How Trump Is Making Our Birthday a ‘Big Bummer’

The Daily Beast Podcast

The Daily Beast

News

4.6 • 8.4K Ratings

🗓️ 29 June 2026

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jon Lovett joins Joanna Coles for a blistering conversation on Donald Trump’s political standing, his increasingly erratic public persona, and why Lovett believes the president is doing more to damage Republicans than Democrats ahead of the midterms. Drawing on his experience as an Obama White House speechwriter, Lovett reflects on the opening of the Obama Library, the future of the Democratic Party, the rise of its progressive wing, and the search for the next generation of leadership. He also delivers a blistering critique of Trump’s handling of America’s 250th anniversary, arguing the country has squandered what should have been a rare moment of national unity. If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can start your claim in just a click without having to leave your couch: https://ForThePeople.com/DAILYBEAST #ad Head to https://Superpower.com and use code DAILYBEAST at checkout for $20 off your membership. Unlock your new health intelligence. 100+ biomarkers. Every year. Detect early signs of 1,000+ conditions. #superpowerpod #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:29.6	It's a rare moment where you could have actually had a beautiful, like, American patriotic
0:35.6	celebration. I'll be cringe and say that I'm sad that we don't get to have
0:38.8	that. But instead we have this ridiculous incompetent boob. The Ferris wheel isn't working.
0:45.9	The reflecting pool is green. The ice cream is melting. Nobody's showing up. States feel like
0:52.3	they should cancel and they're right to do so. Nobody wants to be
0:54.7	associated with this guy. And it's just a big bummer. This is a dark moment and it is a shame that we
1:00.6	have fallen so low that this is what it would look like to forever for how we marked an important
1:06.4	milestone in history of the country. That's where I'm at. And I hope they fix the pool.
1:14.2	I'm Joanna Coles. This is the Daily Beast podcast. And today we're going to be talking to
1:19.3	Pod Save Americas, John Lovett, from Love It or Leave It. And there's a lot he wants to leave
1:26.9	behind. We get into Trump's health. We get into
1:29.6	the disaster that is the 250th anniversaries. We get into his reflections on what it was like
1:36.6	being at the Obama library. But really, we get into what are the Republicans doing and what
1:43.0	is Donald Trump doing, riling up his colleagues in Congress?
1:48.7	Why is he doing that?
1:50.1	What possibly is his strategy and how should the Democrats take it on?
1:56.0	What is the future of the Democratic Party while the Republicans are doing what they're doing right now. How bad is it
	...

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