How Trump's Grift Makes Him a Failure: Professor

The Daily Beast Podcast

The Daily Beast

News

4.6 • 8.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Get 15% off OneSkin with code BEAST at https://www.oneskin.co/BEAST #oneskinpod Go to https://zbiotics.com/DAILYBEAST and use code DAILYBEAST at checkout for 15% off your first order of ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink. Timothy Snyder joins Hugh Dougherty to argue that the U.S. is not just in decline but is experiencing what he calls a “superpower suicide,” in which political choices, institutional weakening, and short-term self-interest are actively eroding national power. In a wide-ranging conversation, Snyder, American historian and University of Toronto history professor, links this decline in American global power to a mix of incompetence and grift at the top of the Trump administration, explores why this doesn’t resemble traditional fascism, and lays out how “competitive authoritarianism,” media dynamics, and grassroots organizing will shape whether American democracy can still correct course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:49.8	Get started at vanta.com slash calm. There are fascist elements to this, but they also lack some traits.
0:58.4	Like fascists, for example, one must say that there are many horrible things involved,
1:03.9	like aggression and atrocity.
1:06.3	But the fascists weren't in it for the money, right?
1:09.2	They weren't like this.
1:09.9	And these guys are in it for the money.
1:12.9	And so it's like they have fascist moments, but they're distracted by the desire to, you know, die incredibly rich.
1:20.5	Welcome to The Daily Beast podcast.
1:22.8	I'm Hugh Docte.
1:23.6	I'm executive editor of The Daily Beast.
1:25.8	And I am in for Joanna Coles. And I'm delighted to be because we have an amazing guest today, the historian Timothy Snyder.
1:33.3	But before we get started, please can I urge you to hit subscribe, join our army of subscribers, 654,000 of you in counting.
1:41.3	Thank you to every one of us. Please help us get to 700,000.
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