This is Brian Lair's Daily Politics Podcast from WNYC Studios.

It's Friday, December 19th.

I'm Bridget Bergen, senior reporter in the WNYCN, Gothamist Newsroom, filling in for Brian today. We've made it to Friday the week

before Christmas, just, you know, another quiet news cycle out of Washington, D.C., complete with a

remarkable interview with President Trump's chief of staff that continues to shock and awe,

not just for what she said, but also for how President Trump has responded.

A primetime address from the president touting his success on the economy. A strategic maneuver

on health care subsidies in the House that will force a vote early next year but won't stop those

premium spikes on New Year's Day. A new blockade, an increasingly bellicose rhetoric against Venezuela,

an executive order reclassifying marijuana. Oh, and today is also the deadline for the Justice

Department to release files related to the life and death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Joining me now to help us wade through all of this and more is Jonathan Lemire, staff writer at the Atlantic,

co-host of MS Now's Morning Joe and author of the book, The Big Lie, John, welcome back to the show.

Always glad to be here. It's just such a shame that we have nothing to talk about.

I want to start with that

interview, President Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, gave to Vanity Fair. Of course, that was

actually 11 interviews, but this piece has gotten a ton of attention since it was published on Tuesday.

Help us understand why is Susie Wiles such an important person to understand when

you're trying to understand Trump world? So this interview, this story landed like a thunder clap

when it came out earlier this week led to wild speculation. Was Susie Wiles resigning resigning was she you did she think she was off

the record people just sort of couldn't believe that you would consent to these pieces this piece

and then uh be so candid obviously none of that was the case she gave 11 interviews to this author

...