How Trump's Grift Makes Him a Failure: Professor

Get 15% off OneSkin with code BEAST at Go to and use code DAILYBEAST at checkout for 15% off your first order of ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink. Timothy Snyder joins Hugh Dougherty to argue that the U.S. is not just in decline but is experiencing what he calls a “superpower suicide,” in which political choices, institutional weakening, and short-term self-interest are actively eroding national power. In a wide-ranging conversation, Snyder, American historian and University of Toronto history professor, links this decline in American global power to a mix of incompetence and grift at the top of the Trump administration, explores why this doesn’t resemble traditional fascism, and lays out how “competitive authoritarianism,” media dynamics, and grassroots organizing will shape whether American democracy can still correct course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How Trump's Grift Makes Him a Failure: Professor is an episode from The New Abnormal by The Daily Beast.

This episode is 56:20 long.

This episode was published on Apr 23, 2026.

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