The Daily Beast Podcast - Trump Raging at Epstein Ruining U.K. Visit: Wolff

Episode Date: September 18, 2025

Trump chronicler Michael Wolff and the Beast’s Joanna Coles unpack the president’s awkward state visit to Britain. From King Charles’ white-tie dinner with Trump and Rupert Murdoch, to the firing of U.K. ambassador Peter Mandelson over his own Epstein entanglements, to Labour leader Keir Starmer’s desperate attempt to turn the trip into a political win, the pageantry collides with scandal at every turn. With Epstein, Epstein, Epstein still haunting Trump’s every move, can royal pomp and photo ops really save him or just magnify the shadows trailing behind? And why was Wolff’s own face suddenly projected 200 feet high onto Windsor Castle? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump, who has had enormous difficulties, principally escaping the Jeffrey Epstein story, was looking for this trip and his appearances with the royal family and this white tie dinner that the king is throwing for him to overshadow his problems. The difficulty he has run into is that last week, the prime minister fired the ambassador to the UK ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson. And he fired Peter Mandelson because it has been, it has come out that that Mandelson had a very, very, very close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. It began in the birthday book and then there was a leak of emails which Bloomberg,

Bloomberg God. Trump went around saying to AIDS, you know, why couldn't they wait until after the trip? This is just going to remind people of Epstein. And then Epstein, Epstein, Epstein. Michael Wolfe, you are in London where everything is going on. But I wanted to kick off with some good news. I hope it's good news for our audience. Your support has meant the world to us. your comments have meant the world to us. And we are pleased to report that what started as a trial podcast with Michael and I talking inside Donald Trump's head over the summer has. And talking over each other often. Definitely interrupting each other has somewhat taken off. And we are now, we are now official inside Trump's head is now official. We're going to be coming to you on Tuesdays and Thursdays on YouTube.

and Michael, this is rather exciting news. Well, here we are with each other for the duration of. For eternity, for eternity. We've even been sent by YouTube a clapboard, which I'm going to do this with, which I think you only get if you reach a certain level of an audience enthusiasm, which I'm very excited by. But what better day to announce this news

than on the day when you are literally projected the face of Michael Wolf is projected, I think it's 200 feet tall. Is that possible? On one of the turrets of Windsor Castle in the remarkable gorilla movie of Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump on the side of Windsor Castle for Donald Trump's visit.

I would have said that Donald Trump can't escape Jeffrey Epstein, but possibly he can't escape me either. Well, this is, And I gather you've been hearing from everybody. I mean, what, let's just decode what is, I think, I mean, it's out banksy, it's an incredible piece of guerrilla marketing. What a genius thing to do. Yeah, do we know how they get it, how they got it up there?

Well, I think it was just projected, right? It was just a projection so you can do it from many yards or feet away. I remember we actually projected fashion images on the side of the empire. our state building, first time it had ever been done. I assume they don't have permission to do that. Or maybe they do have permission. Maybe Charles said, yeah, let go for it. I don't think Charles would have said it, but William might.

Yes. I think we definitely know that Prince Andrew wouldn't have done. And what we definitely know, if they had done it in Washington, people would have rushed in to take it down and to stop it. And this seems to merrily go on. Well, no, I think I think the four people that did it have been arrested and charged, actually. But what you can't do is stop the images online. So for however long it was up there, I think it was an hour, the images have gone everywhere and are indelible.

As apparently am I. As you are indeed. And I wanted to give a shout out to Tom Sykes, actually, who was all over this. story very early. And our team in London with led by Niccoe Hines and Dan Ladden Hall, who've been doing an incredible job monitoring every single move that Trump has made. But please, Michael, from the moment Air Force One Touchdown, talk us through this historic visit. The visit is meant to echo a visit. God, how long ago was that now? Almost eight years ago when he came, when Trump came and met with the clean.

One of the things that he often said was a high point of his presidency. And Trump has this thing about the royal family, which is kind of hard to decipher. It's kind of a postcard fantasy about the royal family. Or perhaps it's a larger fantasy in which he becomes a character. So King Charles, and he made a mistake yesterday and referred. to him as Prince Charles, perhaps because King is the fantasy he reserves for himself. But it's very on both sides. So the Brits are looking forward to this or the labor government and the Prime Minister, Kier Starrmer, is looking forward to this because he's had a terrible,

terrible week, actually several weeks, several months, you could say. And so he's, he's looking, looking to this visit for good news, hoping for a trade agreement that, that, that, that, that will be able to, um, to overshadow all kinds of difficulties that he's had. Likewise, Trump, who has had enormous difficulties, principally escaping the Jeffrey Epstein story, was looking for this trip and his, um, appearances, with the royal family and this white tie dinner that the king is throwing for him to overshadow his problems. Now, the difficulty he has run into is that last week the Prime Minister fired the ambassador to the UK ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson. and he fired Peter Mandelson because it has been, it has come out that that Mandelson had a very, very, very close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. I should point out, not as close as Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, but nevertheless, a close relationship with an email trail documenting this, their friendship. And it came to light in the birthday book, right?

It began in the birthday book, and then there was a leak of emails which Bloomberg got, and no one seems to know quite how they got this leak of emails. But there was Mandelson talking to Epstein and basically saying, you know, I support you and you're going to get through this. And notably, if this had... happened in the UK, no one would have ever, ever thought anything of it, you would have just gotten, it wouldn't have been an issue in the UK. So Peter Mandelson got hoisted on that and he was fired, plunging Donald Trump into something of a rage with Kirstarm or the UK Prime Minister because

Trump went around saying to AIDS, you know, why couldn't they wait until after the trip? This is just going to remind people of Epstein. And then Epstein, Epstein, Epstein. He repeats. Well, Trump is famous for this for his repetitions. But whenever Epstein comes up, he seems to repeat it three times. So if it's some kind of view. Yes.

It says mantra, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein. And it's haunting him. And so here he is in the UK. Mandelson has just been fired, and it's the big story in the UK. And of course, there's a further backdrop to this, which is Prince Andrew was brought down by Jeffrey Epstein. Galane Maxwell, who's a Brit, is imprisoned because of, because of Jeffrey Epstein. and here Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein's again, and I think we have to continue to repeat this, Jeffrey Epstein's closest friend in life, Donald Trump is. So I just want to get this straight.

And I want to remind people that when Peter Mandelson turned up in D.C. as the British ambassador, he had actually been critical of Donald Trump, something which Chris Lusavita, Donald Trump's, co-campaign manager pointed out. And in fact, he exed out, tweeted out, saying Peter Mandelson is an absolute moron. And it looked as if this relationship might not go very smoothly. But in fact, Mandelson, because he is known as the minister of the dark arts, managed to smooth it over very quickly. There was a video of him with Trump. He was standing behind Trump. He then said very flattering things about Donald Trump. And this visit was supposed to be something that he would be in charge of all the logistics. It was a huge triumph for Britain. And now you're saying that Donald Trump is furious with Kierstama for not delaying his. Yeah. And it's been,

Peter Mandelson has been quite successful as the, as the UK ambassador, that to the extent that it is possible when let's acknowledge, this is a bad situation for every country, but the UK, you can argue, has probably made the best of this. And the strategy here to abjectly flatter Donald Trump, you'll remember the prime minister came, met with Trump, brandished a letter from the king. And... Which I think he wasn't expecting Donald Trump to read,

but in fact he unfurled it almost like a sort of speaker of old and read it with just enormous gleeves. and joy. No, and a brilliant move architected by Peter Mandelson. So it's a kind of, I mean, it's an irony that the guy did a great job, but, you know, except for this one small issue, Jeffrey Epstein. Well, an amazing way it came to light. The birthday book comes out. Everybody is focused on the Donald Trump letter. Is it there? Is it not there? Did he do a drawing? Is there a poem? what's the wonderful secret. And then as people spend time with the book,

they discover, I think, four pages from Peter Mandelson, including a picture of what looks like a prepubescent girl with a face redacted. And then literally an unambiguous line from Peter Mandelson, you know, from your best pal, Peter. Yeah, no. And that is, and I know this, and I know from conversations with Epstein,

that they were genuinely good friends for a long period of time. This was, and essentially what Mandelson is getting hoisted on is being one of the few people who didn't flee from Epstein after his legal problems began. I mean, he stayed in there. Well, is cost Peter Mandelson his job? And so... But let me, let me, it's a thing that I was at a,

at a dinner last night and people were furious at the dinner, and this is dinner in London, that the story, the Peter Mandelson story, has not gotten more attention in the U.S., which they regard someone as a slight to... A slight to Britain that nobody cares. In the world, and it hasn't gotten much attention. And this is over here, I would say that it's one of the preoccupied. patients. Is the UK still important to the U.S.? Is it genuinely important to Donald Trump? Does Donald Trump really care about the U.K.? And does he want, is he going to give the U.K. something, a meaningful

trade agreement, or is this really just to have just a long several days of a photo op? Let me ask you something. Do we think that Donald Trump knows about the move? that was projected against Winter Castle? We don't know. I mean, I'm trying to let me just go through this in my head because obviously the aides around him would now know about this. Well, I'm sure it's been either every news broadcast. Exactly.

But it's probably not leading every news broadcast in the U.S. I don't know. is it you would know that. Well, when I was, I have four different news stations on my television. And at one point, I think three out of the four showing it at the same time. It's surreal. You have four different. You're like Donald Trump.

Well, it is known as multi-view. It's very straightforward. It's an advantage of YouTube TV. But it's multi-view. So I can watch four different things at the same time. Is it on the same? screen. On the same TV. Well, yeah, Donald Trump has four different screens. So he's...

Yeah, I'm sure. Well, I'm sure he's not caught up to that technology. He's probably got, he's probably got four on each of his four screens, giving him 16 news channels. I only have four. But it's certainly been part of the dialogue here, though, of course, we've had bigger stories going on with the death of Charlie Kirk. So Peter Mandelson hasn't got much attention here at all. And he will, and he is, I mean, I think that this is all. part of his general, the background to his unhappiness. He should be happy. He is not happy. Now, that's that's a, that's par for the course with, with Donald Trump. He is always at some level of disgruntlement. So, and coming here, trying to get away from Epstein, and here Epstein,

Epstein, Epstein is yet following him. Well, and of course, there's the Prince Andrew of it all. And there was a massive, enormous sort of tarpaulin with a picture of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein with their arms around each other, which had been rolled out in the public lawn outside of Windsor Castle, which has also got a ton of attention. And obviously photographed by drones, which also went everywhere. But there's another aspect of this that we should also point out, which is that there was a very substantial. I mean, a really substantial right-wing demonstration in the streets of London. I mean, led by a figure, in fact, a kind of Charlie Kirk-like figure of in the UK guy by Tommy Robinson, which is a very, you know, has become the young right-wing exponent. and the, I mean, the demonstration was, was huge in the, in the London streets.

And Trump, were he of the mind to regard this? I think he could look at this, that this, that his movement, the MAGA movement, led by him is having a significant impact over here. Well, maybe he'll move on from Greenland and he'll turn his eyes to Europe and taking over Britain. I mean, I think that would play into Putin's playbook, right? It would actually suit me because it would be nice to be able to have a seamless board. Well, you may end up having to stay over there. So let's just, I mean, I was very struck when he came down the steps of Air Force One,

at how tightly he seemed to be holding Malania's hand. We haven't seen them together, as you're frequently pointing out for some time, although she suddenly cropped up at the AI event that they had at the White House with all the tech leaders, where she was talking about the dangers of AI. And then we saw her at the 9-11 Memorial at the Pentagon. But we haven't seen them holding hands for a bit. In fact, normally she flicks her hands, his hand. That's why he holds it tightly.

If he doesn't hold it tightly, she'll pull it away. She'll pull it away. And he looked as if he was half holding on for support, getting down the stairs, which must be very stressful when you've got all those cameras on you. You know, these stairs are very steep. Yeah, I always feel sorry for the presidents running up and trying to come down them.

I mean, I don't know why they haven't called that. They could have got a kind of a circular staircase case. Well, they did solve it for Joe Biden, right? Which is they put it in the middle of the aircraft and they gave him shallower stairs. But you think these things are slippy. I'm sure I would fall both up and down them. So I have some sympathy. But it's very windy in London. So he could be, well, it would have to be a big win to. Big win to me. sweep him away. We're just going to take some ads. And we're back with what else Donald Trump's trip to the UK. All right. So he's held on to Melania. He's got to the bottom of the step, met by the protocol officer and he's helicoptered off to Winfield House, where he's with the ambassador. What's happened since then? Tonight there is this white tie dinner. I mean, I've actually never heard of a white tie dinner, but apparently that's out. They're even smarter than black tie. It's a royal thing. And it's the kind of the kind of height of the point of the point.

pomp of this. And a very significant formal event, it is, it's what a state visitor gets. And one of the sidelines, the interesting things about that is that apparently this will be attended by Rupert Murdoch. Now, this is kind of weird because Donald Trump is in the process of suing the Wall Street Journal, which Rupert Murdoch owns for $10 billion. And this is over the revelation of the Epstein letter in the birthday book. Right. So there's two interesting things about that. There was the Wall Street Journal's, the Wall Street Journal first published this letter. Donald Trump said it was a hoax. But subsequent to that, the entire birthday book, all of the letters that were written to Jeffrey Epstein on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 2003, all of this organized collated by Galane Maxwell, this entire book was released. and sure is shooting, there was the letter from Donald Trump,

the theoretically hoax letter from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein. Now, everybody else in this of the many, many, many, many people who wrote Jeffrey Epstein letters, family, friends. Leon Black, Alan Dershowitz, they're all there. Random celebrities. nobody else has denied the authenticity of these letters. The only one who has denied the authenticity is Donald Trump. And indeed, Peter Mandelson has been fired because of the authenticity of his letter.

Right. And he didn't say, that's not me. So we can assume that actually it's a genuine letter from Donald Trump. But he certainly has not said, okay, you go. me and withdrawn his suit. Rather, he is, he has not only aggressively pursuing his lawsuit, but then he sued the New York, he announced he was going to sue the New York Times for also citing this letter. Now, possibly because someone near Trump said, this is, you know, you're, I mean, you're kind of, you're on, you're on sort of sinking sands here. and he did not sue them because of this letter.

And said he turned around yesterday and sued them for some other articles that he didn't like for 15 billion, I believe. 15 billion. And for years, he argues, for years of articles that were just written against him. Right. So in other words, bias against him. This is against the backdrop of, of, of, After Charlie Kirk's death, saying that he is going after free speech,

he doesn't call it free, he is going after a leftist speech. That is, that's what he wants to curtail. That's what he wants to regulate. Now, hold on, hold on. Can we just go back to the specter of this incredibly formal dinner where he will be dressed up in white tie. I'm sure we'll get details of whatever the first lady is wearing.

But he will be sitting near Rupert Murdoch. He will be eating at the same table at Rupert. Well, yes. So I understand that he asked for Rupert Murdoch to be invited. And within and what Trump intimates have told me is because he believes that he can, quote, pressure the old man into a settlement. Rupert Murdoch was 94 years old. So if he can pressure him into a settlement and then a person near Trump said to me that it would be, it could be an easy 10 million. So there is this kind of thing that he's now attacking free speech.

You know, as a, you know, I certainly in this instance, as a way to collect some money for himself. That's a sort of shakedown. Which he, yes, which he did for in his suit against ABC. They settled for $15 million, a suit against CBS. They settled for $16 million, all which goes not to the United States Treasury, but to Donald Trump. And the lever here that he has against the, none of these suits would prevail in any court. They're specious, ridiculous. You can't even begin to. to take them seriously at any legal level. But, you know, he controls the United States government. So the United States government, so it's not just a lawsuit. It's just not not just what happens in court. It's what these companies face in terms of interference by the United States government.

So it's enormous leverage that he has over anyone that he sues on the end. and again, who he is suing on a personal basis. Again, and just let me add this again because it really is, it should not be overlooked. Never before in the modern age has a president of the United States sued a media company. Actually, and it may be that never before in the modern age has a president sued anyone on a personal basis. Well, and it's also worth reminding people that the head of the DOJ, Pam Bondi, was his personal lawyer. And Todd Blanche, the number two at the DOJ, was his personal lawyer. And of course, the minute the Wall Street Journal released, or the minute the Wall Street Journal ran the piece about Trump's birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein, which you have always maintained was

released by the Maxwell family as a shot across the bow to say, hey, Gellin is sitting in a unpleasant jail in Florida. Todd Blanche is on a plane five days after the release of the letter to interview her. And he takes two days interviewing her. And lo and behold, the following week, she's literally moved to a low security jail in Texas where she has a sister living, not in the jail in Texas. And just to add, because I think we should keep track of this, all of these these legal Trump legal issues, personal legal issues are coordinated

by a man by the name of Boris Epstein who has been his consigliere throughout the campaign in times actually before the campaign the campaign began

who still has essentially that that client of one relationship with Trump and he did not chose specifically not to come into the White House, but nevertheless coordinates all of Trump's personal legal strategies outside of the White House. Well, it's going to be an absolutely riveting dinner tonight.

So we've got Donald Trump possibly sidling up to Rupert Murdock to say, hey, can we get something done? Do you think that Rupert Murdoch is, and you've written four books on Donald Trump and you've written two books on Rupert Murdoch? So do we think that Rupert Murdoch is likely to settle? I know he's 94, but Rupert's mother lived till I think she was 102. But even that people say that, and I just, you know, as as though this is a long lease on life, he's 94 coming on 95. Even on the outside, on the outside, it's time is running out here.

he is, as Donald Trump calls him, that old man. He is an old man. Well, and there was an almost comic moment when the Trump camp insisted that Rupert Murdoch be deposed quickly. They wanted him deposed within two weeks because Trump said he might die, he might die. So sort of remarkable maneuvering on both sides. But do you think that Rupert Murdoch is likely to settle? I don't know. I think it's possible. I mean, I think, I would never have said that the Rupert Murdoch of Your would never have settled. The Rupert Murdoch who ran one of the largest media companies in the world and one of the most aggressive media companies in the world certainly would never have settled. But as it happens, he just settled a very contentious lawsuit with his family. I am, and I think, I think if you had to analyze this moment as is he wrapping up things, settling things, getting his affairs in order, this might be the moment to strike. And Donald Trump has a very strong animal instinct for

someone's weaknesses. But the Wall Street Journal op-ed page has been extremely aggressive. I mean, this week has been very robust against the Trump tariffs. It's really, taken a very strong, normally Republican line against Donald Trump. It's really kind of swinging against him. No, no, I don't, I don't know. I mean, that's, it has, and you would think, and Donald Trump is, I mean, Rupert Murdoch, as I've written a thousand times, this can't stand Donald Trump. But Rupert Murdoch has always had this instinct for power. He knows where the wind blows.

And so that really is like two elephants circling each other all around the very fine China of Windsor Castle all dressed in their lovely white tuxedos. I do love a white. Yeah, no. And it's, you know, I mean, I think, I think we should keep our eye very closely on this space because it is again, you know, Donald. Trump is winning. Donald Trump is winning. I mean, I feel like the Epstein stuff has overshadowed.

Well, it doesn't, I didn't say he has won, but certainly in his war against the media, he is winning. And I would look at, I would also keep my eye on, I mean, the editor of the Wall Street Journal, who is a Brit and you have a friend of yours. Yeah. Emma Tucker, I would keep my eye on that space. Is someone going to have to pay for this for the Trump non-hoax, hoax letter? So let me take you back to also the incredible pageantry that the UK has put on. Our royal royalist Tom Sykes wrote an excellent piece in The Beast today, which I would urge everybody to read about how British.

Britain has basically prostrated itself for Donald Trump. And we know he loves a parade. And the Brits are incredibly good at putting on wonderful, wonderful parades, beautiful, shining military parades that don't seem threatening but seem glorious and of, you know, heart back to years of yore. I saw that Donald Trump was enjoying the full, the full panoply of British pageantry. Do you think it will give him ideas? Well, you know, I think, I think the more immediate question is, do the Brits get something out of this? Do they get their trade agreement? Do they get their, does Kier-Starmer come away with powerful headlines? I mean, there was a headline, headline today, all of the papers led with a big tech investments, I mean, which is really not very much of anything. But, but, but, um, but they they pumped it up. The Brits are spinning it as a sort of industry. It's a business deal.

Yeah, and I think that's what they want. That's a Keir Starmer wants to come out and say, this is what I've got. And I bowed down to Donald Trump. I've sucked and sucked and sucked. And I've gotten something for it. You know, the problem with that with Trump is that, you know, he gives and he takes.

and he gives and then he forgets that he's giving you something. And it has no consistency, no staying power. And he promises this tariff today and then it's that tariff tomorrow. So I think it's a, I mean, I'd say that they are playing a game here, that the labor government is playing a game that they're in the end not going to get much of a return on. Well, it's also worth pointing out that Keir Starman needed a visit like this to be successful for him because he'd also, as well as Peter Mandelson, lost his deputy prime minister, Angela Rainer, which has been a huge domestic blow for him. So both of them looking to get something out of this and both of them being compromised by the Epstein story, both with Peter Mandelson and Prince Andrew. And then you have you have Nigel Farage in the background of this. who is certainly campaigning to be the next prime minister. The –

Nigel Farge, the leader of the very right-wing reform party. Right. Has started a new party. It is the party that is – it is now all eyes are on the Reform Party. And Nigel Farage has been consistently a supporter, a friend, a player in Trump's own political rise. As a matter of fact, a years ago on that visit, when Trump came to the UK, I was here with Steve Bannon and there was a lunch, a liquid lunch, Grip Nigel Farage, of which I was present. And we're going to take a quick break.

And Michael Wolf and I are back talking about Donald Trump's trip to the UK. Convierre your passion in a business with Shopify. And bathe records of ventas with the form of pay with a better conversion of the world. Has you heard it. The incredible system of Pago of Shopify facilitates on your site web, in the networks, and in whatever place. That is music for your ears.

No, let's more whiltas. Your business will be a super-exit with Shopify. Empeza your period of peri-period of month in Shopify.es bar records. Michael, you're going to have your own state visit at this, right? I mean, we said,

Hugh Doherty pointed out on the podcast earlier this week that this is actually a very unusual second state visit. Most heads of state only get one visit with royalty.

But because Donald Trump saw the queen last time he was over and, of course, the queen died, and there's a new monarch, King Charles is now in the position to offer him a second visit because it's about the visit to the Monnet, not the visit to the country.

And also this became strategically useful, the presentation of the letter in desperation. Literally every country is desperate about its relationship with the U.S. Because these tariffs are real draconian and damaging. And so it's, it's for everyone, it's how can we minimize, let's do anything possible to minimize the, the damage here. And so that's the hope they can trot out Prince Charles and Prince Charles. Now I'm still. Well, well, he had 70 years.

He had 70 years as an apprentice for that job. So it's no surprise we get his title wrong. I mean, it will be curious. Actually, that conversation will also be very curious. Well, do you think this has been good for the king and the royal family this visit? You know, I mean, I think it will be a question of what they come away with here, what they can claim. And does it stick? Does it have holding power? Or is this just, are they just victims of more Trump baloney? Well, Michael, we expect you to report back on the dinner and whether or not Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch, two old white men get into fisty cuffs over many plates, many glasses, many forks and I mean, I can just imagine the place settings or the tabletop, as Americans calling it, with all the different knives and forks and the napkins and the finger bowls. I mean, it is a glorious thing, a white-tied dinner at Windsor Castle. talking as if I've been to one, I haven't, but I have been to Buckingham Palace a few times,

and the royal family are extremely good at entertaining. I mean, they really are. So I hope Donald Trump and Melania have fun. I hope that Melania gets to sit next to Camilla, who seems to have recovered from her unfortunate bout of sinusitis. And I did want to suggest that when you talk to Trump's people, they ask the royal family, how. how Donald Trump should learn to shake hands. Because I noticed as he came down the stairs, he has a very firm grip. He really does, as we know, he does that whole pulling back and forth with the hand, which may or may not be leading to the bruising on both hands.

So maybe he's doing some left-handed grips too. But the royal family issue has very specific protocol that you put your hand out as a subject of the royal family. You put your hand out and they very gently squeeze it. So you're not supposed to do the vigorous shake. Again, let me rush in to say this is already a long explanation. Donald Trump does not do even short explanations. So this is going nowhere. Well, then we're going to see more of his bruises.

I'm very curious if you shake his hand. Do you get makeup on your hand? Well, I have shaken his hand. And no, it's actually... But didn't you shake his hand before he had makeup to cover the bruises? Yes, I have not shaken his hand. hand recently. But I do remember shaking his hand that I do remember the feeling that it's a plump hand. It's a plump hand. Well, Michael, we'll see what hand the British come away with after this

spectacular state visit. We'll be talking to Tom Sykes tomorrow for the royal perspective on this and whether or not Prince Andrew has managed to stay out of the way, or as he did at the Duchess of Kent's funeral, he pops up and manages to Zelig-like appear in all the photographs in which Prince William looks absolutely livid that he's there because he's obviously very conscious that his job is to take the Royal Family on into the next generation. And having the specter of Prince Andrew and of course his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is not best helpful. You may not have been to Buckingham Palace, but I have been... I have been to Buckingham Palace. I just haven't been to Windsor.

Oh, you, oh, okay. Well, I, on the other hand, have been on the face of Windsor Castle apparently. At 200 feet tall, someone's telling me, which I can't believe. I want to show you the Clapperboard that YouTube has sent us. It's very exciting. I'm going to bang it twice to remind people that we are now going to be a permanent addition to your feed in YouTube, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. please leave us a comment on YouTube, join and become a member of the Daily Beast community,

subscribe to the podcast, wherever you get your podcasts, and feel free to share it with a friend. Share it with a friend, share it with a colleague, share it with someone that you haven't talked to in your family for a long time and you need something to talk to them about. You can argue about whether or not Michael Wolfe is right and Rupert Murdoch may be in the mood for settling, although I sort of think if Rupert Murdoch were going to go down,

if he is sorting out his business affairs, this might be one denouement that he's not prepared to close. Well, let's see. Michael, have fun in London. We'll be back later this week. And as our first lady would have us say, be beast.

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