I Know the Secret of Trump’s Creepy New Friendship

The Daily Beast Podcast

The Daily Beast

News

4.6 • 8.4K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2026

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Michael Wolff and Daily Beast executive editor Hugh Dougherty trace what they argue is a dramatic turning point for Donald Trump as collapsing poll numbers, a grinding Iran conflict, and mounting political backlash leave him increasingly isolated and searching for new loyalists in unexpected places. From Wolff’s explosive reporting on Trump’s growing friendship with disgraced Hollywood director Brett Ratner to the bizarre White House ballroom obsession, the episode connects Trump’s personal fixations, grievance politics, and fear of failure into what Wolff calls the clearest view yet inside Trump’s unraveling mindset. They also unpack a jaw-dropping new “weaponization” settlement fund that critics say resembles a presidential slush fund, the return of the Greenland controversy, rising evangelical pressure over abortion, and the lingering shadow of Jeffrey Epstein as Wolff previews shocking new revelations from his Epstein Diaries series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Changes in sexual performance are more common than most people realize, and support doesn't need to feel awkward.
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0:21.8	dot UK slash podcast to learn more. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money,
0:29.5	because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's
0:36.3	trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story.
0:40.5	And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss.
0:44.9	Get the money side of the story.
0:47.0	Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.
0:51.4	Trump is a Hollywood guy.
0:53.6	What does Hollywood stand for?
0:55.5	It stands for fame.
0:57.0	It stands for celebrity.
0:58.4	It stands for, wait for it, girls.
1:02.0	Why was Brett Ratner in China?
1:04.9	Other than to be there as Donald Trump's BFF and security blanket.
1:11.7	When the trip ended, Donald Trump said to Brett Ratner,
1:16.3	I've got to be able to get in touch with you at all times.
1:19.5	The friendship with Brett Ratner exactly goes to the character of it all or the Epstein of it all,
	...

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