, visible bruises, cankles, fatigue, and episodes of falling asleep during meetings.

  “Donald Trump can’t walk in a straight line... He confuses people. Has he lost a step? Yes.” (Don Lemon, 51:15)

• Lemon is skeptical that the administration is being honest about Trump’s health.

9. 2026 Midterms & Trump's Political Future

[35:45–39:43]

• Lemon suggests the prospect of proper, fair midterms is dwindling as the administration attempts to “game the system”—with gerrymandering, distractions, and autocratic tendencies.

  “I think the chances of us having a proper midterm are diminishing day by day by day.” (Don Lemon, 39:43)

• Trump is said to be stubbornly out of touch—ignoring evidence of flagging public support and surrounding himself with loyalists rather than competent advisors.

10. Predictions: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Comeback?

[32:09–35:45]

• Lemon forecasts Marjorie Taylor Greene’s possible return to politics, perhaps as a presidential candidate or even founder of a new "America First" party.

  “She may be the new leader... Maybe what she said on 60 Minutes is the party she’ll be leader of, the America First party.” (Don Lemon, 35:08)

Notable & Memorable Quotes

• On Trump’s Reality Distortion:

  “The economy’s great, gas prices are way down, energy is great… And people were leaving the rally... saying the president is wrong, that he’s delusional as it relates to the economy.” (Don Lemon, 37:57)

• On Media Control:

  “He should never be weighing in on a news organization that way.” (Don Lemon, 48:12)

• On Democracy & Accountability:

  “We need guardrails as it relates to a president. Not all presidents are going to abide by the rules...” (Don Lemon, 45:56)

• On Politicians’ Motivations:

  “Loyal and damaged because they know that I would not be able to have this opportunity under any other president and at any other moment.” (Don Lemon, 42:06)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump’s Mojo & MAGA’s Decline:
  [03:03], [08:28]
• Personal Taxi Story (Lemon):
  [04:50]
• Epstein Files, Republican Lawmakers’ Shift:
  [11:52], [12:13]
• Gender, Masculinity, and Politics:
  [23:24]
• Media Dynamics & Trump’s Media Influence:
  [46:39], [47:27]
• Trump’s Declining Health:
  [50:16]
• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Possible Return:
  [32:09], [35:08]
• Midterms & Threats to Democracy:
  [39:43]

Tone & Style

The episode’s tone is incisive and highly conversational, blending punchy political critique with personal banter and moments of levity. Both hosts show impatience for political hypocrisy and competence, yet remain optimistic (“I’m an optimist… I do think that in a weird way, it’s kind of good that this happened”—Don Lemon, 45:40).

Overall Takeaway

This episode paints a portrait of a political era in flux: Donald Trump’s grip is visibly loosening, beset by scandal, fatigue, and electoral backlash, while the MAGA movement struggles to find new footing. The media’s role, the Republican party’s fractures, and the shadow of Epstein loom large over American political culture. Simultaneously, debates over gender, power, and accountability gain new prominence, with surprise figures stepping into the breach.

Final thought from Don Lemon on what comes next:

“Sometimes people... have a change of heart... I hope there’s some sort of evolution for her. And if she starts to show that in her actions, then I’ll say more power to her... But right now it’s too early and there’s too much history...” (Don Lemon, 35:06)

Be sure to watch for Don Lemon’s upcoming New Year’s Eve special from New Orleans!