The Bill Press Pod

Blue Wave or Blue Tsunami. Polls Accurate?GOP Ad Blitz Working? Senate Dems Cash Crunch.“You can’t eat Road Salt.” Does Seniority Matter?GOP Conceding NC and GA, Distancing From Trump.Dems on Trams Rights and Focus on Cost, Care, Corruption.Kimberly Guilfoyle Scandal. JD Defines Socialism. With Ginger Gibson, former Senior Washington Editor for NBC News Arthur Delaney, Senior Reporter for HuffPost, Samuel Benson, Politics Reporter for Politic and Zach Cohen, Senior Reporter at Bloomberg Government See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kai Bird joins the Bill Press Pod to discuss his biography of Roy Cohn, written with Susan Goldmark, and why Cohn still matters decades after his death. The conversation traces the direct line from McCarthy-era smear tactics to Donald Trump’s politics, showing how Cohn’s playbook shaped Trump’s approach to loyalty, retaliation, media attacks, and personal branding. Bird explains how a once-dismissed Washington fixer became a central figure in understanding the Trump era, and why Cohn’s influence still haunts American political life.Bird argues that Donald Trump learned his core political instincts from Cohn, including insulting opponents, suing critics, and never admitting defeatThe book’s central thesis: Roy Cohn is the direct line connecting Joe McCarthy to Donald TrumpBird describes Cohn as ruthlessly intelligent, socially charming, and capable of winning over New York’s elite despite his reputationThe origin story of Trump and Cohn’s relationship: their 1973 meeting at Le Club in ManhattanCohn advised Trump to fight a housing discrimination case aggressively, launching a long relationship that helped Trump with zoning, tax abatements, and access to Manhattan power circlesBird and Bill Press compare McCarthy’s rise with Trump’s, including how political allies often avoided confronting them directlyThe episode highlights several Cohn tactics that Trump later made famous: name-calling, delaying legal cases, counterattacking, and manufacturing “victory”Bird details Cohn’s corruption, including unpaid bills, tax problems, bribery accusations, and the ethically troubling attempt to secure influence through legal workThe closing takeaway: Trump’s admiration for Cohn is not just strategic, but personal and enduringYou can order your own copy of American Scoundrel, Roy Cohn’s Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump at Bookshop.org. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GOP Delusional About Midterms. Ohio Race Gets Spicy. Alaska Could Flip. Collins Holding on in Maine. Paxton Struggles.Jobs Report Not Good for Trump. GOP Messaging Working?Embarrassing (Sen.) Schmitt-show in Jack Smith Hearing. Reflecting Pool/Kennedy Center/Trump’s Arch.The Cornell Rape Case Touches a National Nerve. With Ginger Gibson, former Washington Editor for NBC News, sitting in for Bill, Jennifer Bendery, Senior politics reporter for HuffPost, Amanda Becker, National Reporter for 19th News and Emily Goodin, White House Correspondent for the New York Post. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bill speaks with clinical psychologist Dr. Vincent Greenwood about his book, Puppet on a String, and Greenwood’s argument that Donald Trump fits the criteria for clinical psychopathy. Greenwood explains his assessment process, why he says an in-person interview is not required, and why he believes the condition has serious implications for Trump’s conduct in office.They discuss the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, the traits Greenwood says are most relevant to Trump, and why he views the book as a warning to the public and to constitutional decision makers.Greenwood says an in-person exam isn’t required: He describes evaluating behavior through records, interviews, biographies, and other public evidence.The book’s central metaphor: The “puppeteer” is clinical psychopathy, the “puppet” is Trump, and the “prey” is the public affected by harmful behavior.Psychopathy is a pattern of traits: Greenwood presents it as a combination of behavioral tendencies, emotional deficits, and harm to others.The conversation covers traits including glibness, grandiosity, pathological lying, lack of remorse, callousness, impulsivity, and irresponsibility.Greenwood’s reported score: He says Trump scored 32 on the checklist, above the commonly cited cutoff of 30 to diagnose a psychopath. Three traits Greenwood says matter in office: Impulsivity, remorselessness, and an insatiable drive to dominate. Greenwood argues these traits can shape decision-making, responses to tragedy, demands for loyalty, and political polarization.The book is a warning: Greenwood describes it as an effort to inform Congress, the cabinet, and the public.You can get your own copy of this important book at Bookshop.org. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump’s Press Ban Backfire. National Security Claim Fails.Zi Visit: All Pump and No Substance. Government Paid Propaganda.Midterms Looming: GOP Panicking. Senate Could Flip.Does Trump Care About the Party? Favorite Stories!With Sabrina Siddiqui, National Politics Reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-chief of the National Journal and Shirish Date, Senior White House Correspondent for HuffPost. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by the Ironworkers Union. More information at Ironworkers.org. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.