The Daily Beast Podcast

“The Apprentice” is one of 2024’s best films, and didn’t get as much credit as it deserved, according to the co-hosts of The New Abnormal. Then, a conversation with Steven Monacelli of the Texas Observer about his investigation into the identities behind four anonymous neo-Nazi accounts on X. Plus! Paola Ramos, the author of “Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means For Americ...

This week on The New Abnormal, historian and author Rick Perlstein shares why he turned down an offer to go on Steve Bannon’s infamous podcast. Plus! Author David Daley joins the program to discuss how right-wing control over the Supreme Court will shape Americans’ lives for the next generation—or more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices....

Stanford professor Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, joins The New Abnormal podcast to discuss hope and the weaponization of hopelessness as President-elect Donald Trump again ascends to the highest office in the land. He explained, “People who lose their sense of value, who lose that compass for what they want as a society, are easier to control.” Ho...

Andrew Lawrence, Deputy Director of Rapid Response at Media Matters, unpacks 2024’s most absurd conservative outrages, from Olympic controversies to Taylor Swift’s political stances and the supposed “wokeness” of “Wicked.” Plus! Professor Ray Brescia, legal columnist for the Daily Beast, explores privacy and surveillance in the digital age, highlighting the need for stronger protections against bi...

It would be hard to argue that anyone had a bigger—or worse—impact on the world this year than President-elect Donald Trump, The New Abnormal co-host Andy Levy argues on this week’s episode. Then, Ed Zitron, journalist and author of the Where’s Your Ed At? newsletter, explains the "rot economy," where growth-at-all-costs drives exploitative business practices in tech and beyond. Plus! Deepa Iyer,...

Maye Musk proves the bad apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with some tone deaf advice on how Americans can afford to have more children to avoid population collapse. Plus! In a special podcast crossover, The Last Laugh podcast host Matt Wilstein reviews a year of high highs and low lows in political comedy and its future under a new Trump administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

Billionaire Elon Musk’s meddling has given America’s elected officials a taste of what is to come from President-elect Donald Trump’s right hand man. “And it’s only the beginning,” said The New Abnormal co-hosts Danielle Moodie. Plus! Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Spencer Ackerman joins the podcast to discuss the next administration’s potential reshaping of Middle East policy, and The New Repu...

Donald Trump is more powerful than ever, warns Mary Trump on the latest episode of The New Abnormal. Then, NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik joins the program to discuss the Voice of America and what Trump’s selection of Kari Lake to head up the organization could mean for the media network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace seems to be on a mission to be the most “disgusting human being” on Capitol Hill with her latest round of transphobic attacks, argue The New Abnormal co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie. Plus! Slate politics writer Alex Sammon discusses his new piece, “Democrats Have a ‘Pod Save America’ Problem,” and the biggest shadow hanging over the party post-election. Hosted...

The president-elect was chosen as Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” Thursday—but the distinction may come with some unintended consequences. Then, Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, joins the program to discuss how the state is preparing to push back against potential mass deportation efforts under a second Trump presidency. Plus! Anna Gifty, a Harvard doctoral candidate and editor...

Donald Trump is already up to his old tricks, according to co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie on the latest episode of The New Abnormal. Then, Melissa Murray, professor of law at NYU Law School, joins the program to break down Donald Trump’s recent statements on ending birthright citizenship. Plus! Adam Serwer, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins us to talk about his new article, “Trump Fans A...

Some Republican leaders are squirming to keep Pete Hegseth’s name in the hat as president-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee—at all costs, said The New Abnormal co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie. Plus! Christopher Robbins, reporter and co-founder of local news outlet Hell Gate, discusses New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ big shift on immigration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

The reaction to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has led to some dark places. Plus! Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel unpacks the far reaching impacts of Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans. Then, Elad Nehorai joins us to talk about their recent piece, “The Deeper Reasons Democrats Lost.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about yo...

It may be last call for one of Donald Trump’s most controversial nominees—and not for the reasons you may think. Then, author Jared Yates Sexton joins the program to emphasize the fact that nobody is coming to save us from the chaos of a second Trump Administration. Plus! A conversation with founder and editor of the popular blog Techdirt, Mike Masnick, about one of Trump’s scariest nominees: Bren...

Two special guests join The New Abnormal co-hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy to discuss a rise in anti-trans rhetoric and Black women historically preserving democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can the left replicate the success of Joe Rogan’s podcast with one of their own? The New Abnormal co-hosts discuss. Plus! Jeb Lund and David J. Roth, the co-hosts of the It's Christmastown podcast, battle it out once again to determine who is the most Thanksgiving American. Then, author and historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat joins the show to discuss the shift in Trump’s regime and the narrative that is bei...

For Thanksgiving, we have a MAGA-free episode full of holiday warmth, true crime, and absurdity. Iconic filmmaker Richard Curtis, the creative force behind Love Actually and Notting Hill, joins us to discuss his new Netflix movie, That Christmas, and Hugh Grant’s hilariously hostile tribute at Curtis’s honorary “Better Than Nothing” Oscar. Daily Beast CEO Ben Sherwood shares stories of growing up...

America needs to go through significant change, but not without a price, according to the latest episode of The New Abnormal. Plus! MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner joins us to talk about Jack Smith’s decision to drop his case against Donald Trump. Then, Dartmouth professor and author Jeff Sharlet joins the show to discuss Christian nationalism and its effect on the country. Hosted on Acast. Se...

Following Election Day’s Republican sweep, The New Abnormal co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie say it’s time for Democrats to ditch their “Republican-lite” strategy and let more rising party leaders like Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett “tell it like it is.” Plus! Renée DiResta, associate research professor at Georgetown University, delves into her new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Li...

In this episode of The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moody express concern over recent political developments, including Republican South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace and her tirade against the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. House. Then they delve into the intersection of sports and politics with journalist Jemele Hill, who discusses the activism of athlet...

Bestselling author and “Morning Joe” anchor Mika Brzezinski shares “as much as [she] can” about her and co-host Joe Scarborough’s recent date with president-elect Donald Trump, and pushes back on the backlash to their get-together. Hear from The Daily Beast’s executive editor Hugh Dougherty, who returns to the pod to share more scheming and subterfuge among the Mar-a-Lago regulars also jockeying f...

A look at Brendan Carr, Trump’s pick for chair of the Federal Communications Commission, and the way he has incorrectly been pitched as a “free speech advocate.” Then, Lucy Dean Stockton, an editor and reporter at The Lever, joins the program to discuss the very specific way Trump could erase many of President Joe Biden’s recent regulatory wins. Plus! a conversation with Jared Holt, a senior resea...

President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth could provoke a purge of career military experts from the Pentagon—which appears to be exactly what he wants, explained The New Abnormal co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie. Plus! Stephanie Mencimer, senior reporter at Mother Jones, delves deeper into the controversies and allegations surrounding Trump’s attorney general nomi...

As President-elect Trump continues to announce surprise pick after surprise pick for his Cabinet, The New Abnormal co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discover what they have in common. Plus! Melissa del Bosque, investigations editor at Lighthouse Reports, talks about the implications of Tom Homan’s appointment as “border czar.” Then we'll talk to journalist Noah Hurowitz about the legislation...

Organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant joins this week’s podcast to help unpack America’s political baggage, sharing leadership advice and coping strategies for the current moment. The Daily Beast’s executive editor Hugh Dougherty offers insight into the “patio power games” playing out at Mar-a-Lago as president-elect Donald Trump assembles his new administration—which may be filled wit...