Trump Faces Mounting Crises, According to Analyst David Rothkopf

Political analyst David Rothkopf told host Joanna Coles on *The Daily Beast* podcast that President Donald Trump is “drowning in failure.” He argued that the president’s attempts to manage a series of self-created crises—ranging from a reshaped federal bureaucracy to an escalating war with Iran—are faltering. Rothkopf warned that the next 90 days will be “weird and wild,” suggesting that the administration’s capacity to control outcomes is diminishing.

Daily Beast

Rothkopf highlighted staffing reductions at the FBI and national intelligence agencies, citing former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s elimination of more than 500 intelligence positions between January and August 2025, including the Foreign Malign Influence Center that monitored foreign election interference. He linked these cuts to heightened vulnerability to Russian and Iranian meddling, noting that the group that tracked Russian interference was shut down.

Daily Beast

A CNN poll referenced by Rothkopf placed Trump’s approval rating at 32 percent, with 70 percent disapproving of his economic handling and 73 percent believing the administration is not focusing on pressing issues. The same poll data were used to illustrate the president’s “worst poll ratings” of his career.

Daily Beast

When approached for comment, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed Rothkopf, calling him “a far-left loser” suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The spokesperson’s statement was a standard rebuttal without substantive engagement on the policy claims.

Daily Beast

• “They shut down... the group that tracked Russian interference,” — David Rothkopf

Daily Beast

• “Did you see the poll results he’s getting in the past few days?” — David Rothkopf

Daily Beast

• “Donald Trump is drowning in failure,” — David Rothkopf

Daily Beast