The Daily Beast Podcast Why Everyone Around Trump is Paranoid Now: Wolff
Oct 3, 2025
Michael Wolff, an insightful author and journalist known for his in-depth exploration of Trump’s presidency, joins Joanna Coles to dissect the pervasive paranoia within Trump’s circle. They discuss how Trump manipulates government shutdowns into battles of dominance, illustrating his chaotic approach. Wolff critiques the Democrats' lack of emotional messaging and examines the absurdity within Trump’s appointees. They also explore the implications of social media on political theatrics and the military's apprehensive response to Trump's erratic leadership.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Understand Trump Psychologically
- Michael Wolff argues Trump must be understood psychologically, not as a normal politician.
- Trump's motives are driven by dominance, performance, and personal validation rather than policy.
Shutdown As A Battle For Dominance
- Wolff says Trump frames the shutdown as a dominance fight, not a policy dispute.
- Trump uses government power to inflict pain on political opponents to prove he can endure more than they can.
Irrationality As Political Edge
- Wolff believes Trump gains advantage by being unpredictable and willing to endure pain.
- That irrationality lets him outlast more conventional opponents in conflicts like shutdowns.
