Why Trump Is Dooming Himself with MAGA Candidates

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Michael Wolff (1:26)

We're in a situation where the specter of Donald Trump is on the ballot and that's a negative rather than Donald Trump in person being on the ballot, which turns out inexplicably to be a positive. The buffoons who are running in his name don't have the luxury of being the ultimate buffoon, as it were. The major thing that they have against them is Donald Trump, Donald Trump himself, but also Donald Trump and his particular strategies in this election. He has now a significant history of supporting unelectable candidates.

Joanna Coles (2:13)

Michael.

Michael Wolff (2:14)

Joanna.

Joanna Coles (2:15)

The midterms, the midterms.

Michael Wolff (2:19)

Now is when this all begins to come together.

Joanna Coles (2:23)

James Tallarico has been paying attention. He's in my feed every day. John Ossoff in my feed every day.

Michael Wolff (2:30)

Well, they are people who do have a particular interest in this.

Joanna Coles (2:33)

Hustlin, hustlin.

Michael Wolff (2:35)

They're futures.

Joanna Coles (2:36)

Every day I'm hustlin.

Michael Wolff (2:38)

They, to be or not to be, for them, it's existential. But for America and Americans, only now is there any real possibility of getting people's attention.

Joanna Coles (2:54)

Now we've got your attention. I'm just reminding you to please subscribe to The Daily Beast. Smash the subscription button, sign up to be a friend of the beast or a friend of Michael or a frenemy of Michael, because he has some of those too.

We are independent media.

Michael Wolff (3:11)

I actually have just downright enemies.

Joanna Coles (3:15)

He definitely has enemies, some of whom, Stephen Chung. Stephen Chung says you're a blithering idiot and a piece of shit, lying bag of shit, pea-sized brain, all of these things.

Michael Wolff (3:30)

But I would just like to say that Stephen Chung is actually a nice guy, and I have always had a very pleasant relationship with him. So this is performative.

Joanna Coles (3:42)

Performative frenemy.

Michael Wolff (3:44)

Whereas I have real enemies, not just performative enemies.

Joanna Coles (3:48)

Well, and you have feuds. We've had feuds. I mean, we've known each other, what, 27 years at this point. We have had feuds where we didn't speak for two years. Over what? I cannot remember.

But that's also part for the course when you're with Michael Wolff, who is the author of four books on Trump. If you are joining this podcast for the first time, where we go inside Donald Trump's head thrice a week to find out what he's thinking or is he thinking? Is he thinking?

Michael Wolff (4:17)

Among many other books, just to add.

Joanna Coles (4:19)

Oh, I know. You've written many, many books. You're an author, but you've written four on Donald Trump, which turn out to have sold better than all the others put together. That's not true, actually.

Michael Wolff (4:31)

Not necessarily.

Joanna Coles (4:32)

I think it's true.

Michael Wolff (4:33)

Well, one of them was sold more than anyone has ever sold, except for Michelle Obama.

Joanna Coles (4:42)

Okay. What about Spare, Prince Harry's? But you're talking about Fire and Fury.

Michael Wolff (4:46)

No, mine sold more than that.

Joanna Coles (4:48)

Did it sell more than Spare?