Kara and Scott discuss Jon Stewart's interview invitation to Elon Musk, and Google's efforts to persuade the DOJ that it should keep Chrome. Then, President Trump's one hour and forty minute joint address to Congress puts a spotlight on major partisan divides. Plus, the effects of Trump's tariff whiplash. (Note: in the hours since this episode was recorded, Trump changed his mind once and may do so again.) Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on Bluesky at @pivotpod.bsky.social. Follow us on TikTok at @pivotpodcast. Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at nymag.com/pivot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What are Kara and Scott's thoughts on traveling?
I didn't want to see Mark Zuckerberg's chest in any way, and there it was. Hi, everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm Kara Swisher, and it's tomorrow where I am Scott Galloway.
Are you still in Australia, Kara?
I am still in Australia. I am still in Australia. I know. I've been here a while. I've been all over this amazing country. I was in Brisbane. I was in Adelaide. I was in Sydney. And now I'm in Melbourne, which I think is my favorite city. I hate to pick one because all the Australians who love us will be mad at me. But it's a great city. It's a fantastic city.
It's a great city. Last time I was in Australia, I traveled to New Zealand and I was driving along the side of the road and there was a guy fighting a sheep. And I said, you know, in Australia, they shear them. And he said, fuck you, I'm not shearing her with anybody. That's good.
Oh, my God. Oh, I can't believe you have a dirty Australian joke.
I'll take it PG-13. You're coming to Texas in a few days, right?
Tomorrow, yeah. Well, the day after tomorrow for you. Go ahead. Sorry. Yeah.
I'm bringing cheese for us so we can handle any emergency. I'm calling it my Justin Queso.
Oh, Scott.
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Chapter 2: What is the significance of Jon Stewart's response to Elon Musk?
Because if two of us went out in the outback, only one of us would come, who do you think would make it?
Well, you always ask this question, and it's obvious. I would just honorably kill myself. I would just find several pros and a bunch of fentanyl and just say, all right, I'm out. Game over. By the way, some bands from Australia, ACDC, In Excess.
Highway to help those people? The Highway to Help People?
That's ACDC. Jesus, didn't you have a childhood?
No.
You really didn't smoke pot. Anyways, yeah, ACDC. One of the great actors, not arguably a great guy, Mel Gibson.
Oh, Mel.
Yeah, lost it there, didn't I?
Yeah, you did. Took it a little too far. But look, you know, and I can say I really like, the only reason I want to do the Outback, I'll come back and I'll go, a dingo ate my Scotty.
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Chapter 3: How does Elon Musk's political influence extend to Wisconsin?
You know, these people have been running from regulation for decades, two decades now. And here is what I consider a minor thing, a minor change that other industries have not been able to get out of. And here they are doing the same thing. So it's not just limited to Musk, although he's the most egregious example of it. But they're all sort of pay to play kind of stuff going on.
Yeah, they're doing what they're doing. They're trying to figure out a way not to be broken up. What's counterintuitive is I think shareholder value would actually go up if they were broken up.
You and I both, sir.
But the problem is the people in charge want to sit on the iron throne of all seven realms, just not Westeros, and they get to decide. But Alphabet, while having probably more, maybe with the exception of Apple, more separate independent $100 billion plus independent companies that you could spend, they probably have four or five,
They do have an existential crisis, and that is their search share or their share of search fell below 90% for the first time. And AI is starting to eat away at their share. And it is the ultimate example of the innovator's dilemma where they essentially... invented much of the original IP, yet they sat on their hands.
And as a result, Alphabet's Gemini, their LLM, is vastly beaten by OpenAI, Anthropic, and even DeepSeek. And it's just, they got to be really kicking themselves at how did we let everyone get out ahead of us? In their latest earnings report, the stock tumbled by nearly 9%. And their revenue growth has slowed since this time last year.
Did you see Sergey Brin was talking about everyone back to the office and we got to hardcore it? One of the founders was talking about the need to do that in order to prevail in AI. He even was sounding the alarms.
Well, this is, I mean, it really is, this company is, but here's the thing, the argument they will make when they get in front of judges, on earnings calls they will say, temporary lag, look at this, everything's great, we're amazing, the power here is unprecedented.
When they get in front of a judge next week, they're going to be like, oh my God, things are so terrible, you can't break us up right now, we're really weak.
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Chapter 4: What is the status of Google's legal challenges with the DOJ?
Who assembled the world leaders. Yeah, pass the head up your ass. Non-dom thing. 10,000 millionaires have left the UK in the last three months. But other than that, he looks like a leader. He's got big shoulders and good hair.
The rich people like this stuff.
There are people stepping into the void. The leader of Denmark, the leader of Finland, there are people making really powerful speeches.
It's bringing them together too.
I'll say more about it later, but I do think the EU, and it's a silver lining here, is stepping into the morass or the crevice or the void.
The crevice. Yes, it's the crevice. Also, there's a lovely video of Justin Trudeau making a maple milkshake.
Making out with macaron?
I'm sorry, go ahead. Oh, that would be hot. Anyway. All right, Scott, let's go on a quick break. When we come back, Trump's address to Congress, the Democrats' divided response with posters that they think we're unimpressed by. Also, John Fetterman was unimpressed.
It's been reported that one in four people experience sensory sensitivities, making everyday experiences like a trip to the dentist especially difficult. In fact, 26% of sensory-sensitive individuals avoid dental visits entirely.
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Chapter 5: How does President Trump's speech reflect his political strategy?
No one wants to hurt someone else. You don't use kids as props like that.
No, it was cheap. It was a cheap shot. It was a cheap shot, as they say. Anyway, what did you think of the Zelensky thing, speaking of beating up on someone and planning a ridiculous attack?
Chapter 6: What are the implications of Trump's foreign policy decisions?
Purely orchestrated by Putin.
Orchestrated.
Purely orchestrated by Putin. I mean, just that was planned. Vance, who doesn't have, I mean, the only thing that gave me any sort of joy there was watching literally Senator Rubio lose all of his last final specks of soul and respect for himself.
And then he defended it. Then he defended it.
Knowing that TikTok would come up with every time he's presented himself as a cold warrior and he just sat there literally melting into a couch.
Him and Lindsey Graham. Lindsey Graham. I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Listen, foghorn leghorn. Closet in foghorn leghorn. Just go back to your closet.
That reminds me, what's the difference between a garbanzo bean and a chickpea?
What?
I'm not going to pay 50 bucks for a garbanzo to bean on my face.
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