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- [00:00]
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- [00:30]
Michael
Did I talk too much? Can I just let it go? Thank you so much.
- [00:39]
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- [01:00]
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- [02:10]
Michael
You can go down the list here of of Donald Trump targeting, specifically targeting his political opponents. Donald Trump exerting ever more control over courts, media, universities, businesses of him explicitly targeting blue state governors and legislatures and finally locking in the mechanisms which which might ensure continued electoral success. I mean this is. These are the moves of an authoritarian. Clearly I think that it becomes a very real possibility that he will undo the impediments to a third term.
- [03:00]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Michael, Joanna, tell us about our trip today where Are we going.
- [03:06]
Michael
You know, we're going inside Trump's head. And we say that as an opener, but I also like to use that as a. As a moment to explain what we're doing here and why we are different from other people and other people. That means other political commentators try gallantly to address this as politics, if not as usual politics as we have basically understand it and as we know it, as a. As a cause and effect equation. The President of the United States does something because he understands that will have an impact on something else, which will result in things that are favorable or unfavorable. That's not what is happening here, and it's not what is happening every day, certainly, of the second Trump administration. What is happening is that a mercurial figure is doing whatever he wants to do without regard to consequences. Therefore, there is no cause and effect. And what happens is just what happens in this man's mind, what he wants, his desires of the moment. And it also often is just of the moment, what happened when he got up this morning. And that is the political climate that we are now in.
- [04:45]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So, please, can we go inside Trump's head today via the White House ballroom? We know there was a big dinner last night with potential donors, and apparently everybody is signing up. Well, not everybody, but a lot of companies are signing up to give him 20 million, 25 million doll, I suppose, to put their company's branding on forks and spoons.
- [05:14]
Michael
Let's be less generous about that. I think that's a. I think what Trump has done with enormous success and shamelessness is to create opportunities in which you can bribe him.
- [05:34]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Data play.
- [05:35]
Michael
And that is really. I mean, this happens, in truth, social. You can buy shares there or advertise there. Why you would want to is beyond me because it's really an audience of. I mean, it's a social network with only one person participating in it. You know, in the crypto businesses, in all of these businesses that, that he has. That he has set up and now with. With. And lawsuits that he brings against you. It is all a way he provides. He. He has provided a series of opportunities, legal opportunities, in which you can give him money.
- [06:25]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So, so the library fund is one of those, which ABC and CBS and various other people have paid into. The ballroom is the new opportunity.
- [06:34]
Michael
These are all entities, individuals or entities who can afford to afford almost any amount of money and who cannot afford to be on the. Or who think they cannot afford to be on the bad side of Donald Trump.
- [06:56]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Well, in fact, I was thinking that he was asking them for too little money. Surely you should be asking for $100 million each. There was a quote, I think it was either in the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times with him saying that people had been asking, can I give you 20 million? Or he'd been saying to people, you know, would it be inappropriate for me to ask for 20 or 25 million people. Million dollars? And people saying, no, no, that would be quite appropriate. But I was surprised he wasn't asking for more. It's supposed to cost $200 million. He claims he's going to come in under budget. No construction ever comes in under budget. We know it'll be twice as long and twice as expensive.
- [07:35]
Michael
Well, it does come into under budget for him because he doesn't pay people. I mean, just.
- [07:42]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
I've forgotten that salient detail. Right. But I'm wondering about what the sponsorship return is going to be. Perhaps there is no sponsorship return other than access to him.
- [07:56]
Michael
Well, that's huge. That's a big return. I mean, to be on the favored side of a mercurial president who could do anything to you with one social media post could cost you hundreds of millions of dollars in your share price. He, he is, and let's remember this, there are, there is virtually no constraints on how he is willing to use his power.
- [08:31]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Right. And I was thinking far too small, because I was thinking, oh, companies are going to want to have their names on the spoons or on the napkin holders. What are, you know, perhaps a coaster.
- [08:40]
Michael
They may, but that's not the purpose here. You know that. That may be the purpose at a sporting event in which you're looking for branding opportunities for precisely that reason. This is something, something entirely different. I mean, actually something we really haven't ever seen before. Or perhaps we've had, we've had glimpses in some, in some, in some events when private, private, private enterprises forced a pony up to do, to do small tasks, inaugurable, that kind of thing. But this is expanded into an unimaginable fold. It's a bribe. It is literally a bribe. How do you, how do you pay? How do you take advantages of these opportunities to pay into Donald Trump's favor?
- [09:39]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And of course, because precisely because he is, as you say, mercurial, there's no guarantee beyond the next week or so that he's going to stay on your side. That's the thing about bullies.
- [09:53]
Michael
No. Well, that's why you have to continue to find new ways to give him money. And that's a setup. I Mean, that's his grift. The mercurial side of this pays off.
- [10:05]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Okay, so what else are you hearing about what's going on inside his head? He's back from his triumph in Israel and Egypt. Big. He did the Charlie Kirk Freedom Medal. And then we've had the ballroom.
- [10:26]
Michael
Well, I mean, what's going on? I mean, the big news inside of the White House is, is what's going on at the Supreme Court. That the Supreme Court appears ready to gut what remains of the Voting Rights act, which will mean a reconfiguration of enough districts, congressional districts, primarily in the south, to, if not guarantee a midterm victory, go a long way to that end. I mean, this is the most, this is an extraordinarily serious development. I mean, I would say that the Democrats, in a way, it has restrained them or given them a kind of false measure of, or given them a measure of hope that they would in all likelihood retake the House of Representatives in 2026. I mean, you know, I mean, the Democrats who find themselves in a helpless position for, for many reasons have basically fallen back on that, relied on that, that the pure, the pure numbers would say that they would win the House in the midterms because the party out of power always does substantially better than the party in power. And we're talking about a very small margin so that they would get the House of Representatives, which would allow them to restrain many of the most extreme aspects of, of the Trump presidency, or at least they so hope and gather.
- [12:22]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
A bit of momentum, too, because it feels like the momentum has dwindled out of the Democratic Party. And a win would be helpful. They need a win.
- [12:31]
Michael
Exactly. That they can begin investigations. I mean, they have subpoena power. They have, it would, it would not necessarily rebalance things, but it would, it would go a ways toward that. But now, and I think one of the reasons inside the White House people have discussed with me why all this, why everything over the past nine months has happened so rapidly is an understanding that it had to happen now because come 2026, God knows.
- [13:13]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So the assumption in the White House is also that the Democrats will get the House back.
- [13:17]
Michael
It has been. Yes, it has literally been. Now the assumption is shifting. It's like shifting like today, today, yesterday, today, tomorrow, we're going to be able to see this, to see this shift in, in real time. And if, if the, if the Supreme Court makes this decision, and, and I don't see anyone saying that they will not, then the Democrats in all likelihood will not hold will not regain the majority in the House of Representatives, which will mean, let's look at this. Which will mean not two years of him having absolutely no pushback on virtually anything, but four years. And not only that, but four years in which he is not looking toward any electoral threat. It's his. So what does that mean?
- [14:24]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So, Michael, hold on a second. So this is about the Supreme Court putting a time limit on something which had been assumed was a central part of the Voting Rights act, which is to make sure that certain racial areas get representation. This is about racial redistricting.
- [14:46]
Michael
Yeah, and let's, let's understand this. I mean, I mean, that's what, that's what I mean. The Trump people and the MAGA people are like, well, race should not, should not factor into anything. And you know, that's a, that's essentially the way to say that white preference should rule. And remember what's happened here, that historically, especially in the south, but not only in the South, Congressional districts were drawn specifically to make sure that there would not be a, be a black majority. And the Voting Rights act corrected that and it provided the wherewithal to actually, you know, to create, to create districts, I mean, the requirement to create districts which would reflect, reflect black voters. So now we go back to the other thing. Essentially that's, the Supreme Court says we don't have to do that, that anymore. So you can do the opposite of that. And the opposite of that will be to create, remember, black voters are Democratic voters. So it is, you can step back here and say this is not about, this is not about black white, this is about Democrats and Republicans. But the south is overwhelmingly Republican. So that they will then create those white districts, white majority districts which will vote Republican. Now you can go and they, in this, and the MAGA people will say, yes, the south is overwhelmingly Republican, so we should have overwhelmingly, which they already do, Republican congressional districts. But that of course, course, effectively disenfranchise, disenfranchises black voters.
- [16:55]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And it's, I mean, it's uncannily the echoes of what you said Roger Ailes used to say repeatedly about Donald Trump, which was that he longed to go back to the 60s before the voting Rights Act.
- [17:09]
Michael
Well, well, well, very, in a, very, in a, in actually in a very pointed way. I mean, what Roger Ailes said to me, and just as a background here, you know, I mean, I may appear to be a liberal and I suppose I am a liberal, but I've had long relationships with a variety of right wing figures, including Roger Ailes, who I was friends with for a long time.
- [17:38]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And we should remind people, people started Fox News.
- [17:41]
Michael
Yes. I mean, Roger Ailes is a pillar of what is happening now in American politics. But Roger said to me once, and we were talking about this, and this was in the throes of the Trump election. So this was in 2016. So he said, he said, the people, you know, they live in, you know, 2016, he said, the people, the people I speak to, the people who Fox News is for, they live, he said in, you know, in, you know, in 1965. And then he added before the Voting Rights Act.
- [18:29]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So that observation of his appears to be possibly coming to pass. And I reading around this, I saw it might impact as many as 12 Democratic congressional seats, which is, you know, would be devastating to the Democrats in the midterms and going forward and set.
- [18:49]
Michael
This in the, in the broader scheme of things, that, the broader scheme of things is not only that, that the Trump administration has systematically done away with DEI preferences, but they have substituted effectively a white preference mandate. And recent, I mean, I think it was just yesterday they announced the dismantling of the substantive dismantling of a particular immigration program in favor of European and South African white immigrants.
- [19:37]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So what is the Democrats response to this? How do they, because this does seem, first of all, it's a Supreme Court decision, which is hard to undo. And secondly, how do people make this, this issue immediate for voters? And thirdly, you said the black vote is Democratic. At the last election, certainly there was a movement among black men for Trump.
- [20:06]
Michael
Yeah. I mean, the Democrats, I mean, that was, I mean, but I mean, let's be clear, even with that movement, the black vote is overwhelmingly Democrat and remains overwhelmingly a Democratic vote. But having said this, I don't, I don't know. I mean, there, you know, I mean, you look at voting is, you look at a map and, and if you suddenly have the map itself turn against you, good luck.
- [20:42]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Right. Very and very hard to know because it's a relatively complicated issue how you get people worked up about it.
- [20:50]
Michael
Well, here I can, let's, let's see if we can get people worked up about it. You know, I have said all along, and I think I just, just said it the other day, that the, that the whole idea of a third term for Donald Trump is specious. You know, we were talking about Bannon.
- [21:10]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
I think you called it a speaker. I think you said there's Bannon Baloney and then there's a special level of Bannon Baloney.
- [21:18]
Michael
No, no, I said there's baloney and then there's Bannon baloney.
- [21:22]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Okay, that's what you said. Correct. But he's certainly been putting it out there that Donald Trump will run in 2028. And we know they've got those hats they throw out.
- [21:32]
Michael
When I said this then I had a little sit down with myself and I was thinking about this and you know, the thing about an authoritarian, and again, you know, I mean, you can go down the list here of Donald Trump targeting, specifically targeting his political opponents. Donald Trump exerting ever more control over courts, media, universities, businesses, of him expanding, explicitly targeting blue state governors and legislatures and finally locking in the mechanisms which might ensure continued electoral success. I mean, these are the moves of an authoritarian, clearly. And the problem with this is that in authoritarian breaks so many rules and makes so many enemies that in order to avoid, in order to avoid retribution, he has to stay in power. That is the nature of the game that is being played. And if he has four years of dominating government, all branches of government, you know, I mean, I'm going to take it back. You know, I think that it becomes a very real possibility that he will undo the impediments to a third term. That actually, if you think about it as he pursues this course, he will have to do that because the consequences of the Democrats taking power would be devastating.
- [23:25]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Well, that's just an extraordinary thought and.
- [23:28]
Michael
Once again, a message.
- [23:33]
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- [23:38]
Michael
I swear, if it to continue this ad, please upgrade to premium plus platinum.
- [23:42]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
What?
- [23:42]
Blue Apron Advertiser
No. Anyway, Blue Apron, this is a pay per listen ad.
- [23:45]
Michael
Please confirm your billing.
- [23:46]
Blue Apron Advertiser
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- [23:53]
Michael
Wait, no subscription?
- [23:54]
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- [24:04]
Michael
Did I talk too much? Can't I just let it go? Thank you so much.
- [24:09]
BetterHelp Advertiser
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- [24:36]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
We love our sponsors, but now we're back discussing, well, kind of everything. There was a photo that I think was in the New York Times yesterday where he was standing with Pam Bondi, Cash Patel and Todd Blanche. And you just thought he's completely not nobbled the doj, which is now run by two of his former personal lawyers. And he's put in Kash Patel, a former T shirt salesman, to run the FBI Keystone Cash, as we call him at the Daily Beast. And he's gone after his, the people that tried to. Well, he's gone after his declared enemies. And now you've got the, now you've got the prospect of John Bolton being added to James Comey, Jack Smith and Letitia James and Lisa Cook, a list we read off at the last podcast.
- [25:27]
Michael
Adam Schiff, who will apparently be the.
- [25:30]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Next Adam Schiff, a sitting senator, of course. Yeah.
- [25:33]
Michael
No, no. We're in entirely new territory here. And I don't know what, I mean, I don't know what to say. I mean, in fact, you know, I think that, you know, whereas I've, you know, being essentially an optimist for thinking of myself like, like that and thinking all things pass. And Donald Trump is unique and 79 years old. And all of the reasons that one might think that this, we are, we are in a temporary, quite a horrifying but a temporary condition. I am newly alarmed in a way I haven't been.
- [26:21]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
What about the king's protests this weekend? Are you feeling optimistic about those as a voice for people?
- [26:29]
Michael
No, I mean, they seem, I mean, I think the issues, I mean, if someone had asked me, I would say that that's, I mean, how do you stage an effective protest here? I've been actually thinking about that. I don't know. I would say 10 million people have to go to Washington. These discreet and somewhat quaint protests in various places, no matter how many people. And there will be a lot of people and they say seem very civic minded and very as things should be. But I'm not sure that there's any effectiveness there. Ten million people, however, in Washington would be a moment in history.
- [27:20]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
It would be a moment in history. And we may be at another moment in history. And also the Supreme Court decision is one of those things that seems to have snuck up on us. And I know this is, and we've discussed this endlessly and so have other people, but this sense of the zone being flooded with news, no one knowing where to look, and then suddenly we go from what could be a historic peace in the Middle east to what could be a historic decision back at home, which allows him to run again in 2028.
- [28:00]
Michael
In our defense, sort of the people in the White House are also caught off guard by this. Oh, My God, you know, they're going.
- [28:08]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
To be stuck there for the next four years.
- [28:11]
Michael
Somebody else said, said to me, you know, and this is not the first time, never underestimate the luck of Donald Trump.
- [28:18]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Never underestimate the luck of Donald Trump. And also then he's had unluck too, as you're always saying. Not only does he have great wins, but he also has great losses. I mean, it is, it's remarkable to think the midterms are only one year and one month away. Not even, I mean, they're a year and three weeks away. We just have to crawl through to then.
- [28:44]
Michael
Yeah. I mean, so another phase in this presidency is going to start. I mean, it'll start, start. You know, it is starting now because the midterms will be, you know, it's, it's last chance saloon.
- [29:01]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Well, we have two governor races going on as well. One in New Jersey and one in Virginia.
- [29:08]
Michael
Yeah. No, and those in, both, in both of these races are concerning because the Democrats are not doing as well as one might have thought they would have done. They are milquetoast Democrats.
- [29:24]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Well, and it's interesting when you say milquetoast Democrat because actually, Mikey Sherrill, who's running for governor of New Jersey, is actually anything but that in normal times. You know, she was a helicopter pilot. She's got four kids. She's deeply impressive.
- [29:38]
Michael
But impressive is different. Is, is, is, is, is different. She's, she is. But she, she, you know, she opens her mouth and it's, you know, and we go to sleep. You know, there is no message. What is the message? The message is I am better than the Trump people. You know, I mean, that's, I mean, I mean, to me, that's a, that's certainly a reasonable message, but the message is I am not louder than the Trump people. I am not clearer than the Trump people. I am not more original than the Trump people. I am not cleverer than the Trump people.
- [30:25]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And I can't keep attention like the Trump people.
- [30:28]
Michael
Yeah. So these are the issues that the Democrats are, are facing in their profound issues. They run against, they are symmetrical candidates. They run against asymmetric candidates.
- [30:44]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So we mentioned Roger Ailes, who was the founder of Fox News, what about the proprietor of Fox News and of course, the Wall Street Journal. That's been very provocative around the Epstein birthday letters. And of course, Donald Trump is suing them. What are you hearing about that campaign?
- [31:05]
Michael
Let me add that I have, I am Donald Trump's chronicler, but I am also Rupert Murdoch's chronicler.
- [31:12]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
You are, you've written two books on.
- [31:14]
Michael
Rupert Murdoch, only two books and four books about Donald Trump. Yes, and, but the again, the context is Rupert Murdoch has been the media baron, the media proprietor who has most assiduously and successfully propounded a set of conservative values that have helped certainly have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump at the same time. And just one of those ironies. Rupert Murdoch has personally detested Donald Trump and Donald Trump has represented a kind of conscious conservatism that Rupert Murdoch is not, has not, is not at all a part of. Rupert Murdoch is an old fashioned business guy, buttoned down conservative. The fact that he has been the proprietor of Fox News has always been difficult for him and has created a rift which will never be healed in his family. Now, however, it appears that Rupert Murdoch, like much of the business community has gone, is going full MAGA. Murdoch, by the way, is 94 years old. So this is a last moment in the sun for him. And I think that he, like many Republicans and conservatives, sees no other. There's no alternative here.
- [32:55]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Well, you said, I mean we know that Murdoch's mother lived beyond 100. So it's possible like the president, he's just got a gene that is resistant to all bugs and he just keeps going on.
- [33:07]
Michael
Well, nobody has that gene. So that's, you know, somehow by the fluke of this, that the other thing. But in all likelihood, Rupert Murdoch dies in a week or so.
- [33:20]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
In a week or so.
- [33:21]
Michael
That's very, I mean just, I'm just giving you the actuarial facts.
- [33:25]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Okay. But he's not. But billionaires don't actually seem to come under the actuarial facts. So.
- [33:31]
Michael
Well, yeah, 95 year old, almost 95 year olds in March, they do come under those actuarial tables as we all.
- [33:41]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Do, just to push back. It's possible that Rupert Murdoch could outlive the next three years of Donald Trump's presidency.
- [33:51]
Michael
You want $100, $200, $300?
- [33:55]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
I'll put $50 on that. Yeah. I used to work for Rupert Murdoch and I will say that he seemed to have otherworldly, another worldly attitude, mind you say, does Donald Trump, I think they're both going to outlive all of us.
- [34:09]
Michael
At any rate, in the time that he has left, there's a couple of interesting things going on. There is he just published a book in the UK of which the Trump White House, a book that made certain assertions about Melania Trump and assertions which have, have been made in various other quarters. But the Trump people got extremely upset about this threat.
- [34:42]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
This is Andrew Loney's book entitled, which is about Prince Andrew and Prince Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey EPSTEIN.
- [34:49]
Michael
Right. And HarperCollins in the UK published this book without incident or too many questions. The Trump people sued and immediately the. The publisher recalled or pulped the book or, you know, essentially bowed down.
- [35:10]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
I think they edited the E version, but they had 60,000 copies of the book already out in stores.
- [35:15]
Michael
I think that those have now been.
- [35:17]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Have those been recalled? Yes.
- [35:19]
Michael
Okay, I'm going to toss to our sponsors.
- [35:25]
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- [36:05]
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- [36:17]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Yes, we do.
- [36:18]
Boost Mobile Officiant
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- [36:20]
Rachel Tippograph or Sarah Hofstadter
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- [36:21]
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- [36:28]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Huh.
- [36:28]
Rachel Tippograph or Sarah Hofstadter
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- [36:38]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And Michael and I are back and we're still inside Trump's head.
- [36:43]
Michael
So the Wall Street Journal has been a kind of skitsy on this thing of, of certain parts of the Journal. The opinion pages being very pro Trump.
- [36:55]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
They haven't been pro tariff, though. They haven't been pro tariff.
- [37:00]
Michael
There's some. Yes. I mean, that would also be a Murdoch, a Murdoch thing. I mean, it would be interesting to see if they actually turn, if Murdoch is turning pro maga. How much the editorial pages clean up those slightly anti Trump positions. So the newsthe news pages have been aggressive on the Epstein issue. So aggressive, in fact, because they've published the birthday letter, I think they actually published it twice. Has led to a $10 billion lawsuit by the Trump White House, not the Trump White House, by Trump personally, against the Wall Street Journal. And in a world of some proportion, Murdoch doesn't settle lawsuits. I mean, Murdoch has been a Libel defendant for 70 years. He just doesn't. He just takes it. They're probably one of the best libel litigation organizations in the world. They're just good at this. They don't do it. And now, however, there's tremors in the company that this is not going to hold that Rupert in his new MAGA hat might be more loyal to Trump than to his newspapers, which would be staggering event. And there's another interesting aspect of this that the Trump administration has worked out. This TikTok ownership, this TikTok sale from the Chinese in which they basically, they basically seem to be controlling the sale and letting. Who. Letting their friends and cronies participate in it. And Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation, I mean, he has essentially two companies. News Corporation, Fox, I believe it's. News Corporation would have a piece of this.
- [39:20]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And that's run by Lachlan, right? Yeah.
- [39:22]
Michael
Well, both companies Laughlin now runs, runs effectively both companies, but Rupert Murdoch still effectively runs them, but with his son as the CEO. At any rate, is it. And this is certainly the worry in Murdoch circles that the cost of Murdoch's participation in, in the TikTok deal is a forthcoming settlement of the Trump lawsuit against the Journal.
- [40:02]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
You had mentioned that one of the reasons that people were surprised to see Rupert Murdoch at the Windsor Castle dinner with when Trump went for his second state visit to the UK and was greeted by King Charles was because he was hoping that he could reach some kind of a settlement. Cash settlement. Settlement for the library.
- [40:24]
Michael
Yeah. I mean, just the fact that Murdoch was there was kind of astounding. I mean, Donald Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion, and yet Rupert Murdoch shows up for dinner with him. That says something. What is the statement there?
- [40:42]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Well, and it's fairly astonishing that he ends up having dinner at Windsor Castle, giving the hassle that his newspapers have given to the royal family.
- [40:50]
Michael
I would assume that that invitation in fact, was issued by the Trump side Fair.
- [40:59]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
But they must, surely they must have had to run it by the king. That sounds so grandiose, doesn't it? They must have had to run it by the king. I'm sure they didn't have to run any of it by the king. They probably ran it by Peter Mandelson before. Before he was fired for his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Peter Mandelson, of course, being the then British ambassador who'd managed to organize this whole event, which was seen as a triumph until he was fired the week before it happened. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. So much still to discuss. But this is the first time you're thinking that Donald Trump might actually run in 2028 and that the, the path is being cleared for him by the Supreme Court.
- [41:45]
Michael
Yeah, Mark that, Michael.
- [41:48]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Bit of a gloomy one for people today. I was trying to cheer people up with the idea that if you're invited to the state dinner, you might get Caterpillar, the, you know, industrial machinery company sponsoring your napkin ring, or you might get Met Glass to drink out of. But it's, it's a bit hollow.
- [42:08]
Momentous Advertiser
Yeah.
- [42:08]
Michael
I don't know. Let's, let's mark this. I mean, I think that this is, I mean, I feel in my own, my own sense of this, it's been, it's been on a, on a, on a slow and now faster and faster downward sense of, of hopelessness, of doom.
- [42:29]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
I mean, we've also talked about how odd it is that you can go out into the street today in New York. The sun is shining, people are walking everywhere, they're clutching their cappuccinos, which I will say several people wrote and complained that we had used that as an example because the price of coffee is going up and that a lot of people actually can't afford to pay $7 anymore for a cappuccino, especially as we're in the middle of a shutdown, which we haven't even discussed. And we should come back on Tuesday and talk about the shutdown, assuming it's still going on. But I went online on Amazon today to order coffee and couldn't believe how expensive it was. So the cost of living is also going up. But whether or not it will go up enough to convince people in the 12 threatened districts in the south to, to throw up a Democratic candidate still remains to be seen. So we'll be back, in fact, on Saturday talking about everything. Well, what else will we be talking about?
- [43:31]
Michael
Who knows? The world could change tomorrow.
- [43:34]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
So you know what I'm going to do to cheer us up, Michael? I'm going to go through some reader comments. Here's a good one from Henry Mendelssohn. 4356. Do you think the new White House ballroom will be torn down by a future Democratic president? So he's looking into the future. He can see a future Democratic president.
- [43:51]
Michael
Yeah. No, I mean, this is the, this is why these things are built. They're Very hard to tear down. They're actually easy to build. Easier than we thought, anyway. And harder to tear down, especially when.
- [44:05]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
You have a builder president. I will say I do think they did need a ballroom, just not this ballroom, because it's weird to go there and then be in a tent.
- [44:14]
Michael
Actually, I want to challenge that. You know, I've always found that when you go to the White House, you're struck by its modesty, and in a way, that's reassuring.
- [44:31]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
I think it's weird to go to the White House and then have to go in a little golf cart down to a tent for a big event. I just think that's strange. And they should have entertaining.
- [44:43]
Michael
You see, to me, it seems. Seems very Hamish.
- [44:47]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Well, I love. Did you say Hamish?
- [44:50]
Michael
Hamish.
- [44:51]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
What's Hamish?
- [44:53]
Michael
I'm not going to tell you. You left to go.
- [44:55]
Momentous Advertiser
Okay.
- [44:55]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
I have no idea what Hamish is. Listen, I'm not saying that I don't love the modesty of the White House. I find everything about it extremely. As we've said before, it never gets old. But I do think they need an entertaining space. I just didn't expect. Expect it to be a Trumpian ballroom. I was talking to someone the other day who'd run into Donald Trump at the White House, and Trump had cornered him and said, how much do you know about chandeliers? Because I know a lot about chandeliers. And this person had said, well, tell me about chandeliers. And Donald Trump had said, what gives the best light? Is it a silver chandelier, a clear chandelier, or a gold chandelier? And this person had obviously said, a gold chandelier. And Trump had said, exactly right. Gold chandelier gives the best light. How come Tylenol asks Charles Zuninga doesn't sue the administration? That is a good question. Why aren't they suing, or at least suing Robert Kennedy Jr.
- [45:52]
Michael
I don't know the answer to that.
- [45:56]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Can we go inside Maga? Mike Johnson's head on one episode. How is he balancing Trump's demand for loyalty with his duties as speaker and his Christian values? And that's from Aradka.
- [46:08]
Michael
Well, that's an easy. Obviously, he only has one master, and.
- [46:17]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
It'S not God.
- [46:19]
Michael
Jesus Christ.
- [46:22]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Yeah. Okay. And let's have a look. And this is from Philip Eaglet on 750. What do we know about Ghislaine and Jeffrey Epstein's involvement with intelligence organizations? Which ones?
- [46:40]
Michael
We don't know anything and nor does anyone else. So anything that you've heard is somebody making up something.
- [46:49]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
Okay, we will be back on Saturday and perhaps we'll take more comments. Good. All right, read us out. Michael.
- [47:00]
Michael
What does that mean?
- [47:01]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
It means you have to tell people to subscribe to the Daily Beast because.
- [47:04]
Michael
We are independent media apparently that you can push. And. And you're going to be our subscriber for life. And.
- [47:11]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And you can be a member of the Daily Beast community.
- [47:14]
Michael
And you can be a member of the Daily Beast community, although I don't exactly know what that means.
- [47:19]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
It means you get access and it means you get extra content. It's kind of irresistible.
- [47:24]
Michael
You can call me anytime.
- [47:25]
Co-host (possibly a journalist or commentator)
And a shout out to our top tier Beebeast members, Karen White, Heidi Riley, Connie Rutherford, Sharon Shipley, Andrea Hodel, and Free dc. And thank you to our production team, Devon Rogerino, Anna Von Erson, and our editor, Jesse Millwood.
- [47:45]
Michael
Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.
- [47:53]
Rachel Tippograph or Sarah Hofstadter
Welcome to Creative Commerce. I'm Rachel Tippograph, the founder and CEO of MIC Mac. And I'm Sarah Hofstadter, chairwoman of Profitero Plus. And this is a show that talks about what's relevant in commerce for the world's biggest brand. Every week we talk with C Suite executives from the brand shaping our world. Unilever, PepsiCo, Colgate. So many more. We get into the strategies behind their most impactful moves, from digital transformations to new product launches.
- [48:20]
Momentous Advertiser
And.
- [48:20]
Rachel Tippograph or Sarah Hofstadter
And of course, we always end with our famous last question. What's the bravest thing you've ever done? Each conversation is real, insightful, and always surprising. So if you want unfiltered lessons on leadership and growth, plus a laugh or two along the way, hit subscribe and join us on Brave Commerce.
- [48:40]
Michael
Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.