Aaron Levie

I mean, we are deeply integrated in the kill chain. This is the United States being a co-belligerent in the war, hitting Russian soil. That is incredibly reckless and dangerous. I have no doubt that if the Democrats were still in office, we would be in an escalatory spiral right now with the destination being World War III. And I do think that Trump has pulled us back from the brink there.

I mean, we are deeply integrated in the kill chain. This is the United States being a co-belligerent in the war, hitting Russian soil. That is incredibly reckless and dangerous. I have no doubt that if the Democrats were still in office, we would be in an escalatory spiral right now with the destination being World War III. And I do think that Trump has pulled us back from the brink there.

There's obviously still more work to do, but I really appreciate the efforts that Steve Witkoff has undertaken where for the first time in three years, we've at least had direct diplomacy with the Russians. We weren't even talking before. We weren't even talking before.

There's obviously still more work to do, but I really appreciate the efforts that Steve Witkoff has undertaken where for the first time in three years, we've at least had direct diplomacy with the Russians. We weren't even talking before. We weren't even talking before.

Let's let's wait and see on that.

Let's let's wait and see on that.

Oh, am I still on the pod?

Oh, am I still on the pod?

Look, I spent 80 minutes debating this topic with Larry Summers three weeks ago. The point I made then is that we had in this city for 25 years a globalist consensus on trade. that distorted a lot of outcomes. I don't need to rehash that debate. But I'll just recall that Larry Summers' main argument for why this would not work out is that the market was down. Do you remember that?

Look, I spent 80 minutes debating this topic with Larry Summers three weeks ago. The point I made then is that we had in this city for 25 years a globalist consensus on trade. that distorted a lot of outcomes. I don't need to rehash that debate. But I'll just recall that Larry Summers' main argument for why this would not work out is that the market was down. Do you remember that?

That was his evidence that this wasn't going to work. And it was all about the market not pricing in lower expectations. Well, guess what? The market is actually up since Liberation Day on April 2nd. So what happened three weeks ago was basically a panic in the market over this policy, and the media has been trying to fuel that panic.

That was his evidence that this wasn't going to work. And it was all about the market not pricing in lower expectations. Well, guess what? The market is actually up since Liberation Day on April 2nd. So what happened three weeks ago was basically a panic in the market over this policy, and the media has been trying to fuel that panic.

Now, what I said as well is we do have to stick the landing on this. I mean, President Trump shifted the conversation away from this globalist consensus, and he's now redefined the debate, but it is now up to Scott Besson, the Treasury Secretary, Howard Ludnick, the Commerce Secretary,

Now, what I said as well is we do have to stick the landing on this. I mean, President Trump shifted the conversation away from this globalist consensus, and he's now redefined the debate, but it is now up to Scott Besson, the Treasury Secretary, Howard Ludnick, the Commerce Secretary,

Jamison Greer, the US Trade Rep, and so on, the Trump trade team, to now negotiate these deals, stick the landing. And I agree with you to the extent that the sooner that is done, the better, because it is good to provide business certainty. But the idea that so far, this hasn't worked, I think, again, the main argument against that was the market reaction that now The market's now positive.

Jamison Greer, the US Trade Rep, and so on, the Trump trade team, to now negotiate these deals, stick the landing. And I agree with you to the extent that the sooner that is done, the better, because it is good to provide business certainty. But the idea that so far, this hasn't worked, I think, again, the main argument against that was the market reaction that now The market's now positive.

So I think my point is just, we need to give this time to work. I think it's too soon to be judging this policy as if it hasn't worked yet. It needs to be executed properly. And quite frankly, Ryan, I mean, I remember the last time you were on this pod, you were coming on about... Wasn't there like some union deal that was supposed to shut down all the ports and all the shelves would be empty?

So I think my point is just, we need to give this time to work. I think it's too soon to be judging this policy as if it hasn't worked yet. It needs to be executed properly. And quite frankly, Ryan, I mean, I remember the last time you were on this pod, you were coming on about... Wasn't there like some union deal that was supposed to shut down all the ports and all the shelves would be empty?

That never happened either. It did happen.

That never happened either. It did happen.