The Daily Beast Podcast

Episode: Why Trump Aide Is Thinking 25th Amendment: Wolff
Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Joanna Weiss
Guest: Michael Wolff

Episode Overview

This episode dives into Donald Trump’s recent, baffling behavior—focusing specifically on a press conference with Mamdani that left aides so rattled that some whispered about invoking the 25th Amendment. Host Joanna Weiss and journalist Michael Wolff break down the implications of Trump’s uncharacteristic mood swings, his increasingly erratic presidency, ongoing Republican crises, legal debacles in the Justice Department, and the administration’s failures on healthcare, immigration, and foreign policy. The episode keeps its signature blend of sharp analysis, sarcastic wit, and gossipy asides.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Mamdani Incident & 25th Amendment Whispers

• Trump’s Bizarre Behavior ([01:34]–[06:47])
  • Trump, typically confrontational and dominant, was unexpectedly warm and deferential to Mamdani during a recent press conference. White House staff were unnerved and confused.
  • Quote:

    “This wasn't just losing the plot, this was like a different guy. The look in his eyes was crazy.”
    — Michael Wolff, [05:13]

• Aides' Reactions & Fear
  • The shift was so odd that one insider told Wolff it was “weird,” suggesting Trump “forgot who he is”—prompting 25th Amendment worries.
  • Quote:

    "This was so weird that... literally the only explanation was that the guy forgot who he is. So weird. He says. And then he said it gives you a 25th Amendment shiver.”
    — Michael Wolff, [08:13]

• Speculations on Mental & Physical Health
  • The hosts float theories: stroke, mental fatigue, or simply an inability to maintain his “character.”
  • Quote:

    “The idea that he might actually have liked Mamdani is not plausible. First thing, because he doesn't really like anybody and because he knows that's not the job here.”
    — Michael Wolff, [09:26]

2. Trump's Presidency: Breaking Character

• Analysis of Trump’s Public Persona ([04:24], [09:25])
  • Emphasizes that Trump never breaks from his “set” character (the boss from The Apprentice)—so when he does, it’s deeply alarming.
  • Quote:

    “Donald Trump never breaks character, is always in character. That is his strength as a politician. Except for this moment when something went awry.”
    — Michael Wolff, [11:54]

3. Political & Economic Chaos Inside the GOP

• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation & Republican Cracks ([12:15]–[18:36])

  • GOP is splintering: Greene’s resignation over healthcare premium hikes, the loss of other congresspeople, and growing open criticism.
  • Healthcare Crisis:
    • Trump caught off guard by skyrocketing Obamacare premiums, considers extending subsidies (contrary to GOP orthodoxy).
    • Quote:

      “He is now considering, again, completely out of character, extending the Obamacare subsidies.”
      — Michael Wolff, [13:46]

  • Messaging & Blame:
    • Democrats sharpen their attacks, blaming Trump’s tax cuts for healthcare woes. The hosts suggest Trump doesn’t grasp the reality, or the political peril.
    • Quote:

      “It’s a bankrupting step up... I don’t understand how the Republicans have baked this in and not thought it was bad for them.”
      — Joanna Weiss, [15:24]

• Party Dysfunction and DOJ Mayhem

  • DOJ fumbled the Comey case, exacerbated by Trump’s preference for loyalty and optics over competence—appointing people like Lindsay Halligan and Alina Habba.
  • Quote:

    “He has a line, he repeats it until you want to shoot yourself. And this line was, I may not have the best legal team, but I have the hottest.”
    — Michael Wolff, [20:17]

  • The administration’s incompetence is compared to his first term (“the gang that couldn’t shoot straight”).
  • Quote:

    “We are back to the first administration, we’re back to the gang that couldn’t shoot straight fundamentals of Donald Trump’s way of governing.”
    — Michael Wolff, [30:12]

4. Foreign Policy Fiascos

• Ukraine-Russia ‘Peace Plan’ ([26:52]–[32:45])
  • Trump’s peace proposal accommodates Russian demands, ignored by Ukraine and the EU, undermining both his supposed diplomatic skill and his relationships with allies.
  • The plan’s promotion involved Jared Kushner, causing speculation about Kushner’s motives.
  • Quote:

    “Why would this even come about? ...It’s politics. This is the most basic thing. Why would this even come about?”
    — Michael Wolff, [28:31]

5. Immigration: Visual Horror & Backfiring Policy

• Immigration Images Undermine Trump’s Brand ([33:33]–[35:33])
  • Use of paramilitary-style agents drags women and children away, horrifying even conservative supporters.
  • Quote:

    “You send in these guys in black and face masks... literally every day dragging women and children away. So you’ve taken the issue that has always worked for you, and you’re squandering it. Massively squandering it.”
    — Michael Wolff, [34:13]

6. Declining Power: The Lame Duck Problem

• Losing Political Control ([36:10]–[37:38])
  • Trump’s attempts to re-apportion states fail, risking midterm defeat and descent into lame-duck status.
  • Quote:

    "If he loses the midterms, he's kind of lost... he's got one more year left and he's already putting out lame duck vibes."
    — Joanna Weiss, [37:15]

7. Democrats Finally Get Under Trump’s Skin

• Provocative Military Video ([37:38]–[40:10])
  • Democratic veterans release a video (reminding service members not to follow illegal orders), provoking a furious Trump response.
  • Debate over whether this is a smart tactic—or ultimately hands Trump a rhetorical win.
  • Quote:

    "He's like the mad queen in Alice in Wonderland. Off with their heads. Off with their heads.”
    — Joanna Weiss quoting Dr. John Gartner, [39:44]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Trump's Character:
  • “What is his training? 14 years as a star of a hit reality television show. He is in character.”
    — Michael Wolff, [07:03]
• On Policy Follow-Through:
  • “Now we’re getting to the follow through, and there is no follow through. There can be no follow through because it’s all fucked up.”
    — Michael Wolff, [33:14]
• On Immigration Strategy Backfiring:
  • “They’re deliberately designed to look scary and autocratic. And yet it’s backfired because once they’re all over social media, people are just appalled by it. And it’s not who Americans think of themselves as being, fundamentally.”
    — Joanna Weiss, [35:18]

Other Memorable Segments

Ask Melania (Fan Questions) ([45:27]–[47:36])

• Playful, satirical audience Q&A riffs on Melania, Barron, and strange social media theories.
• Example:

  “My question for Melania is, has Barron ever spent any time in the sun at Mar-a-Lago? He sure maintains a ghostly Manhattan pallor.”
  — Listener, read by Joanna Weiss, [46:30]

Trump and Food: Teaser for Upcoming Thanksgiving Special ([51:26]–[51:57])

• Promise to discuss Trump’s eating habits and what drives his famous greediness around food.

Pop Culture References

• Extended discussion of the Robert Palmer “Addicted to Love” video as an analogy for MAGA politics ([45:27])
• Quick aside on sleazy RFK Jr. rumors and his poetic stylings ([48:47]–[49:28])

Episode Timeline (Timestamps of Important Segments)

| MM:SS | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 01:34 | Bizarre Trump–Mamdani press conference discussion | | 05:13 | “Different guy” quote on Trump’s behavior | | 08:13 | 25th Amendment “shiver” described by White House aide | | 13:46 | Obamacare premiums, Greene resignation, and policy woes | | 20:17 | Trump’s legal hires and prioritizing loyalty over skill | | 26:52 | Ukraine-Russia “peace plan” & foreign policy chaos | | 30:12 | Return of “the gang that couldn’t shoot straight” | | 34:13 | Immigration visuals, policy self-sabotage | | 37:15 | Discussion of looming lame duck presidency | | 39:44 | Trump’s angry response to veterans’ video | | 45:27 | 'Ask Melania' fan questions and pop culture analogies | | 51:26 | Thanksgiving special teaser: “Trump and food” |

Tone & Style

The episode maintains The Daily Beast’s trademark: dry wit, wry skepticism, underlying seriousness about democratic risks, and sharply drawn character sketches. Wolff is sardonic and world-weary; Weiss is incisive, acerbic, and quick to poke at sanctimony or hypocrisy—but both maintain a lively, conversational style that draws listeners through the political chaos.

Summary

Listeners get a front-row seat to the chaos consuming Trump’s second term—an unraveling White House, a president veering off script, flailing policies, surging Republican dysfunction, and hints of genuine alarm inside the West Wing. Through a blend of inside anecdotes, sharp political analysis, and signature irreverence, this episode argues that Trump and his team are now defined not by ruthless cunning, but by confusion and collapse—raising, for the first time, serious conversations about his very fitness for office.