Why Trump's Ballroom Bunker Proves He's Terrified episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 23, 2026 · 55 MIN

Why Trump's Ballroom Bunker Proves He's Terrified

from The Daily Beast Podcast · host The Daily Beast, Joanna Coles

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

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 23, 2026

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Why Trump's Ballroom Bunker Proves He's Terrified

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