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- [00:01]
Michael Wolff
Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money.
- [00:05]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story.
- [00:11]
Michael Wolff
Get the money side of the story.
- [00:14]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Subscribe now@bloomberg.com
- [00:19]
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Michael Wolff
Hey Meta, tell me what kind of dessert this is.
- [00:28]
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- [00:32]
Michael Wolff
Is it sweet?
- [00:33]
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- [00:37]
Michael Wolff
Mmm, delicious.
- [00:39]
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- [00:49]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
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- [01:06]
Michael Wolff
Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month
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Michael Wolff
and fees, extra fee, full terms@mintmobile.com There
- [01:19]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
are two two main points of the decision. So the judge, Mary Kay Viscosil, accepted the contention of Melania's lawyers that she is a citizen of Florida. She basically had two choices to remand the case to state court or rule on the case. Functionally, she did neither. She may have actually effectively ruled against the Trumps without saying so because effectively kicking the case out of federal court by default puts it back into state court, which is what we wanted in the first place. Make no mistake, we are going forward with this. We will get in front of a non trump judge and then get a much different kind of ruler.
- [02:17]
Michael Wolff
Michael Joanna, we have a result in your legal case.
- [02:26]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
We have what we call or what lawyers call an adverse result.
- [02:31]
Michael Wolff
Hold that thought because we're going to talk about your case. We're going to talk about the wedding that's taking place as we record and wither the father and the father in law. We're going to be talking about Tulsi Gabbard and of course we're going to be talking about the monumental slush fund and the extent of the grift. But before we do, we're going to ask people to subscribe. If they haven't done, please just hit the subscription button wherever you get your podcasts, because we are independent media and there aren't that many of us around these days. And this is how you show your support and we appreciate it. Okay, Michael Wolf, let's go into.
- [03:16]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Although there are a lot of independent YouTube channels around, like billions.
- [03:22]
Michael Wolff
Well, that. All that's true.
- [03:24]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Just to footnote that, and before we. I just want to say that I was at a Hamptons party last night. Very posh Hamptons party. And every. Well, certainly many people were aware of your schedule and travels, expecting you back in New York and tomorrow and back in the, in the studio on Tuesday.
- [03:52]
Michael Wolff
I am so looking forward to coming back. I'm looking forward to having a working WI Fi Steve Schmidt, who we interviewed on Friday, and we'll be running that. That interview tomorrow was extremely patient because the WI Fi actually went down in the middle of it and I had to run across the street to the neighbor's house, which was very nice, and then burst in and continue the podcast from there. So, so I'm very much looking forward to getting back to New York and to seeing you in person.
- [04:24]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
That's the podcast Life in Yorkshire.
- [04:27]
Michael Wolff
It's the podcast Life in Yorkshire, which is sounds very romantic, I think probably more romantic to be in the Hamptons. And I'm glad, I'm glad that we have some viewers and some listeners in the Hamptons. Thank you. I hope you've subscribed. We appreciate your support. But Michael, what I really, really want to get at immediately is your case. What's happening in your case? A judge has made a ruling. Tell us everything.
- [04:53]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
No, it was curious because the ruling came on Friday, late Friday before the Memorial Day weekend. Now, the judge has been sitting on this ruling for three months now. So it came at the exact moment when the fewest number of people would see it. So, and I think that's, I think the judge is in a bind. I mean, we knew from the beginning when we drew a Trump judge in federal court in the Southern District in New York that that was problematic. I think our attitude was, okay, you know, that's the hand we drew. And it is of course, possible that this judge, Mary K. Viscoso, would be a, would be an impartial judge. I mean, we had no alternative but to hope that was the case. At the same time, knowing that, you know, we live in a moment when Trump has utterly corrupted the judicial system. I mean, if you are a Trump appointed judge, which Mary Kay Viscosil was in the first administration, your only chances for advancement, which would occur in the next two years is not to displease Donald Trump. And she was in this incredibly awkward position of having to decide a case directly involving the president's family. So, I mean, that's the reality. If she crosses Trump, she's finished. So what does she do? And I am, I suppose, sympathetic to that, although it's completely, you know, this is the exact way that a judge is not supposed to act, that justice is not supposed to be blind. Justice is very keenly aware of Donald Trump's favor or disfavor.
- [07:07]
Michael Wolff
And also, just to remind people, when you go down to D.C. and you walk past the Justice Department, there is an enormous banner of Trump's head hanging on the outside of it to say, this is Trump's Justice Department, just as an aside.
- [07:26]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Exactly. And so what has happened in this decision is that she has contorted herself to get rid of the case without actually ruling on it. So two things happened, and I guess we should. This is complicated, so we should probably step back and say that this began with a threat from Melania, Melania's Trump's lawyers. Because of what I had said connecting her to Jeffrey Epstein. We then sued her, and she was threatening to sue me for a billion doll. We sued her instead in New York State court under what are called anti slap laws, which is to say that you can't use threats of libel to intimidate people not to say what they have the perfect right to say. Okay. At that point, having filed that suit, Melania's lawyers asked for it to be moved to federal court. That's. That's their. That's their right. And then federal court has to decide, or the judge in federal court has to decide whether it is properly in federal court. And that was the point we were at. The Melania was asking the judge to. To have federal court take. Take over the case and, and to either dismiss it or to remove it to a federal court in Florida, which would be more favorable to them. We, on the other hand, were asking the judge to acknowledge that Melania Trump actually does not live in Florida. She lives in New York, which would mean that the case is not properly in federal court and should be in state court and to remand the case to state court. So, I mean, with the key issue being we want the case to be in state court.
- [09:33]
Michael Wolff
So therefore, Michael, does it actually make any difference? What is the. I mean, in practical terms, what's the difference between having a case in federal or state court?
- [09:46]
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- [10:16]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Well, it is there. There is. There is some, some difference, you know, and specifically related to the fact that we're suing under New York State law. New York State law has a very good law, which is to say, again, that anti slap laws, you cannot use libel laws to, for the purpose of intimidating. Intimidating someone. Someone's intimidating someone. Someone out of expressing their perfect right to say something. Okay, so this is and has always been, from our, our side, a free speech case. It's not about money. We don't get any money out of this. I think maybe we get attorneys fees if we ultimately win. But it is not a case for damages. It is a case just on the principle of the matter. You can't do this. And the Trump administration, of course, has done this again and again and again and again. And always important to give the a basic background here that there has been no White House in modern history that has sued the media. And the Trump White House has done this again and again and again and again. They don't like what you say, you get sued. So, so the decision which came down yesterday, there are two main points of the decision. So the judge, Mary Kay Vicosil, accepted the contention of Melania's lawyers that she is a citizen of Florida. Now, this is interesting because she did this basically on the basis of her lawyers saying she was and basically refusing to consider this rather substantial amount of evidence that we presented that she is a citizen of the state of New York and refused to consider our request for further discovery. In other words, we said, well, if you have doubts about this, let us ask Melania to produce documents that would show that she is either a citizen of the state of Florida or a citizen of the state of New York. But the judge, the judge said, no, she's a citizen of the state of Florida. Therefore, that made this a federal case. One of the ways you get to be a federal case is if the parties are from two different states. We can show that she lives in New York, that she spends the overwhelming amount of her time here, the overwhelming amount of the people that she deals with on a daily basis. And in her business life are here and that she has really never effectively moved out of Trump Tower. But this is an important point because if the judge found that she doesn't live in Florida, then it would not have been a federal case. So that would have been effectively ruling against the Trump family because then it would be immediately remanded back to state court. So she didn't do that. She said, yes, okay, this is a case that can properly proceed in federal court. But at that point, then the judge said while it could proceed in federal court, she was not going to rule on the merits of the case. So in what she said, she literally said she's going to abstain from ruling on this case. So, which is completely strange. So she basically had two choices to remand the case to state court or rule on the case. Functionally, she did neither. So effectively kicking the case out of federal court. So now, weirdly, the case no longer exists in federal court. Where does it exist? So what she may have done, and this is going to be complicated to kind of untie this knot that she's created, but she may have actually done rule effectively ruled against the Trumps without saying so, because effectively kicking the case out of federal court by default puts it back into state court, which is what we wanted in the first place. So, I mean, we never had any illusions that this was going to proceed in a straight line this, this, this case. But, and we now have to figure out exactly, exactly in which way, which way are we going to proceed? Go back to state court, appeal in federal court. But make no, make no mistake, we are going forward with this. And you know, I guess in some sense, you know, and we are back to where we are in this political moment. We will get in front of a non Trump judge and then get a much different kind of ruling.
- [16:02]
Michael Wolff
Okay, so it was a 45 page ruling and I was going to read a little bit of it. She says there are many features of this case that make it complicated. The prominence of the personalities involved, the scandalizing content of the underlying statements, and frankly, an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship. So I'm assuming that that's actually about both of you. So you're both. She's acknowledging you both have prominent personalities. Definitely. And also that both of you are displaying what she refers to as inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship. So that's not just about you, it's about the first lady too. And then she says, but the outcome is simple. The court will not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat and so declines to reach the merits here.
- [17:03]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Exactly. So then the question is, what does that mean? And that will be the next chapter in this. Are we back in state court? Are we appealing in federal court? I mean, I assume we'll probably do both things, but I think fundamentally it's the question now of can we get before a judge who is not a Trump judge, not under the, you know, I mean, you almost cannot. I mean, to be in a situation in which you are asking a judge to rule against Donald Trump is a situation which is just the kind of conflict which the judicial system in the United States of America was meant never to have. And on a larger basis here, we've just seen Donald Trump settle a case with the IRS and the Justice Department, the 1.8 billion dollar slush fund in which he is the plaintiff and effectively the judge also. Likewise, in this, you know, in this slush fund, he, he got, you know, he, he sued the IRS for $10 billion because it released some, someone in the IRS apparently released contract, some a
- [18:35]
Michael Wolff
contractor released part of his tax return. They were, they were found out. They're currently in jail. They got a four year sentence for doing that.
- [18:48]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
So he said, you know, okay, I'm suing the IRS, I want my 10 billion. And I am the person basically who decides what happens to this lawsuit. I am both plaintiff and judge. And what he decided is that he would settle. Let's do some air quotes here. The settlement would be that there would be a fund established, a fund of $1.8 billion, and this would be established to compensate people, essentially the people who had been involved in criminal activities related to Donald Trump, who the court had found or the Justice Department had found had been involved with criminal activities relating to crimes that were alleged against Donald Trump. These people had been damaged and they now can be compensated. In addition, this settlement also provided that Donald Trump and his family had immunity from any consequences related to their tax filings to date. Again, this is just, this is Donald Trump wanting something and having the power to decide something.
- [20:11]
Michael Wolff
It couldn't be a better wedding gift to Don Jr. Who marries his socialite fiance, Bettina Anderson from Palm beach today in the Bahamas, despite the fact that his father says he can't go because he's the president. And of course, he's got a little thing called Iran going on, which strikes
- [20:32]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
me, is the marriage in the Bahamas or is it in Palm Beach?
- [20:38]
Michael Wolff
I think the marriage is in the Bahamas. It's actually in the bahamas and it's 100 miles from Mar A Lago. I am reliably informed by my Palm beach correspondence.
- [20:53]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Yeah. So, yeah. So let's ask the fundamental question, which is why is Donald Trump not at his son's wedding? I mean, there's actually another question you could also ask about this. Why didn't they get married in the White House, which is.
- [21:14]
Michael Wolff
Or at Mar a Lago?
- [21:17]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Well, even more so. It's more. I mean, I understand why you wouldn't get married at Mar a Lago. It's a kind of a really, a tacky place. But you would want to get married at the White House. I mean, the Trumps are not people whose modesty might prevent that, Let us say they want that identification. Especially Don Jr. Who would like his own independent political career. So why would he not have wanted that? For similar reasons, he didn't show up for the wedding in. In the Bahamas. And what would be the reason? The reason would kind of, I think, unavoidably be he really doesn't care about his son. He really doesn't want the attention focused on his son. Remember, Donald Trump is the person who said about his son, his son, Don Jr. I wish I could take my name back.
- [22:26]
Michael Wolff
Oh, God, it's just unfathomable. It's just fascinating. This house ain't big enough for the both of them. It ain't big enough for two Dons. And he doesn't want the attention to go anywhere. And it's not about him. Right. He only wants things if it's about him. Although I would have thought if he'd flown in on Air Force One or Marine Force One, it would still have been about him. But he's obviously going to deny Don Jr. Unless he's planning to make surprise appearance, the pleasure of his company. And he did actually have golf down for the weekend. He was, I think, according to the White House diary, due to be playing golf at Bedminster. But that has now changed. And he claimed, at least as of yesterday, that he would be staying in D.C. because he had a little thing called Iran going on, which must be the first time he's voluntarily mentioned Iran.
- [23:21]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Yeah. And also, it is as it is not as though he is always outside of the White House in Mar? A Lago on frequent, if not most, weekends. So the fact that just at this moment when the son is getting married, I mean, you can only read this. I don't wanna go to his wedding.
- [23:43]
Michael Wolff
Right. I don't want to go to his wedding. And I wonder how Kimberly Guilfoyle, his former fiance, now our ambassador in Greece, is doing what is she doing today? Is she sullenly stamping people's passports with a stamp as they come through Greek customs? Who knows, who knows what the Greek ambassador does? I'm sure she's hustling up business for the, for American tourists.
- [24:12]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
I, I hear, I think, I bet she's completely relieved. I mean, she's, she's come out of this, you know, hole. I mean, she's an ambassador, let's understand. She was a FOX newscaster, one of the only women, maybe the only women to have been me too'd.
- [24:36]
Michael Wolff
Well, and let's not forget that before that she was married to Gavin Newsom. When Gavin Newsom was mayor of San Francisco, they were married. I mean, that's to me, that's. That to me is the incredible leap that you go from Kathy Newsom to Don Jr. That is a leap. That is a leap. Anyway, now she's in Greece. Now she's in Greece having fun, I hope, with lots of young Hercules and lots of young Dimitri's and Zeus's and
- [25:07]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
that may well be just to add the disqualifying, the central disqualifying factor for Gavin Newsom to become the next President of the United States. How can we put that?
- [25:20]
Michael Wolff
I think she was very different then. I had a friend who was at college with her, at Stanford with her or certainly practiced law alongside her and said that they didn't recognize what she'd become. Do you remember when she spoke at, I think it was the convention and she was wearing a red dress and she had a kind of crazy black hair extensions and she shouted the best is yet to come. It was an crazy moment and she
- [25:51]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
was giving a speech. She gave the Screech. What's called this, even the Trump people call it the Screech speech.
- [25:58]
Michael Wolff
The Screech speech.
- [26:01]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
But even so, it doesn't make, this doesn't. I mean, Gavin Newsom married Kimberly Guilfoyle, who then went on to become the, the giver of the Screech speech and the boyfriend and the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr. And a fox. At some point this gotta says, this has to return to Gavin Newsom. How could you? You saw nothing here. You recognize nothing.
- [26:33]
Michael Wolff
Who knows? Anyway, I also wonder if, as we know, Vanessa Trump, Donald Junior's ex wife, is now dating Tiger Woods. And we know that Donald Trump loves famous people. He appreciates famous people. He may be on the side of Vanessa here saying, oh, good for you, you went big, you snagged Tiger Woods.
- [27:05]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Well, maybe they can get married in the White House.
- [27:09]
Michael Wolff
Maybe they can get married in the White House. She is experiencing or suffering breast cancer at the moment. So who knows, who knows what happens?
- [27:20]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
And Tiger woods has his particular problems on an ongoing basis.
- [27:25]
Michael Wolff
But I do like the idea of a wedding in the White House for them. I do think that that would be a good solve for all of this.
- [27:32]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
You know, I would like. But as long as we've brought up Gavin Newsom, I would like to just briefly segue to the Californ governor's race because there is someone in the race who we both know and everything that is happening now in British politics, which is kind of a. Kind of extraordinary on every level. But let me submit that I think the most extraordinary thing that could possibly happen in British politics would be for Steve Hilton, who comes, who is a well known spinmeister in British politics, for the Tory Party, to become the governor of California. Now, you and I both know Steve. I mean, I think. I mean, I've always liked Steve. Steve. Steve moved to California because his wife became a very highly placed PR person in the technology business. And then Steve met Rupert Murdoch at some function and Murdoch gave him a job as a Sunday anchor on Fox News.
- [28:56]
Michael Wolff
And from there on a show called the Revolution with Steve Hilton. Funny, funny title.
- [29:06]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
That show had an audience only of Rupert Murdoch, but that's all you need.
- [29:10]
Michael Wolff
And I think Donald Trump, I think, to be fair, I think Donald Trump watched it too, or at least his people would tweet out positive things about the show.
- [29:19]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
But Steve now is in a position because California is obviously a heavily Democratic state, but it has a ranking system, A ranking system in its elections. So that it is very possible that the Democrats will split their vote and a Republican will be elected. And Steve Hilton is one of two Republicans running.
- [29:54]
Michael Wolff
And I think it's fair to say that Steve Hilton was largely responsible for getting David Cameron elected. He's of that generation. They were all at Oxford together and he worked at Saatchies and really was responsible for the campaign that got David Cameron elected. Was then a very close advisor to David Cameron for, I think, six years before he moved to California with Rachel Wetford, his wife, who, as you say, is a communications director. I think she would rather have it. And policy advisor than PR person, but PR person.
- [30:32]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
I know she would.
- [30:33]
Michael Wolff
Yes, they're a very fun, lively couple. And I mean, Steve is quirky in terms of his politics. I don't think he's a particularly Trumpian politician, actually. No, no.
- [30:46]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
And I have always. I mean, I've known Steve for some time. He's been very helpful to me at various points that to say he has been a good source. But the other thing about Steve is that he is a vocal Brexiteer.
- [31:06]
Michael Wolff
Well, he was instrumental in Brexit. And in fact, he has a great story that he and Rachel were so convinced that they wouldn't win the Brexit vote that they planned to go on holiday. The day of the vote, he had come out to stump for Brexit, which I think was perhaps because he'd spent so much time looking at European bureaucracy up close, or I remember him complaining that Europe was incredibly bureaucratic and it stopped you from getting things done. And that actually, once you got into power, the thing that was surprising was just how the civil service could thwart whatever plans you were trying to get underway and whatever changes you were making for. But they went off in an RV and Steve, for the longest time refused to have a smartphone. He had a sort of razor, which was one of those flip phones, which was incredibly annoying to anyone trying to get hold of him. And they went to some trailer park in Arizona where one of them sort of held up their phone in the corner of the field and the thing nearly exploded with texts and messages from people saying, oh, my God, we've won. And Boris saying, I cannot write this speech without you. I need you. I need you. And so Steve, somewhat like I've been frustrated by the WI fi in Yorkshire, had to try and help Boris write his sort of Brexit acceptance speech, as it were, from the corner of a. Of a foreign field with no WI fi or very, very limited WI fi. Needless to say, he's now got a smartphone.
- [32:54]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Now, just as an indication of how worried the Democrats are about Steve Hilton, is that just yesterday I got a call from someone representing one of the Democrats running for office, and it was a question to me about whether I knew anything about Steve Hilton's connections to who do you think?
- [33:25]
Michael Wolff
Donald Trump?
- [33:25]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein. So I would say that's an indication of the Democrats desperation. We need a smear. What's the best smear we could come up with? I think I said to this person, knowing both people, both Steve Hilton and Jeffrey Epstein, there is a extremely high likelihood that I would know if they knew each other, and I do not know that, so I certainly can't help you there.
- [34:00]
Michael Wolff
Well, and we should also point out that the reason the Democrats are in such a desperate situation is because Eric Swalwell, who was supposed to be the leading candidate, was forced to resign after multiple accusations of sexual assault against, against him.
- [34:18]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Well, the reason the Democrats are in such a desperate situation is that they have terrible candidates, including Eric Sowell and all of the other candidates who are running in California. So I mean, this is, and this goes to a sort of larger issue. I mean, the Democrats are being presented with the kind of political gif that does not come along very often, which is to say a, a Republican president with some of the lowest favorability ratings in modern political history. The, the world is there for the taking, but they have their own problems and not least of all their own lack of, of convincing candidates anywhere.
- [35:13]
Michael Wolff
Well, and Steve's book Caliphalia is worth a read and I know he's been dogged about showing up in every single district, going around sort of slowly and quietly sort of under the radar actually up until now because the assumption was obviously that a Democrat would win.
- [35:33]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Yeah, no, no, I mean that kind of funny thing that is now happening ever so often in politics, which is to say that these people who you would not in any way, in any imagination think were plausible somehow become plausible and then actually sometimes certain. I remember Steve, I remember Steve and I sat in Michael's restaurant in midtown Manhattan and this was five or six years ago and he told me and he outlined to me his plan for becoming governor of California. And I thought, really, Steve, you flipped your lid.
- [36:15]
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Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
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- [36:45]
Michael Wolff
of Armando Iannucci who created Veep, he also did an unbelievably funny show that lampoons British politics in which Steve Hilton is lampooned. It's called the Thick of It. And Steve plays a barefoot, pan piped, a panpipe playing advisor. And it, it's a wonderful, wonderful portrayal of a very eccentric character, which is what Steve is. And there would be a strange logic in him ending up as the governor of California. So we should watch this space carefully. Anyway, Jeff Bezos. Jeff Bezos, talking of characters, said to Andrew Ross Sorkin on Wednesday that he thought Trump had made some great decisions, that he'd matured in his second presidency. What thinkest you of this?
- [37:41]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Well, it's just this is another dimension of the Trump grift, obviously. And I mean, Jeff Bezos has participated in the grift quite directly. She got paid $40 million to do this documentary. Brett Ratner, the director, now the best friend of the President of the United States, where, I mean, and so, and you know, I mean, I think Jeff Bezos is in every way has shown himself, I mean, he may have shown himself to be a great businessman, but he has shown himself to also be the most tone deaf man in America. And he was just the chairman, co chairman with his, with his appalling wife of the Met Ball, causing all kinds of people to boycott the Met Ball and kind of stripping the Met Ball in a moment of its own tone deafness, of any pretense that it was anything else but one of the most craven spectacles in American life. And again, and again he is in that situation and, and I think now he has stepped into it once again, absolutely tone deaf. That he is the symbol, Jeff Bezos is the symbol of an economy run amok. An economy that does everything against the interests of most of the people in the country. An economy whose. Who has remade itself over the last many years, but specifically during the time of Donald Trump to be, to favor the riches of the rich. And now he has stepped forward to be a Trump avatar. I mean, the Trump people should, should, should, if they knew, if they weren't so tone deaf would say to Bezos, oh my God, go, go back under your rock. This is not helpful. This is not helpful to us at all. And, and I think it is, and I think it's one more of those of those glaring examples that people see are now seeing through Donald Trump. Why does, what is, what does Donald Trump stand for? Donald Trump stands for more money for me.
- [40:23]
Michael Wolff
Right? More money for Donald Trump and for Jeff and for Jeff Bezos and for Jeff Bezos. And also hard to argue that Trump has been more disciplined in his second administration. I mean, as you're always pointing out and as we have discussed at length on this particular podcast, it's a government of one. I mean, hard to argue that he's been disciplined other than focused on getting more money for him and his friends, the war in Iran completely opposite to what he promised in his campaign.
- [40:54]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Yeah, well, also, just as that Jeff Bezos said that Trump is more mature and more disciplined when to everyone patently clear, Donald Trump has only been more childish and more out of control.
- [41:09]
Michael Wolff
Right. And of course, you know, there's his ownership of the Washington Post, which started off promisingly in 2014, and since him pulling the endorsement for Kamala Harris before the last election which led to 300,000 people withdrawing their subscriptions.
- [41:35]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Another tone deaf piece. Extraordinary. Does this guy know anything about anything except selling shit
- [41:45]
Michael Wolff
he has created? It's hard to give up Amazon, though I will say it's incredibly good. And it even reaches the corners of Yorkshire where I am. Where no wi Fi can reach. The Amazon truck will arrive. So I will say Amazon has been my connection to. To a lot of things out here. Much as I dislike the way.
- [42:08]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
I mean.
- [42:08]
Michael Wolff
And I think.
- [42:09]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Yeah, I know. I think you can say. And I think what. What's going on here is that, you know, a shopkeeper should stay in the shop, keep your trap shut about everything else. You. Livery.
- [42:24]
Michael Wolff
Okay, so, Michael, what else do we have to discuss? Do we need to go back to this. The slide slush fund? Do we need to go back to the slush fund?
- [42:33]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
And I think we've done this. The slush fund. But I. I think it's hard not to.
- [42:40]
Michael Wolff
Oh, my God.
- [42:40]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Acknowledged. Yeah. I mean, it's there. I mean, it's there and it's not going away. It is intractable. It is. Trump is stuck. It is. Matter of fact, the whole world is stuck in the Strait of Hormuz because of Donald Trump.
- [43:03]
Michael Wolff
You know who's not stuck in the Strait of Hormuz anymore? Tulsi Gabbard. Tulsi Gabbard has resigned. Resigned for what appear to be sad reasons. Her husband has got a rare form of bone cancer.
- [43:17]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
I mean, we know her announcement, you know, family. Family matters. I mean, that's everybody's. Everybody who's fired. Their go to. Their go to leave taking announcement is for family reasons. And. But let's make no mistake.
- [43:37]
Michael Wolff
Well, except for Christy. No, actually, Christy Gnome didn't try and pull that one. Christine. Even Christine Ohm knew no one would be buying that. Anyway, I digressed. Christine Ohm was leaving for Corey Lone.
- [43:53]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Well, she should have. She should have. Actually, that would have been more plausible. She was leaving because she had dire. A dire. I mean, she had a family embarrassment that she had to go deal anyway. But yes. Tulsi out. One more out. So all of the fourth woman.
- [44:14]
Michael Wolff
The fourth woman to leave the cabinet. The only people to leave the cabinet so far, far are women. For women. I think there's only Linda McMahon left now, isn't there? And the Agriculture Brooke Rowlands.
- [44:29]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
I mean, I have been. I called Tulsi Gabbard Gabbard months ago, but I certainly thought. I certainly thought Kash Patel would go first. But you know, Kash Patel is extremely helpful. I mean, he's abjectly loyal. He runs the FBI. Trump needs someone. The last person Trump wants in there is someone running the FBI who is not abjectly loyal. So therefore, Kash Patel, no matter that he is a fool and an embarrassment, gets to keep his job, at least for now.
- [45:10]
Michael Wolff
But does it make any difference that Tulsi's gone? She was, in theory in charge of intelligence, but seemed to have been excluded from important decisions.
- [45:21]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Well, no. I mean, nobody knew what she did anyway. But for that matter, it doesn't. I mean, nobody essentially matters here. Trump is. Trump is the guy in charge. I mean, the only thing that they are helpful in doing is not impeding him.
- [45:41]
Michael Wolff
Right. So I think our friend Hegers got caught up in some trouble this week because he canceled a deployment of American troops to Poland. I think thinking that Trump would be pleased with that because Trump had said that he wanted fewer American troops in Europe, but actually what he meant was in Germany. So Trump apparently reamed Hegseth out for canceling troops going to Poland because, in fact, Trump likes Poland and Poland has been supportive of his position in Iran.
- [46:17]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
I think Trump put it that Hagers had got the country wrong, which is, I think, a frequent malady in this White House. Which country are we talking about? Where is that country?
- [46:30]
Michael Wolff
Yeah, it's. It's just.
- [46:32]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Can you find it on a map?
- [46:35]
Michael Wolff
Oh, well, I hope to find America on a map. Well, at least I hope to find it in an airplane tomorrow. I'm excited to come back and we will be in the studio on Tuesday.
- [46:49]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
Michael, Fantastic. I can't wait.
- [46:53]
Michael Wolff
Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed. And happy Memorial Day. I know you'll be flying your flag, your stars and stripes on your porch.
- [47:01]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
I can I see it now? Out my window.
- [47:05]
Michael Wolff
Good, good, good, good.
- [47:08]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
It's a little wrinkled. It's been in storage for the winter.
- [47:12]
Michael Wolff
We have a limerick from Garfried. When the Don felt the walls closing in, he brought Ratner back home from his sin. With a slush fund to spend and no court to pretend, he made loyalty look like a win.
- [47:30]
Anonymous Legal/Political Analyst
That's Brett Ratner, who we have I think officially and perhaps single handedly elevated to a. To a new character in this drama.
- [47:44]
Michael Wolff
So the good news is we have so many Beast Tier members now, there are too many names to read out. And we really appreciate your support. Thanks to our production team. Ryan Murray, Rachel Passer, Heather Passaro, Neil Rosenhaus.
- [48:00]
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