The Daily Beast Podcast

Episode: Trump’s People Have Plot Against the Voters: Wolff

Date: November 9, 2025
Host: Joanna Coles
Guest: Michael Wolff

Episode Overview

In this sharply observant and darkly humorous episode, Joanna Coles and Michael Wolff take a deep dive into the current state of Trump’s White House and the mounting sense of existential peril among Trump’s inner circle as the 2026 election looms. Drawing on Wolff’s insider conversations and the latest political developments, the episode examines Team Trump’s strategies—legal and otherwise—to hold onto power, with incisive detours into Trump’s personality, Steve Bannon’s influence, Melania’s latest moves, and broader themes of civic engagement and institutional malaise.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Threats Facing Trump’s Inner Circle (02:00 - 04:19, 24:10 - 25:30, 30:38 - 33:30)

• Wolff relays a conversation with a nervous White House figure, painting a picture of real despair and alarm among Trump’s people after recent election results.
  • “If they lose the election, if they lose in 2026, they are finished. Finished politically. But you know so much else.” (Michael Wolff, 02:00)
• Trump’s inability and unwillingness to “course correct” is seen as a looming disaster.
  • “Trump… cannot course correct. Cannot course correct. Will not course correct. Doesn't even, I think, understand the concept…” (Michael Wolff, 02:56)
• The sense that the White House is bracing for the possibility of losing both Houses—an “existential” threat:
  • “The unraveling may have begun… they are considering that is a moment.” (Michael Wolff, 24:10)
• Wolff predicts the next election will be “an election of lawyers” as Trump’s team pursues aggressive legal maneuvers and redistricting.

2. Steve Bannon’s Rhetoric & Influence (05:01 - 07:16)

• Quotes Bannon’s apocalyptic warning:
  • “I will tell you right now, as God is my witness, if we lose the midterms and we lose 20,28, some in this room are going to prison, myself included.” (Quoting Steve Bannon, 05:07)
  • “We have to counter it with more action, more intense action, more urgency. We’re burning daylight.”
• Wolff notes Bannon’s penchant for drama and the effect his warnings have on White House anxiety.
• Bannon’s language is described as “vivid, dramatic, apocalyptic turns.” (Michael Wolff, 07:23)

3. Trump’s Personality and Behavior (08:59 - 09:51, 13:27 - 13:53)

• A behind-the-scenes look at Trump’s intolerance for weakness or illness:
  • “Trump really... Hate sick people.” (Michael Wolff, 09:05)
• Vivid anecdote about Trump appearing irritated, waiting for the cameras during a medical incident at a press conference.
• Discussion of the rumor mill around Trump and weight-loss drugs, and his penchant for blunt nicknaming.
  • “‘He could be remembered as the guy who did the fat drugs... that was also a kind of perfect Trump touch to call them the fat drugs. And it just kind of cuts through everything.’” (Michael Wolff, 10:56)
  • Slogan joke: “Make America thin again.” (Michael Wolff, 13:27)

4. The Fat Drugs & GLP1s Saga (09:51 - 13:53)

• Explores the political and social impact if Trump succeeds in lowering the cost of GLP1 drugs (weight loss drugs), potentially his most positive legacy.
• Amusing digression on Trump staffers (press secretary Stephen Cheung) and their struggles with weight.

5. Melania Trump: Awards, Lawsuits & Image (14:34 - 17:20, 40:18 - 45:15)

• Satirical coverage of Melania receiving Fox Nation’s “Patriot of the Year” award and her ambiguous speech.
  • “To what convention is she referring? Perhaps a convention that a first lady lives with her husband, the president, in the White House.” (Michael Wolff, 15:40)
• Updates on Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against Melania and his commitment to “pay it forward” if he wins.
• Discussion about Melania’s rumored documentary, “Melania: The Movie,” directed by Brett Ratner.

6. Elections, Voter Suppression, and Legal Strategies (31:38 - 34:10)

• Discussion of the Trump team’s primary strategy: legal tactics, gerrymandering, and restricting voting access, rather than persuading voters.
  • “We’re not talking about politics anymore. We’re talking about how you harness the voting system to your advantage. …it has probably never gone on as aggressively as it is now.” (Michael Wolff, 32:56)

7. Institutional Malaise and Public Engagement (19:03 - 21:30)

• Wolff notes a year of “institutional folding”—media, courts, and political checks have failed.
• However, he sees hope in the increased engagement of ordinary people and financial support for legal challenges.

8. Biden, Newsom, and Shifting ‘Ground’ (22:34 - 23:48)

• Commentary on Governor Newsom’s political prominence and Biden/Trump’s public fatigue.

9. Project 2025 and Internal White House Dynamics (34:10 - 36:09)

• Discussion on Project 2025: What can Trump’s team accomplish before time might run out?
• Wolff explains how staffers resort to “slow walking” Trump on initiatives, sometimes distracting him to avoid worse outcomes.
• Stephen Miller’s role as an ideological, policy-driven enabler.

10. Foreign Policy Gambits & Venezuela (36:19 - 37:04)

• Speculation on Trump’s potential foreign distractions: “He could very well go to war in Venezuela.”

11. The Epstein Files (39:21 - 39:46)

• Expectation that “the Epstein files” will resurface as a threat to Trump, possibly delivering “the most pain.”

12. “Ask Melania” and Listener Questions (39:46 - 42:39)

• Listener Q&A about Melania’s legal defense, relationship with Putin, her language skills, and her state of mind.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On White House panic:

  • “They’re up against it, and they may have known that before, but this became crystal clear on Tuesday night.” (Michael Wolff, 02:56)

• On Bannon's style:

  • “Bannon is always on the phone with people…delivering this dire warning, and I think it has some effect. People within the White House are rightly worry, or at least beginning to worry.” (Michael Wolff, 05:43-06:35)

• On Trump’s intolerance for vulnerability:

  • “He hates people with any kind of physical vulnerability and to display that and to take attention from him is even worse.” (Michael Wolff, 09:07)

• On electoral tactics:

  • “We’re not talking about politics anymore. We’re talking about how you harness the voting system to your advantage.” (Michael Wolff, 32:56)

• On institutional collapse:

  • “A year…just shocking in every respect. And nobody has done anything. And actually, it's been characterized by the institutions that we expect to do something kind of folding.” (Michael Wolff, 19:16)

Important Segment Timestamps

• White House Panic after Election Results – 02:00 - 04:19
• Bannon’s Dire Warnings – 05:01 - 07:16
• Trump & The GLP-1 ‘Fat Drug’ Phenomenon – 09:51 - 13:53
• Satire on Melania’s Award & Persona – 14:34 - 17:20
• Public Engagement & Institutional Failures – 19:03 - 21:30
• Election Legal Strategies – 31:38 - 33:30
• Project 2025 and Internal Management – 34:10 - 36:09
• Venezuela War Talk – 36:19 - 37:04
• Epstein Files as Looming Threat – 39:21 - 39:46
• “Ask Melania” Listener Q&A – 39:46 - 42:39

Overall Tone

The episode is sharply satirical, brisk, and unflinchingly critical—often bleak, occasionally riotous, but consistently insightful. Joanna and Michael combine serious concern about the erosion of democratic checks with pointed wit, exposing not just the political maneuvering but also the absurdist theater emerging from the White House.

Summary for the Uninitiated

This episode of The Daily Beast Podcast is an essential listen for anyone seeking to understand the mood—and actual strategies—inside Trump’s orbit as the 2026 midterms approach. Drawing on privileged White House intel and decades of observing Trumpworld, Michael Wolff foresees escalating legal warfare, intensified voter suppression, and an overriding sense of alarm. The hosts deftly blend insider analysis with wry, at times hilarious, commentary on everything from Steve Bannon’s melodrama to Melania’s enigmatic public persona, all underpinned by genuine concern for the future of American democracy.