As DOGE Brings Chaos, What is Elon Musk's Endgame? | Pivot
Episode Description
Kara Swisher and guest co-host, Wired's Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond, discuss all things DOGE. First up, who's actually in charge? The White House says it's not Elon Musk, but President Trump (and Elon's actions) say otherwise. Then, what are DOGE engineers actually accessing, and what's Elon's ultimate endgame? Plus, Trump's king talk, Steve Bannon calling tech oligarchs anti-MAGA, and X's new valuation.
Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:03 Wired’s Coverage of Elon and DOGE 09:39 Who’s Really Running DOGE? 17:43 DOGE’s Strategy 25:18 Bannon vs. Elon 29:00 Elon’s Conflict of Interest 35:29 King Trump? 37:29 X Raising Money at a $44B Valuation 44:29 What Should Democrats Do? 50:40 Predictions
Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin
Video Editor: Andy Robinson
Audio Engineer: Ernie Indradat
Vox Media's Executive Producer of Audio: Nishat Kurwa
Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot
Brief Summary
Katie Drummond discusses the chaotic influence of Elon Musk and Trump on government agencies and the implications for tech journalism.
Key points
- Katie Drummond on Covering Doge. Katie Drummond discusses the aggressive approach Wired has taken in covering Doge and its implications for politics.
- Elon Musk's Role in Doge. The White House clarifies Elon Musk's position, stating he is not in charge of Doge.
- Elon Musk's Influence on Government. Elon Musk's connections are reshaping federal agencies, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.
- X's Troubling Advertising Tactics. X is pressuring advertisers with threats, creating a troubling business environment.
- Tech's Silence on Politics. Tech leaders are avoiding political discussions, a stark contrast to 2016.
- Elon Musk's Ideological Pivot?. A bold prediction suggests Musk may shift back to progressive values.
Ask about Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway
Episode highlights
- Katie Drummond on Covering DogeKatie Drummond discusses the aggressive approach Wired has taken in covering Doge and its implications for politics.“We just ran at that story like we ran at that story.”6:02Feb 21, 2025
- Elon Musk's Role in DogeThe White House clarifies Elon Musk's position, stating he is not in charge of Doge.“The president has been saying for months that Elon Musk is in charge of Doge.”10:45Feb 21, 2025
- Elon Musk's Influence on GovernmentElon Musk's connections are reshaping federal agencies, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.“It's genuinely a very scary Prospect to me”31:48Feb 21, 2025
- X's Troubling Advertising TacticsX is pressuring advertisers with threats, creating a troubling business environment.“You can't build businesses on threats.”40:30Feb 21, 2025
- Tech's Silence on PoliticsTech leaders are avoiding political discussions, a stark contrast to 2016.“It's radio silence which I think is really telling.”44:05Feb 21, 2025
- Elon Musk's Ideological Pivot?A bold prediction suggests Musk may shift back to progressive values.“I think there is a 1% chance that it will happen.”51:48Feb 21, 2025
