Podcast Summary: The Daily Beast Podcast
Episode: Trump Knows Epstein Could Be His Mortal Threat
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Joanna Coles
Guest: Michael Wolff
Overview
This episode dives deep into Donald Trump’s efforts to control the media, the ongoing fallout from the Epstein files, and Trump’s current domestic and international strategies for maintaining political dominance and distraction. Joanna Coles and Michael Wolff cover recent major shake-ups at CBS News, Trump’s maneuvers in international policy hotspots like Venezuela and Greenland, the ICE violence in Minneapolis, and the ever-present threat the Epstein disclosures pose to President Trump.
The tone is sharp, insightful, and frequently irreverent, with plenty of tangents, personal anecdotes, and lively debate about political power, media transformation, and Trump’s methods of narrative control.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Drip of the Epstein Files
Timestamp: 01:36, 39:00, 38:29
- The Justice Department has released only 2% of Epstein-related files, with 98% still sealed.
- Approximately 5 million documents have yet to be disclosed.
- Trump sees the continued Epstein disclosures as a direct, possibly existential threat.
- Quote (Michael Wolff, 40:52): “Epstein remains a potentially mortal threat to Donald Trump, and he knows it.”
- Public heckling, such as being called “pedophile protector,” is notably rattling Trump during appearances.
2. Trump, the Media, and CBS News
Timestamps: 04:06–15:14
- Trump’s attempts to “control the media” are now literal—facilitated by alliances with the Ellison family (billionaires with ambitions to acquire major media properties).
- Quote (Wolff, 04:38): “We should not forget that maybe the most fundamental to him is to control the media… He’s sued several of the networks… and in this interesting case with CBS, he is actually moving to kind of take it over.”
- Michael Wolff details how Larry and David Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount (and thus CBS, MTV, etc.) hinges on Trump’s approval—secured by restructuring CBS News in Trump-friendly directions.
- Bari Weiss, notable for her conservative-leaning journalism and “anti-woke” stance, is installed as CBS News head with no prior TV experience.
- Quote (Wolff, 09:07): “CBS and the associated properties have essentially given Donald Trump a kind of carte blanche.”
- Bari Weiss brings in Tony Dokoupil as anchor, chosen for his explicitly pro-Israel politics, further breaking the norm of anchor “objectivity.”
- Quote (Wolff, 13:52): “Network news now has a political agenda… the Foxification of CBS News.”
- Weiss’s and Dokoupil’s rocky start and rookie mistakes, including poor editorial decisions and technical production blunders.
- The move reflects broader declining relevance and commercial health of network news.
- Quote (Wolff, 21:16): “It has no grip on America at all. They could care less… these are businesses from some other era.”
3. The Ellison Media Empire: Corporate Agendas
Timestamps: 14:18–22:43
- The Ellisons’ real target is not just CBS but acquiring Warner Brothers Discovery (including CNN) and possibly HBO.
- These maneuvers are secondary to enabling business deals, pending favor with Trump.
- Quote (Wolff, 19:37): “CBS News… will decline faster than the other networks… as they look toward acquiring CNN. Cable is also in decline.”
4. Trump’s Foreign Policy Theater: Venezuela, Greenland, Iran
Timestamps: 01:48, 25:06–32:26
- Trump postures as an imperial actor, threatening or claiming moves on foreign “soft targets.”
- Greenland: Trump’s public desire to “take over” Greenland is mainly for spectacle.
- Quote (Wolff, 25:31): “He’s looking for instances where he can demonstrate his power… in which no one is going to be killed.”
- Quote (Coles, 31:10): “He picks on soft targets here.”
- Iran: Trump promises help to protesters, but his pronouncements don’t align with reality; his pattern is to create headlines and shape narratives regardless of actual impact.
5. ICE Violence and Domestic Distraction
Timestamps: 33:04–38:29
- New viral video from Minneapolis shows ICE fatally shooting a woman in slow-moving car—public outrage follows.
- Trump’s ICE policies, seen previously as an asset, may now be a political liability, especially ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- Quote (Coles, 37:42): “Minneapolis is… occupied. Trump began to see this as a substantial liability… people are seeing these ICE videos and crying over them.”
- Trump shifts focus to international crises (e.g., Venezuela, Greenland) to divert from domestic controversies like ICE violence and the Epstein files.
6. Attacks on Journalists and Media Freedoms
Timestamps: 41:33
- A Washington Post reporter’s home is raided after critical reporting on federal layoffs and chaos.
- Speculation about whether Jeff Bezos (owner of the Post) can leverage business dealings (like a Melania Trump documentary) for leniency.
- Quote (Wolff, 43:13): “The interesting thing about this is you can’t approach Donald Trump that way… confront him on any level and he’ll double down.”
7. London as the Enemy, Elite Cities, and the Clinton Question
Timestamps: 46:51–50:51
- Trump uses elite world cities (London, New York, LA) as rhetorical enemies to energize his base.
- Quote (Wolff, 47:25): “Inside Donald Trump’s head, he always needs an enemy… elite cities.”
- The Clintons face persistent Oversight Committee subpoenas regarding Epstein ties but are unlikely to yield substantial testimony that would harm themselves—or Trump.
- Quote (Wolff, 49:33): “We can put the Clintons in jail… that would be great for the Democrats… and the more you push this, the more you raise the obvious question… perhaps the Clintons could tell us something about Jeffrey Epstein, but the couple who could tell us much more are Donald Trump and Melania Trump.”
8. Political Betting Markets and Trump Family Ties
Timestamps: 51:12–52:51
- Discussion of betting markets (Polymarket, Kalshi) wagering on political events (Ghislaine Maxwell’s pardon, Greenland invasion).
- Don Jr. is rumored to be an advisor to major political betting companies.
9. Listener Q&A and Final Tangents
Timestamps: 53:42–56:48
- Questions about Melania’s movie finances and marriage.
- Wolff on Melania’s marriage (54:46): “It is possibly the happiest marriage in America on its terms. They’re not really together. The money flows in a way to keep everybody happy.”
- Closing banter about live events, TV characters, and rumors at The New York Times.
Notable Quotes
- On CBS News Shift:
Wolff (13:52): "Network news now has a political agenda… the Foxification of CBS News." - On Trump’s Power Moves:
Coles (23:41): “He always finds the pressure point.”
Wolff (23:42): “This pressure point is… you cannot become a media mogul without paying homage to Donald Trump.” - On the Epstein Threat:
Wolff (40:52): “Epstein remains a potentially mortal threat to Donald Trump, and he knows it.” - On Melania’s Marriage:
Wolff (54:46): “It is possibly the happiest marriage in America on its terms… the money flows in a way to keep everybody happy.”
Key Timestamps for Important Segments
- 01:36 — Discussion of the Epstein files' “drip” release and its threat to Trump
- 04:06–15:14 — Overview of Trump’s media control tactics and CBS News shake-up
- 19:17–22:43 — Ellison family’s broader ambitions in media—beyond CBS
- 25:06–32:26 — Trump’s spectacle politics abroad: Greenland, Venezuela, Iran
- 33:04–38:29 — Minneapolis ICE shooting & Trump’s domestic distraction strategy
- 41:33 — Raids on journalists and Bezos’s potential leverage
- 46:51–50:51 — Targeting elite cities, Clinton subpoenas, and the Epstein intersection
- 51:12–52:51 — Political betting markets, Trump family intrigue
- 53:42–56:48 — Q&A about Melania, marriage dynamics, and lawsuit updates
Memorable Moments
- Michael Wolff’s sharp, unsparing takes on the collapse of American network news.
- Joanna Coles’s bemusement at Tony Dokoupil’s emotional anchoring and media “Foxification.”
- The candid acknowledgment that Trump’s strategy is distraction layered upon distraction, with international stunts papering over domestic scandals.
- The duo’s mutual skepticism for ratings-driven, “vanity player” media ownership.
- Lively audience interactions and personal asides, keeping the discussion both grave and buoyant.
Conclusion
This episode is a sweeping, caustic look at the lengths to which Trump goes to control both headlines and the underlying narrative—pivoting from the existential threat posed by the Epstein files to overt influence on the media landscape and foreign distractions. The Daily Beast team pulls no punches in critiquing the blurring of journalism and propaganda, the decline of network news, and the weaponization of spectacle in modern politics. A must-listen for those seeking insight into the current intersection of media, power, and scandal.