Elon vs. Trump: The Feud That Never Ends | Pivot
Episode Description
Kara is joined by guest co-host Kristen Soltis Anderson, pollster and co-founder of Echelon Insights. They unpack the latest in Trump-world: a new round in the Trump vs. Elon saga, the $16 million settlement with Paramount, and a potential TikTok buyer. Plus, what the polls say about the “Big Beautiful Bill," and how NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is responding to Trump’s threats.
Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 00:58 Polling in the Age of Trump 7:21 Elon/Trump Feud Returns 20:30 The Fate of the “Big Beautiful Bill” 33:57 Paramount Settles with Trump 42:18 Trump Says He Has a TikTok Buyer 45:50 Trump Threatens to Arrest Mamdani 56:45 Predictions
Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Kevin Oliver
Audio Engineer: Ernie Indradat
Production Assistance: Kate Gallagher
Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa
Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot
This episode is presented to you by IBM. https://ibm.com
Brief Summary
Kristen Sulttus Anderson discusses polling, Trump's influence, and Zoran Mandani's win in NYC's Democratic primary.
Key points
- Polling Challenges. Pollster Kristen Sulttus discusses the skepticism surrounding polls and their accuracy.
- Elon Musk's Political Feud. Elon Musk escalates his feud with Trump over government subsidies and political parties.
- Senate Bill Controversy. The Senate narrowly passed a bill that could add over $3 trillion to the deficit, raising concerns about healthcare cuts.
- Trump's Influence on Republicans. Donald Trump's agenda drives Republicans to support a controversial bill despite mixed polling.
- Paramount Settles with Trump. Paramount agrees to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump over a deceptive interview edit.
- Trump's Bold Claims. Trump threatens to arrest Mandani if he blocks ICE raids, stirring controversy.
Ask about Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway
Episode highlights
- Polling ChallengesPollster Kristen Sulttus discusses the skepticism surrounding polls and their accuracy.“Distrust of polls or skepticism of polls is completely natural.”2:20Jul 4, 2025
- Elon Musk's Political FeudElon Musk escalates his feud with Trump over government subsidies and political parties.“I had predicted that he was going to slap back over this bill.”7:25Jul 4, 2025
- Senate Bill ControversyThe Senate narrowly passed a bill that could add over $3 trillion to the deficit, raising concerns about healthcare cuts.“Nearly 12 million people will lose healthcare coverage if it becomes law.”21:04Jul 4, 2025
- Trump's Influence on RepublicansDonald Trump's agenda drives Republicans to support a controversial bill despite mixed polling.“This is my agenda. You're with me or you're against me.”22:26Jul 4, 2025
- Paramount Settles with TrumpParamount agrees to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump over a deceptive interview edit.“It feels very autocratic, very strange.”34:00Jul 4, 2025
- Trump's Bold ClaimsTrump threatens to arrest Mandani if he blocks ICE raids, stirring controversy.“Well, then we'll have to arrest him.”46:12Jul 4, 2025
- Zoran Mandani's Primary WinMandani wins New York City's Democratic mayoral primary with a significant lead, facing Trump’s scrutiny.“A lot of people are saying, uh, he's here illegally.”46:30Jul 4, 2025
- Growing YouTube ChannelThe show's YouTube channel is fast growing, encouraging listeners to subscribe.“Be sure to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, which is fast growing actually.”1:00:23Jul 4, 2025
