Donald Trump Is Doing Everything Possible to Destroy Himself

Donald Trump’s end is going to happen. We’re seeing it now. Below the surface of his anger, threats, and bloviation, it’s all coming apart: national fury over the economy, the war, his grift, masked men in the streets, his defacing of Washington, D.C. And, of course, there are his terrible, ever-sinking poll numbers. DOWNFALL is a new series on HOWL on Substack. It will be a regular report on the aggression, incompetence, and self-destructiveness that is sinking Trump. This, of course, does not mean that Trump ceases to be dangerous. The more threatened he is, the more dangerous he becomes. If you’re a student of Trump absurdity—and who isn’t at this point—DOWNFALL is a running portrait of a kind of logic and behavior never before seen in American politics. It is, too, a literal death watch, as the 80-year-old, obese, sleepless, unfit man, consuming his mortal fast-food diet and overdose of aspirin, seems to do everything possible to kill himself. DOWNFALL is also about what terrible things Trump will do as fate closes in on him. He doesn’t retreat; he doesn’t course correct; he only doubles down. There is the public drama. DOWNFALL is the backstage account. I hope you’ll join me.

Don’t watch the collapse from the outside. Subscribe to Michael Wolff’s HOWL on Substack for regular DOWNFALL updates, fueled by up-to-the-minute conversations with the people closest to Trump.

Collin Gosselin, the former child star of the TLC reality TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8, is releasing a memoir in which he promises to expose the real stories behind the camera. He said that writing his book, Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood, forced him to “revisit some of the hardest moments of my life.” Jon & Kate Plus 8 aired on TLC for 10 years, from 2007 to 2017, following the couple and their eight children, turning into Kate Plus 8 after the couple’s divorce in 2009. The memoir is set to reveal shocking events from Collin’s life, including stories about “being held down, the basement cell where he was hidden for years, and the cocktail of powerful antipsychotics forced on an 11-year-old boy.” In an Instagram post announcing the release of the book, Collin writes that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell his side of the story and was worried people wouldn’t believe him, ”but there was so much [viewers of the show] never saw.” After the divorce, all of the children were in Kate’s custody until Jon was granted full custody of Collin in 2018. Collin has alleged that Kate abused him, while Kate has denied those claims and instead accused Collin of “physical violence” and “hate speech.”

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Getting solid sleep feels like a real luxury these days. Whether you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep through the night, if you’ve been struggling with getting shut-eye, you’re not alone. A 2024 Gallup poll found that 73 percent of respondents reported getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night, and 57 percent said they would feel better if they got more sleep.

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Rich Kids of Beverly Hills star Brendan Fitzpatrick is facing legal trouble over an alleged “Ponzi-style scheme.” The reality TV alum and his mining company, Carbonatik, were sued by Heavy Metal Capital Partners, which claims it lost around $80 million. The lawsuit alleges that Fitzpatrick and his company “engaged in a systematic scheme to obtain money from multiple victims through fraudulent misrepresentations, omissions, and deception.” Plaintiffs David Smith and Richard Sergeson of Heavy Metal Capital say they received a “fabricated” letter of intent stating that Fitzpatrick’s mining company had “hundreds of millions of dollars” in clean energy projects ready for “immediate production.” They allege this letter was used to secure a $500,000 investment from Heavy Metal Capital, with the promise of significant dividends for 20 years starting in July 2025. The plaintiffs claim these assertions were “plainly false.” Earlier this month, Carbonatik filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, arguing that HMC has not “suffered any injury-in-fact.” On July 4, Heavy Metal Capital filed a motion for extension to file a second amended complaint, which Carbonatik rebutted on June 15, stating the request should be denied. Fitzpatrick rose to fame on the E! reality series Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, and married fellow reality TV star Morgan Stewart, with the couple’s wedding being featured in the 2016 series finale of the show. They divorced three years later, with Stewart going on to marry Dr Phil McGraw’s son, Jordan. Fitzpatrick married Canadian billionaire heiress Chloe de Serigny in 2022.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon’s will contained only 11 words, handwritten by the actor who died earlier this year at age 54. TMZ reports that the note read: “My will. Sarah gets nothing kel gets everything. He can figure it out.” Sarah appears to refer to his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Marker, while Kel is a nickname for his twin brother, Kelton Schultz. Schultz is currently seeking to have a probate court validate the alleged will and, on May 25, petitioned to serve as the representative of his late brother’s estate based on the contents of the note. A hearing is set for July 16. Brendon’s death was announced by his family on March 20 via Instagram in a statement explaining that he had “passed in his sleep of natural causes.” In the statement, they described the star as “passionate, sensitive and endlessly driven to create.” Brendon had a history of heart problems, suffering a heart attack in 2022, at which time he learned he had a congenital heart defect. According to later findings, his cause of death was determined to be atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, along with acute pneumonia and his previous myocardial infarction as contributing factors. Brendon was best known for portraying Xander Harris during all seven seasons of Buffy.

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Eating a beautiful ratatouille or potato gratin dish can be a real delight, but who wants to thin-slice all the veggies to make it? I love cooking and eating healthy, but the prep work—especially with dense vegetables—leaves my hands sore and makes it feel like it takes forever.

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Daveigh Chase, best known for playing the iconic horror villain in The Ring, has died at 35. The former child actress died on Tuesday from a case of meningitis and an infection in her blood, TMZ reported. Last month, Chase was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital due to malnutrition. Chase first rose to stardom as Samantha Darko in the 2001 film Donnie Darko, before providing the voice of Lilo in the film Lilo & Stitch a year later. She is perhaps best remembered as Samara Morgan, the child antagonist in the 2002 horror film, The Ring. Additional notable credits include voicing Chihiro Ogino in the American dubbed version of Spirited Away and a recurring role in HBO’s Big Love. Her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, started a GoFundMe shortly before her death. “After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA,” he wrote in the fundraiser’s description. Hernandez shared that the two found moments of “happiness and hope” together.

Austin Powers star Mike Myers has confirmed the production of another sequel to the film series. When asked by a fan on Trevor Noah’s YouTube series, World Cup Watch Party, if there would be a fourth movie, Myers responded with a quick and assuring “yes.” “Wow, that was a quick yes,” Noah responded. The announcement comes after years of anticipation, with Myers, 63, dropping hints about a fourth movie for years. In a 2022 SiriusXM interview, Myers, who also voices the titular character Shrek in the Shrek series, left the door open for new additions to the series. “I can neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence of such a project, should it exist or not exist.” The actor later said to Entertainment Weekly in 2024 that “I hinted at that possibility earlier. And I’ve generally avoided spilling the beans about specific plans.” The comedic series, with movies released in 1997, 1999, and 2002, follows British spy Austin Powers and his nemesis, Dr. Evil, as they time travel from the 1960s to the 1990s and 2000s. Myers plays both roles in the three films, which grossed more than $500 million. Fans are generally excited about the update, having waited 24 years for another film. “It will be interesting to see if the original writers and director(s) will be on this project,” one user commented on a post made by Variety on X, announcing the newest sequel. Another user said, “This hits different.”

Colton Underwood, 34, is opening up about the lengths he went to conceal his sexuality before publicly coming out as gay in 2021. Speaking on the We Need to Talk podcast, the former football player and reality television star revealed that he limited his encounters with men who were married in an effort to protect himself from being outed. “They had more to lose than I did,” Underwood said. He feared that public revelation about his sexuality could damage both his football aspirations and later his television career. Underwood first entered the reality television world on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette before becoming the lead of The Bachelor in 2019. The long-running dating series follows a single man as he dates multiple women over several weeks before choosing a potential fiancée in the finale. During his season, Underwood became known as the “Virgin Bachelor” after producers highlighted the fact that he had never had sex. Underwood said that the storyline overshadowed the deeper reason behind his decision to remain a virgin. “There were so many reasons why I was a virgin… obviously, the one that I didn’t tell publicly was my struggle with my sexuality.” He also admitted that becoming The Bachelor was, in part, an attempt to convince himself he was straight. “I’m going to be so publicly straight that I will never be able to be gay again,” he recalled thinking. Underwood publicly came out as gay in 2021 and is now married to political strategist Jordan C. Brown-Underwood. The couple welcomed their son, Bishop Colton Brown-Underwood, via surrogacy on Sept. 26, 2024.

Jelly Roll’s daughter Bailee Ann,18, is speaking out after news broke that the country star filed for divorce from his wife, Bunnie Xo. In a TikTok post shared on Tuesday, she criticized the public’s fascination with her family’s personal struggles. “I am disgusted at how invested everyone is in a very clearly private family matter,” she wrote. “Worry bout your house—not mine. I’m not speaking on it—yet.” Court records show Jelly Roll filed for divorce from Xo, real name Alisa DeFord, in Tennessee on May 18, citing irreconcilable differences after 10 years of marriage. The split surprised many fans, as the pair had been together for more than a decade and continued to share affectionate posts on social media. Jelly Roll, 41, and Xo, 46, married in 2016 at a Las Vegas courthouse, the same day that the singer proposed on stage during a concert. Xo has been open about her past as a high-end sex worker and has said the income she earned helped Jelly Roll secure custody of Bailee and provide housing during a difficult period in his life. Jelly Roll has two children, Bailee Ann and son Noah Buddy, 9, from previous relationships. The couple faced several public challenges throughout their relationship, including fertility struggles and past infidelity, but had recently spoken about plans to expand their family. Neither Jelly Roll nor Bunnie Xo has publicly commented on the divorce.

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Walter Parazaider, a founding member of the rock band Chicago, died Wednesday morning from Alzheimer’s, according to his wife. “He had put up a good fight with Alzheimer’s and unfortunately it ended tonight,” Parazaider’s wife, JacLynn, said to TMZ. “We are going to miss him for sure.” The father of two founded the band The Big Thing in 1967, which became Chicago in 1969. As a saxophone player, he was a key member of the band’s brass/woodwind section, playing alongside Lee Loughnane and James Pankow, before retiring in 2016. Six years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and died in hospice early Wednesday morning with his wife by his side. “Chicago’s horn section was untouchable because of Walter,” one user commented on a tweet posted by TMZ announcing the musician’s death. “Rest easy legend, your music lives on forever.” Parazaider leaves behind his wife JacLynn, whom he was married to for 59 years, and their two children, Laura and Felicia.

A Florida man was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after troopers pulled him over for speeding and discovered 34 open cans of White Claw in his car. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a trooper was patrolling Pasco County on Saturday when he spotted a Honda Civic traveling over the speed limit, at more than 90 mph. Investigators said the vehicle sped past the trooper, who then conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, the trooper determined that the driver was heavily intoxicated, the FHP said. Authorities also found 34 open White Claw cans on the passenger seat of the vehicle. The driver was identified as Conor William Parady, 34, of San Antonio. The FHP said he was taken to Pasco County Jail with a blood alcohol level of 0.117. Florida’s legal blood alcohol limit for drivers is 0.08.