How Trump Has Made History in the Worst Way | The Daily Beast Podcast

Joanna Coles welcomes back journalist Anand Giridharadas as they dissect Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric on Iran and what it reveals about power, language, and intent, before diving into what Giridharadas calls the most overlooked thread in the Jeffrey Epstein files: a disturbing email exchange that lays bare how elite institutions like Harvard and MIT enabled a system of influence built on money, access, and intellectual flattery, exposing a hidden network of “kept scholars,” transactional relationships, and quiet moral compromise where Epstein’s behavior was widely understood, carefully rationalized, and ultimately absorbed into the machinery of power. 00:00 - Trump’s Explosive Rhetoric on Iran 04:45 - Decoding Trump’s “Civilization” Threat 10:28 - Is War a Distraction from the Epstein Files? 14:53 - Epstein, MIT, and the Joscha Bach Connection 19:36 - Epstein’s “Kept Scholars” and Elite Influence 25:32 - The Discovery of a Shocking Epstein Email 31:13 - Inside the Most Overlooked Epstein Correspondence 36:10 - Power, Access, and Epstein’s Intellectual Network 41:00 - Epstein’s Inner Circle and the Psychology of Influence 45:01 - Redemption Advice Given to Jeffrey Epstein 49:03 - Crafting Epstein’s Public Rehabilitation Strategy 53:52 - Victim Narratives and the Email’s Disturbing Implications #trump #epsteinfiles #news #podcast 📖 Title: How Trump Has Made History in the Worst Way 👂 Podcast: The Daily Beast Podcast 📺 Episode: 677 🎧 Format: Full Podcast 📅 Date: April 8, 2026 👨‍💼 Guest: Anand Giridharadas 🎙️ Host: Joanna Coles Click here to become an official member of the Daily Beast's YouTube community:    / @thedailybeast   Have a question or comment for us? Send us an email: [email protected] The Daily Beast is committed to accurate, fair, independent, fast, and accountable journalism. We seek the truth and report it honestly, without fear or favor. We ground robust and provocative opinions in fact. Subscribe on YouTube:    / @thedailybeast   Follow us on Instagram:   / thedailybeast   Share this video on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thedailybeas... Share this video on X:   / thedailybeast   Share this video on Facebook:   / thedailybeast