The Daily Beast Podcast

Why Trump's Ballroom Bunker Proves He's Terrified

July 23, 2026·55 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

See if your SSN is for sale right now. My sponsor Cloaked will tell you for free in 2 seconds here: https://cloaked.com/dailybeast ✅ #ad Ruth Ben-Ghiat, historian and authoritarian expert speaks with Joanna Coles about whether America is already experiencing the early stages of autocracy, why Donald Trump's behavior follows patterns seen in strongmen throughout history, and what happens when leaders surround themselves with loyalists instead of truth-tellers. Drawing on decades of research, Ben-Ghiat explains why weakening leaders can become more dangerous, how propaganda, humiliation, corruption, and loyalty tests reinforce authoritarian power, and why wars and economic turmoil often accelerate a strongman's decline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of The Daily Beast Podcast and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.