Why Hegseth and Tulsi Make Trump More Dangerous

The New Abnormal

The Daily Beast

News & Politics

4.6 • 7.9K Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Former Obama chief of staff and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel joins Joanna Coles to unpack the stunning news that Donald Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities—against the judgment of his own intelligence agencies. Emanuel, whose two sons serve in the U.S. Navy, lays out a sobering, real-world framework for how a president should handle such a volatile decision, and why Trump’s impulsive, “instinct-driven” approach endangers global stability. He warns that Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth represent a dangerous, unserious national security apparatus—and says plainly that the current commander-in-chief lacks the discipline, curiosity, or character for the job. Emanuel, who's also a CNN contributor, opens up about sleepless nights, military service, and his own possible 2028 run for president—and what it would take to make the American Dream affordable again.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You have an impulsive president who, my any, we've been exposed to him now at a major level for 10 years, does not have the attention span or the discipline to ask or inquire on the follow-up questions.
0:14.1	I'm Joanna Coles, chief content officer of The Daily Beast, and this is the Daily Beast podcast.
0:20.4	Please feel free to subscribe or leave comments after today's interview with none other than
0:26.5	Ram Emmanuel.
0:27.7	You may remember him as the chief of staff to Barack Obama.
0:31.5	He went on to be mayor of Chicago, and he's just come back from being ambassador of Japan.
0:36.8	He's got opinions on everything,
0:38.9	not least his own decision-making around whether or not he decides to run for president for the Democratic Party.
0:46.5	So let's not waste any time.
0:48.4	He's been in the situation room when big international situations have been going on.
0:53.0	We've had one this weekend.
0:55.0	Let's find out what he thinks. What was your reaction to the news that Donald Trump had bombed Iran's, in theory,
1:04.0	nuclear facilities? Well, I've been less than honest if I didn't say I have a set of mixed
1:09.9	emotions.
1:15.4	It's not singular in the sense good or bad or thumbs up, thumbs down.
1:23.9	Because, one, remember, Iran, you know, contrary to what they said,
1:26.8	was on the course of trying to get a nuclear weapon. Two, they have both directly,
1:29.9	indirectly killed or tried to kill Americans. They have been a sponsor, not just a terrorist
1:35.8	organization, done a lot of killings in Europe. As recently is off the Yemen coast,
1:41.5	they had a ship that was directing putti fire on American servicemen and women, and I am a father
1:47.6	of two in the United States Navy.
1:49.4	I was going to ask you about that.
	...

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