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ICE Hits a Boiling Point in Minnesota | Pivot

January 23, 2026 / 54:56

This episode of Pivot discusses the current political climate at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, featuring guests Scott Galloway and Cara Swisher. They cover topics such as the impact of AI, the U.S. political landscape, and the recent speeches by Donald Trump and Mark Carney.

Scott shares his experiences at Davos, describing the atmosphere as chaotic and filled with arrogance. He notes the stark contrast between the optimism of past years and the current focus on AI startups. Cara and Scott discuss the implications of Trump's recent speech, where he made controversial remarks about acquiring Greenland and insulted NATO allies.

The conversation shifts to Mark Carney's impactful speech, which emphasized the need for cooperation among Western nations, and how it resonated with attendees. They also touch on the reactions of European leaders to the U.S. administration's approach.

Additionally, the episode highlights the ongoing tensions in Minnesota regarding ICE operations and the community's response to federal immigration enforcement. Cara and Scott reflect on the role of citizens in resisting government overreach.

Finally, they discuss the implications of recent events on the political landscape, including the need for strong leadership in response to abuses of power.

TL;DR

Scott and Cara discuss Davos, Trump's speech, and community resistance to ICE in Minnesota.

Video

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What's going on here is contrary to the
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very reason America was founded. The
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reason we started this experiment was we
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didn't want to be abused by a monarch.
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Hi everyone, this is Pivot from New York
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Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast
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Network. I'm Carara Swisser and I just
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scooped out my litter and Scott is in
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Swanky, Switzerland. This is the state
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of our relationship. I was with your
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first wife just a few minutes ago.
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>> I I heard she's swanning around there.
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How's it going?
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>> Yeah, she's uh one of my favorite things
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is this thing called she knows and
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>> they invite me because they know dudes
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will show up and they like to have dudes
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at their stuff. Um
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>> that's that's just what women want. But
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go ahead.
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>> Well, I think it is actually. Um I think
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they want to reach across the aisle, so
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to speak.
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>> Okay.
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>> Or I think they want to do a reach
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around. Um, oh god, my mind is a blank
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now. Um,
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>> okay. You're in Davos.
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>> Yeah. Yeah, that's where I am.
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>> And by the way, you look fantastic. Let
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me just say,
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>> you know, unfortunately, Cara, my
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iPhone, when I opened it still, uh, the
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Apple Face ID still works. So,
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>> and everyone said, and everyone's
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saying, you just look like you. And I'm
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like, well, that wasn't the [ __ ]
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point.
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>> It's I can see the difference.
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>> Yeah, I'm here. I don't know if you can
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see this equivalent. If Days In had a a
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branch in Davos, I'd be here. But it's
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only $2,700 a night. And if Trump gives
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another speech, the dollar is going to
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crash and it's going to be $6,000 a
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night. So, I should probably go check in
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now like it's Wear Germany or check out.
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Um
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>> Oh, could Well, before we start, I
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>> think you would hate it here. I can't
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even
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>> I hate I do hate it here. Last time I
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there, I was there with Megan when I was
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married to her. And like you, she got
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one of those weird global leaders of
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tomorrow's yesterday. whatever the yawn
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or young entrepreneurs and this was a
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million years ago and I went as a wife
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and I hated every [ __ ] second of it
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and I'm sure it's worse now.
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>> You know what it is? It's it's the least
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sexy place
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>> in it's the least sexy gathering in the
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world. It's like got the sex appeal of
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like a Marriott lobby.
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>> It's just
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>> it's just it's rough here. It's um
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>> Give me an an overview. Besides, let me
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just make a point. It's been 34 days
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since the deadline passed for the US
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Justice Department to release the
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Epstein files. I just want to note that
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just just just to add that in. But go
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ahead, tell me what's what's the vibe in
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in the place where they pretend things
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are normal.
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>> Okay, so first off, uh the last time I
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was here was 1999. I was here 26 years
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ago. I don't know if you know this about
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me, but I peaked early.
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>> Similar time frame for me, but
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>> yeah, I was there 26 years ago. And the
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vibe then was
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um it was about the internet. America
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was about cooperation and consumerism
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and sort of there was some there was
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really optimism like I want more. It was
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very consumey if you will. And now I'd
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say the vibe is one AI. Everything's AI.
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I was one of these guys running around
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trying to pitch my startup Red Envelope
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or my e-commerce incubator to everybody.
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Now everyone's pitching everyone on AI
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startups.
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And the American brand, which is meant
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to be the operating system here, I
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think, is really about coercion and
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chaos right now. And the vibe
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>> and arrogance. Arrogance is what I'm
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>> It's even beyond arrogance. It's it's
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it's just being rude for no real reason.
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Like,
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>> and
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>> Howard Letic was a particular [ __ ] on
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that topic. Yeah.
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>> Yeah. And Christine Lagard, she walked
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out on him. That was kind of the big the
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big event here. But there is also the
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vibe here is very unsettled
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because for all the talk about Europe
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being a union is clearly still not a
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union. In my opinion the strongest move
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would have been if they had somebody had
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actually read Mark Carney's speech and
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said he just articul articulated how we
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all feel more powerfully than anyone in
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the European Union has done. We want him
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to give that speech. We want him to
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outline a series of things that we could
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do as a union of all Western nations,
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selling US treasuries, forming a trading
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zone outside of the US, and they should
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had all [ __ ] 27 EU member leaders
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sitting behind Mark Carney. Instead,
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they just look like, oh, the number six,
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you know, the world's six, 11th, 28th,
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and the seven dwarves economy are angry
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at us. They clearly don't care.
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>> All right. Okay. All right. This is like
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you attacking the Dems. Tell explain
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what the rep what what the Trump
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administration is doing there cuz let's
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talk about the bullies not the bullied
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uh for a second. What what is the vibe
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from a Latnik uh Bessant looks like the
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the the man from Great Pup? Like he's
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he's excited to find Greg Pupon
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everywhere he goes. Never seen such a
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crash in reputation of that guy. But
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talk a little bit about that the the the
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arrogance because it's just you can you
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see it bristling off of tech people. Uh,
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the Palunteer Seal once again needs to
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stop talking quite so much. Uh, the only
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one that was interesting was Daario
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Amodi who is still trying to piss off
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David Saxs which I enjoy every day of
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the week and twice on Sunday. But what's
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the vibe from the US? It seemed
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absolutely [ __ ] you. Like we're we're
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we're the man even though and I'm
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popular. Trump was saying even though
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the his polls are crashing here in the
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United States.
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>> Yeah, I was at a dinner spoke last
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night. Um
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the I don't know the the way I the way I
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would describe the vibe is I don't even
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think it's the business leaders I still
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think are really well respected. People
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are still like hey Anthropic can you
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open a branch in Helsinki and let's talk
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about Poland's economy. So there's still
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I think a real I don't know if the terms
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affection but appreciation because the
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bottom line is the American economy
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continues to grind on and one of the
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masters of the university I went to one
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of his dire
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house one of the the masters in the
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university finance stood up and said
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look
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distinct of our political situation and
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he talked about anthropic anthropic
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raising 10 or 50 billion at 300 there's
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like seven companies in Europe worth
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$350 billion or more and anthropics
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started 5 years ago
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>> it's actually gaining a lot of ground in
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enterprise too. But go ahead.
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>> Yeah, it is. And it's it's it's kind of
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the success story maybe outside of
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Gemini and AI, I would argue over the
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last 12 months. So I feel like there's
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still a great deal of affection and want
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to work together. I wouldn't argue I
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would say that from the administration
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standpoint, their presence here isn't I
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think arrogant the wrong word. I like
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the definition of stupid. You help
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others and hurt yourself, you're an
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artist or philanthropist. You help
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yourself while hurting others, you're a
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bandit. You help others while helping
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yourself, you're intelligent. The
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definition of stupid is hurting others
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while you hurt yourself.
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>> Yeah.
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>> The the talking about
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how important it is for the US to own
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Iceland when you mean Greenland.
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>> You just look stupid. You just And it's
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not going to happen. The big news to be
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fair, he walked back military action. He
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said that's not going to happen. He did
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away with the tariffs he threatened
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earlier in the week. So, we come across,
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we just come across as just we're we're
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we're a baby with an AR-15 is how we
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come across right now.
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>> So, is it worth it for you to be there?
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Do you you look like you wanted to get
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out and I needed to helicopter in and
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get you, but uh was it worth it? Is it
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worth it?
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>> Well, so I'm name dropping. I said no.
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And then Larry Frink called me and asked
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me to come and said, you know, was very
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nice to me and said, "This will be a
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good audience for you." And I got to
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give it to him. This is quote unquote
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according to people who've been here for
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30 years the best office yet in terms of
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the quality or the power I would say of
00:07:33
the people. You know Elon Musk felt left
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out. He's flying in this afternoon to
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give a speech. Heads of state senators
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the thing that sort of embodied how
00:07:44
powerful the people are. I literally saw
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Lindsey Graham walking around looking
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for someone to talk to. Like he looked
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lonely and he was trying to find someone
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to talk to him.
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>> Yeah. He's such a pathetic chad.
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>> So everyone's here.
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>> He's a chud not a chad. And by the way,
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you wanna you want to hear serious vibe,
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serious juju, serious mojo, serious RZ,
00:08:03
[ __ ] Governor Nuome is walking around
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like he is the next president. And guess
00:08:08
what? Everyone believes him. He has an
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entourage of He has so I'm not
00:08:13
exaggerating. It's like there's light
00:08:15
shining on the guy. He was I
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>> He really had So
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>> I walked down I walked down I had one of
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those This was a nice moment for me. I
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have I have a big ego like everyone
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else. I walked down into the Congress
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hall and there was a crowd of people
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around this guy and no matter how big
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the crowd is, you see him like he's
00:08:32
[ __ ] Rihanna standing on Arnold
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Schwarzenegger's shoulders.
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>> He just it's like and it's like God.
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It's like he's the chosen one.
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>> Yeah. Yeah.
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>> And then he stops and comes over,
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>> catches my eye and he hugs me.
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>> I feel like one time this guy, the
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coolest guy in my junior high school,
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Andy Lowour, who I didn't even think
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know was alive. I didn't even I didn't
00:08:54
even know I was alive. I did a comedy
00:08:55
sketch at the talent show on Laurel and
00:08:57
Hardy and he came up in a class and he's
00:08:59
like, "Go, you're the funniest." And he
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high-fived me and for a day I was the
00:09:03
most important person I'd ever known.
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>> This is I was It was like the cool kid.
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The cool kid high fives you
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>> Anyways, came over, hugged me, and
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>> I tell you,
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he texted me that he saw me.
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>> I'm just texting with everybody. I was
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like heranging Mark Benny off. I was
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texting.
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texting everybody there.
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>> You're literally stalking me. I sit down
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at dinner last night and the woman next
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to me goes, "Carra's talking to me. She
00:09:28
knows we're sitting together." I'm like,
00:09:29
"How the [ __ ] does she know we're
00:09:31
sitting together?
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You're like the Stazzi with Wi-Fi."
00:09:35
>> They will text me. They're like, "Where
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are you?" I'm like, as if I'm I'm making
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quesadillas for my children and
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scooping.
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>> The highlight I'm totally I'm totally
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name dropping right now.
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>> All right. Go ahead. I was si I got to
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sit next to Sasha Baron Cohen and I
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rolled with him after and he and I went
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bar hopping after.
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>> Oh, okay.
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>> And he was he was picking up a friend
00:09:55
>> and Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau. By
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the way, Justin Trudeau's skin there's
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no way that guy was stressed in office.
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He looks like he's he's a world leader
00:10:02
and now he looks like you're happy.
00:10:04
You're swaning. Oh my god.
00:10:05
>> Anyways, I'm totally swanning swaning.
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Let's go. Let's talk about
00:10:08
>> Hold up. But Sasha goes I go I'm going
00:10:10
to this wine tasting thing, master the
00:10:12
universe thing. You should come. And he
00:10:14
goes, "Can I come in five minutes?" He
00:10:15
goes, "Will you leave my will you leave
00:10:16
my name at the door?" And I'm like,
00:10:17
"Sasha, something tells me they're going
00:10:19
to let you in."
00:10:21
>> Anyways, that's my that's my big
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celebrity thing.
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>> Well, he's great. He's a great guy.
00:10:24
>> Super thoughtful. He understands AI.
00:10:27
>> I I though you don't invest in our
00:10:30
relationship. I did one of my favorite
00:10:31
interviews with him.
00:10:32
>> He said he was on with you.
00:10:33
>> Yeah. He's great. He's so smart. He's so
00:10:35
smart.
00:10:36
>> Middle class Jewish kid from the suburbs
00:10:38
of London. And really fearless, too. I
00:10:41
like him a lot. and a lot of his stuff
00:10:43
if you look at it now even if it's a
00:10:44
satire especially around the dictator uh
00:10:47
is spot on like some of some of the
00:10:50
stuff he wrote. Um so just so people
00:10:52
know couple of things from their
00:10:54
headlines. Donald Trump's backing off
00:10:56
his threat to impose tariffs on Europe
00:10:57
saying there's now a framework for
00:10:59
Greenland deal. He there isn't a
00:11:01
framework for Greenland after meeting
00:11:02
with NATO's secretary general. Trump
00:11:04
said the solution quote if consummated
00:11:06
would be great for the US and all NATO
00:11:08
nations. It's probably more US bases.
00:11:10
The idiot. he could have done it before.
00:11:12
Uh that announcements came just hours
00:11:13
after Trump delivered his big speech at
00:11:15
Davos where he seemed to be gripping the
00:11:17
podium as if it to save his life where
00:11:19
he repeated his desire to acquire
00:11:21
Greenland or Iceland as you said as he
00:11:22
referred to it. The speech did not go
00:11:25
over very well. He insulted and
00:11:27
threatened our NATO allies. Uh even
00:11:29
though the White House was saying was
00:11:30
great. I think most people did not think
00:11:32
so. But let's listen very quickly to
00:11:34
give him a moment. So, we want a piece
00:11:37
of ice for world protection
00:11:40
and they won't give it. We've never
00:11:42
asked for anything else and we could
00:11:45
have kept
00:11:47
that piece of land and we didn't. So,
00:11:50
they have a choice. You can say yes and
00:11:54
we will be very appreciative or you can
00:11:57
say no and we will remember.
00:12:00
>> It's reminds me of my four-year-old Saul
00:12:02
when he didn't
00:12:03
>> like a mob boss, isn't it?
00:12:04
>> I know. I know. But it sounds like a
00:12:06
toddler actually when Saul didn't get
00:12:07
the Hot Wheels he wanted. Trump also
00:12:10
wasn't thrilled with Canadian Prime
00:12:11
Minister Mark Carney said who gave a
00:12:13
quote speech at Davos Tuesday talking
00:12:15
about the rupture in the world order.
00:12:16
This was a speech to remember. It was so
00:12:19
beautifully delivered. This guy is
00:12:21
really top level in terms of delivering
00:12:23
a speech. Let's listen to what he said.
00:12:25
>> We have a recognition of what's
00:12:27
happening and a determination to act
00:12:29
accordingly. We understand that this
00:12:31
rupture calls for more than adaptation.
00:12:34
It calls for honesty about the world as
00:12:36
it is. We are taking the sign out of the
00:12:39
window. We know the old order is not
00:12:42
coming back. We shouldn't mourn it.
00:12:45
Nostalgia is not a strategy.
00:12:48
But we believe that from the fracture we
00:12:50
can build something bigger, better,
00:12:53
stronger, more just. This is the task of
00:12:56
the middle powers. the countries that
00:12:59
have the most to lose from a world of
00:13:01
fortresses and a most to gain from
00:13:03
genuine cooperation.
00:13:05
>> Smart, not pearl clutching, not
00:13:07
victiming. Cardi warned that the middle
00:13:09
powers, it sounds like the middle
00:13:11
kingdom must act together because quote,
00:13:12
"If we're not at the table, we're on the
00:13:14
menu." He's absolutely right. Uh
00:13:16
contrast um the the two the two
00:13:20
speeches. And by the way, Trump sent the
00:13:22
world markets on a roller coaster the
00:13:24
last few days as global stocks plunged
00:13:27
early this week following Trump
00:13:28
threatening to slap tariffs on Europe,
00:13:30
which he didn't, and the markets rallied
00:13:31
once he pulled back. So talk a little
00:13:34
bit about these two speeches and the
00:13:35
impacts on the markets.
00:13:37
>> You summarize it. Carney gave the speech
00:13:39
at the conference and supposedly he
00:13:41
wrote it himself. I mean, there's so
00:13:43
many great lines in there. Nostalgia is
00:13:44
not a strategy. This isn't a
00:13:46
transformation. It's a rupture. And one
00:13:48
of the call signs I think for great
00:13:50
leadership is forceful yet dignified.
00:13:52
And he was all of that. And of course he
00:13:55
he tweaked Trump and Trump mentioned his
00:13:57
speech. Trump just, you know, he um he
00:14:01
just came across as
00:14:04
uh brambling and offensive for no
00:14:07
reason. And the general vibe here is
00:14:10
that the Europeans, not with Americans,
00:14:13
I still think they want to work with
00:14:14
American companies. But with with the
00:14:16
American administration, they're just
00:14:18
sort of fed up. They're just like,
00:14:20
"Okay, we're just sort of done with
00:14:21
these guys." And Howard Lutnik, I don't
00:14:23
know if you heard this, Howard Lutnick
00:14:24
was heckled at a dinner,
00:14:28
by the way.
00:14:28
>> These aren't protesters with blue hair
00:14:31
holding signs. These are these are state
00:14:34
leaders who went to Swiss boarding
00:14:36
schools and to you know Dalton and and
00:14:40
eat with the right fork and they just
00:14:42
listen to this guy talk about how
00:14:45
globalization has not worked and we've
00:14:47
been taken advantage of. It's like okay
00:14:49
boss we sell in the highest margin
00:14:51
products in the world to these trading
00:14:52
partners. They sell in lower margin
00:14:54
products. We have grown our economy
00:14:57
faster than any economy in the world
00:14:59
with maybe exception of China over the
00:15:01
last 20 or 30 years. Come again. Why has
00:15:04
globalization been bad for us? He just
00:15:06
comes across as an ass.
00:15:08
>> He's a [ __ ] He's a, you know, he never
00:15:10
was a highlevel person on Wall Street
00:15:12
like a Bessant. Besson wasn't the
00:15:14
highest level, but he certainly was up
00:15:15
there. But they both come off like
00:15:17
morons. Just morons. And that's the word
00:15:19
I think of every time he opens his
00:15:20
mouth. And you know, he's such a thirsty
00:15:22
[ __ ] That's really the way it goes.
00:15:24
Anyway, so are when are you coming back?
00:15:26
How long how long are you going?
00:15:27
>> I was supposed to come home tomorrow.
00:15:28
I'm going to come out tonight. I'm going
00:15:29
to peace out. Davos feels like Vegas for
00:15:32
me in the sense that it was great for
00:15:33
two days and now I just can't wait to
00:15:34
get get out of here.
00:15:35
>> Yeah, you look like that at the
00:15:36
beginning. I like your videos, though.
00:15:38
They're nice. They're lovely.
00:15:39
>> Yeah. I just, you know, I'm not raising
00:15:40
money. I'm not running for office. It's
00:15:42
like, why am I here?
00:15:42
>> Why am I here? Why are you there? Why
00:15:44
aren't you here?
00:15:44
>> Well, you know why? Cuz Larry Frink
00:15:46
called me and said, I want you to come.
00:15:47
So, you come. And I I mean, I met with
00:15:49
the president of NYU today, the
00:15:51
chancellor of Berkeley. I have a lot of
00:15:52
friends here.
00:15:53
>> Yeah. you get to see people,
00:15:54
>> you know, it's nice, but I'd rather be
00:15:56
at home doing podcasts and hanging out
00:15:58
with my boys and I'm I'm finally getting
00:16:00
to the point where it's like, okay, what
00:16:02
where am I? I'm I'm really trying to be
00:16:04
more purposeful.
00:16:05
>> It's good that you went so you
00:16:06
understand that this is like going to
00:16:08
the island of of, you know, donkeys that
00:16:11
Pinocchio went to. Now, you know, now
00:16:13
you know.
00:16:14
>> That's not the island I thought you were
00:16:15
going to reference, but I'll I'll I'll
00:16:17
stick with And by the way, again, it's
00:16:19
been a month since they were supposed to
00:16:21
release the Epstein files, and we're
00:16:22
going to keep a ticker on that one cuz
00:16:24
they're violating the law.
00:16:26
>> What is your perception of it as an
00:16:28
outsider? Sometimes it's hard to read
00:16:29
the label from inside of the bottle.
00:16:31
>> Honestly, there's all kind all manner of
00:16:33
nonsense going on in um and and really
00:16:36
violent nonsense, most perpetrated by
00:16:39
largely the government. Um going into
00:16:41
houses whenever they feel like it. There
00:16:43
was one photo that I actually was with
00:16:45
my mom last night and I put on CNN cuz I
00:16:48
happen to be on CNN talking about
00:16:50
Darius.
00:16:50
>> The guy in the bathrobe.
00:16:52
>> Uh, yes. The guy, not the bathrobe. No.
00:16:54
No. Yes, that too. But there was like 10
00:16:57
ICE officers in front of a small house.
00:17:00
Looked like a very lovely house. There
00:17:02
was no criminals inside. Each of them
00:17:04
with an AK-47 like mushed up near the
00:17:08
front of the door. And my mom was like,
00:17:10
"What are they doing?" And I was like,
00:17:12
"Oh, there's there's one illegal
00:17:14
possible illegal immigrant in there."
00:17:16
And she goes, "Why do they need 10
00:17:17
guns?" I'm like, "That's an excellent
00:17:19
question, Lucky." So, I I think, you
00:17:21
know, I think that's you're seeing a lot
00:17:23
of visuals like that. A lot of gas being
00:17:24
put out. And then that tiny Bo, the guy
00:17:27
who's running it there, who is uh there
00:17:30
was the best um uh thread of all time, I
00:17:33
think, where it said um you know, he
00:17:35
looks like they look like they drive a
00:17:37
Subaru. And so he's just he's just a
00:17:40
cheap he looks like a ridiculous tiny
00:17:42
little man. Anyway, okay Scott, let's go
00:17:44
on a quick break. When we come back,
00:17:45
we'll talk about the revelation that
00:17:47
shocker, Doge misused social security
00:17:49
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00:19:50
Scott, we're back with more news. Doge
00:19:51
employees shared social security data
00:19:53
according to court filings. The filings
00:19:55
show that political advocacy group
00:19:57
contacted members of the Doge social uh
00:19:59
security team asking for an analysis of
00:20:01
state voter roles. One of the employees
00:20:03
signed an agreement with the group who
00:20:04
aimed to quote find evidence of voter
00:20:06
fraud and overturn election results in
00:20:08
certain states. No accountability. This
00:20:10
is something we talked about on Pivot
00:20:12
saying this is probably exactly what's
00:20:13
happening. It's very dangerous this data
00:20:15
is being shared. Who knows what else?
00:20:17
And I think at some point we will find
00:20:18
out exactly what was uh what was was
00:20:21
taken and misused. And speaking of Doge,
00:20:24
uh Elon has dropped $10 million in
00:20:27
support of a proTrump Republican
00:20:28
Kentucky Senate candidate Nate Morris
00:20:30
who is running to succeed retiring old
00:20:32
person Mitch McConnell. Um you know,
00:20:34
he's tried to do this. He tried to do it
00:20:36
in Wisconsin. Um so I I don't know what
00:20:39
you think about the Doge thing. I think
00:20:40
it's just of course this is what they
00:20:41
did and hopefully they will be
00:20:43
prosecuted. in terms of Doge like you
00:20:45
called this. You don't give your I'm I'm
00:20:47
much more promiscuous with my data than
00:20:49
you and you said I would never give them
00:20:50
my data but unfortunately the social
00:20:52
security agency you you have to give
00:20:55
them your data. I mean the government
00:20:57
the government knows your HIV status.
00:20:59
>> Yep.
00:20:59
>> You know the government knows how much
00:21:01
money you have, what you do with your
00:21:03
money, who you send it to. You know they
00:21:06
have kind of access to pretty much
00:21:07
everything.
00:21:08
>> Unique data that they need for these
00:21:10
LLMs. By the way,
00:21:11
>> I don't I actually believe in the
00:21:13
government's right to collect data. What
00:21:15
I But I think you have to match that
00:21:17
with really stringent laws that if
00:21:19
you're going to violate that privacy, it
00:21:20
has to be under threat of like domestic,
00:21:22
you know, of terrorism or something.
00:21:23
>> Well, they have no accountability here.
00:21:26
>> Well, yeah, nothing's going to happen,
00:21:27
right? So,
00:21:28
>> I don't think so. I don't believe that.
00:21:29
I think we're going to there's going to
00:21:31
have forensics on this later and we're
00:21:33
going to understand exy,
00:21:36
but what they did here. And I I do know
00:21:38
of tech people taking account of what
00:21:40
happened in cryptocurrency, what's
00:21:42
happening here, and at some point there
00:21:44
will be a reckoning.
00:21:45
>> But do you think people will be punished
00:21:47
for this?
00:21:48
>> I don't know. I I don't think Elon Musk
00:21:49
will necessarily be unless there's, you
00:21:51
know, signs of, you know, take the take
00:21:54
the stuff and run, I suppose. I mean,
00:21:55
but he's just barreling on. Even though
00:21:58
Tesla sales or Cyber Truck sales, what
00:22:00
they sold 20,000 last year, they're
00:22:02
supposed to sell 250,000.
00:22:04
Um, I can't believe they sold 20,000,
00:22:06
but you know, he keeps rolling on. I
00:22:08
think he'll keep rolling on as he
00:22:09
because he can collect money for Grock
00:22:11
or he'll keep doing I just did a show
00:22:13
today on CSAM, which is uh child u
00:22:17
essentially child pornography and he'll
00:22:19
just keep rolling on even though it's
00:22:21
shameful what's happening. The other
00:22:23
thing Netflix has officially updated its
00:22:25
Warner Brothers offer to an allcash deal
00:22:26
replacing the original cash and stock
00:22:28
structure. The latest agreement reduces
00:22:30
the amount of debt uh put on Warner's
00:22:31
spin-off Discovery Global by $260
00:22:34
million. The two companies say the new
00:22:35
structure should allow Warner
00:22:37
shareholders to vote on the deal by
00:22:38
April. Um ALS, but at the same time,
00:22:40
Netflix narrowly beat Wall Street
00:22:42
expectations in its latest earnings. The
00:22:44
company posted $2.4 billion in fourth
00:22:46
quarter profit, up 29% over the year,
00:22:48
but the growth is slowing. Revenue is
00:22:50
projected to grow only about 13% this
00:22:52
year compared to 16% last year. It's
00:22:54
still working well. Netflix shares hit a
00:22:57
52- week low during the trading this
00:22:59
week, which is why they went to all
00:23:00
stock. Uh, I think it's just a matter of
00:23:02
price with this Warner Brothers deal. It
00:23:04
looks like Netflix has the inside edge
00:23:06
at this moment. Um, but I'm not I don't
00:23:09
know any thoughts.
00:23:10
>> Well, they continue. The expectations
00:23:11
are so huge even though they revenue and
00:23:14
earnings topped estimates up 18 and 31%
00:23:17
year-on-year, respectively. Uh, the
00:23:20
stocks been down and they're at a third
00:23:22
of a billion paid global subscribers. Uh
00:23:25
there are a few takeaways from the year.
00:23:27
The content spend ratio um is almost
00:23:30
less than it's ever been, which is good
00:23:31
for shareholders.
00:23:32
>> You you have noted that.
00:23:33
>> Well, in 2015, Netflix spent 85 cents
00:23:36
per $1 of revenue. Right now, they're
00:23:38
spending 38 cents, a 55% decrease, which
00:23:42
says, "All right, we're going to
00:23:43
dominate the market. We're going to take
00:23:45
advantage of our cheap capital,
00:23:46
overspend on content no one can keep up
00:23:48
with us. then we're going to aggregate
00:23:50
an unprecedented number of paid
00:23:51
subscribers and we're going to let
00:23:53
revenue continue to grow and hold our
00:23:56
spending flat. It's a great strategy.
00:23:57
Some people would argue it's predatory
00:23:59
pricing. Uh the advertising business um
00:24:02
still not a big business. I've always
00:24:04
been against it. This year accounted for
00:24:06
3% of Netflix total revenue despite the
00:24:09
fact that advertising revenues are up
00:24:10
two and a half fold from 2024. I think
00:24:12
it's bad for the brand but it's probably
00:24:13
very high margin. And in terms of watch
00:24:16
time, as a as a share of television
00:24:18
watch time, Netflix is sitting at 9%
00:24:20
while YouTube is at 12.7. A combined
00:24:23
Netflix Warner Brothers entity would
00:24:26
garner or register about uh 10.4% of all
00:24:29
watch time.
00:24:30
>> So still under YouTube.
00:24:32
>> Yeah. It's much more p like all watch
00:24:34
time is not created equal, right? Cuz
00:24:36
just like HBO watch time is very
00:24:38
impactful and cultural. It just, you
00:24:41
know, watching Keeping Up with the
00:24:42
Kardashians, no one's going to be at the
00:24:44
Academy Awards from that anyways, but
00:24:46
they're those two, they're kind of
00:24:49
Gangas and Kong and then the Seven
00:24:51
Dwarves. They're so at if they're number
00:24:54
two at 10.4 would be the number three
00:24:57
Disney Plus is at just 4.7.
00:25:00
>> Yeah.
00:25:00
>> So, and I've said this, I like Ted
00:25:02
Sandos a lot. I'm not a huge fan. I
00:25:05
don't know. I'm sort of neutral on the
00:25:06
Ellison. I don't know him. I'm a huge
00:25:07
fan of Ted Sandos. I would rather see
00:25:10
Paramount own this for any other reason
00:25:12
than I think we just need more bulking
00:25:15
up of competitors.
00:25:16
>> Mhm.
00:25:17
>> That's what a lot of people think. Yeah,
00:25:18
>> they
00:25:19
>> I just think they're terrible owners.
00:25:20
>> Yeah. You just don't I I can understand
00:25:22
that viewpoint. You trust Ted more than
00:25:25
you trust the Ellison's. I get that.
00:25:26
>> I just Here's what I think. You know, a
00:25:28
lot of people are making a lot of noise
00:25:29
in Hollywood about like, oh, he's
00:25:30
against theaters and Dave will save it.
00:25:32
Dave is not capable of saving it. for
00:25:35
one the the theatrical experience and
00:25:37
con to me I'm a consumer person
00:25:39
consumers if they wanted to go to the
00:25:40
theater they'd go to the [ __ ] theater
00:25:42
and they don't they go to the theater
00:25:43
when they want to and the theater
00:25:45
experience is declined because of
00:25:47
theaters not because of consumers and
00:25:49
not because of Ted Sarando so blaming
00:25:51
him for that is just he's just doing is
00:25:53
he's just following the trends and
00:25:56
consumers have spoken and I'm I'm a
00:25:58
consumer person in the end of the day
00:25:59
and if they put out like the Oscar
00:26:01
nominations just came out today yay
00:26:03
golden uh Uh but um but I just like
00:26:07
people if they wanted to go to the
00:26:08
theaters they go to the theaters and you
00:26:10
no no Rich Ellison person is going to
00:26:12
save it. Uh I don't care how many you
00:26:15
know James Camerons or Gris Nolan scream
00:26:18
about it. If if you make movies that
00:26:19
people want to see in theaters they
00:26:20
will. That's it. And so I'm not going to
00:26:23
put that on him. I'm just not I just
00:26:25
it's his business to do what is best for
00:26:27
his business. And so that's just my
00:26:29
>> Well, Carney summarized it and it's it's
00:26:31
apppropo here. Nostalgia is not a
00:26:33
strategy,
00:26:33
>> right? Exactly.
00:26:34
>> And show me a director claiming how it's
00:26:36
all collective. We need to go to movies.
00:26:37
I'm going to show you someone who gets
00:26:38
every Academy Academy Award film
00:26:40
>> in his links sent to him and watches it
00:26:42
in his home theater. You want an
00:26:43
interesting stat? And by I mean, and
00:26:45
also what is a theater, what isn't? Um,
00:26:48
my 15-year-old best theater experience
00:26:50
of recent memory, he called me. He could
00:26:53
not have been more excited. He went and
00:26:54
watched the final of Stranger Things
00:26:56
>> in a theater.
00:26:57
>> Yeah. Sure. If you
00:26:59
>> It was just amazing. He was just totally
00:27:00
blown away by it. Yeah,
00:27:02
>> here here's a fun stat. Since the first
00:27:04
bids were due for Warner Brothers,
00:27:06
Netflix stock is down 20%.
00:27:09
That's an enormous uh shedding. And the
00:27:12
real is ask the motor shown only one in
00:27:15
three acquisitions ever pay off for
00:27:17
shareholders and Netflix
00:27:18
>> probably a good one for them from the
00:27:20
content perspective. They would be able
00:27:22
to
00:27:22
>> at what price though? That's that's
00:27:24
right. At some point at some point
00:27:26
everything's a good deal and at some
00:27:27
point everything's a bad deal,
00:27:29
>> right? And also the thing about Netflix
00:27:32
is they have and the reason why Apple
00:27:34
has been very disciplined and not that
00:27:35
inquisitive. Netflix has an outstanding
00:27:38
culture.
00:27:39
>> The I got that. Did you get that deck?
00:27:41
Netflix I mean Ted doesn't I should tell
00:27:44
Ted this.
00:27:44
>> Ted and Reed kind of changed my approach
00:27:46
to business. Mhm.
00:27:47
>> I used to think of compensation as I
00:27:49
want to pay people as little as
00:27:50
possible, give them equity and create a
00:27:53
nice environment and and try and
00:27:55
generate profit so ultimately I can sell
00:27:57
it and then everyone is happy because
00:27:59
they have equity. But I was always
00:28:00
trying to constantly I don't say
00:28:02
underpay yeah underpay. I was always
00:28:04
trying to find ways where I could pay
00:28:05
less than market such that I could have
00:28:07
a cash flow positive company. Some of
00:28:08
that was out of necessity cuz a lot of
00:28:10
these companies I bootstrapped Netflix
00:28:13
had uh you know that document that
00:28:15
leaked about their culture. Yeah.
00:28:17
>> And a key component of their culture is
00:28:18
they say we want exceptionally well
00:28:20
compensated employees. But now I it's
00:28:23
totally switched my mind around
00:28:24
compensation. I'm
00:28:26
>> I mean granted I'm in a different
00:28:27
position now and I can monetize other
00:28:28
things but I try to pay people between
00:28:30
30 and 50% more the market. And what I
00:28:33
find is well one if you have the money
00:28:34
it's a good thing to do and stop
00:28:36
bitching about income inequality and
00:28:37
live up to it. And two, it red it's like
00:28:41
such a luxury because you when you o
00:28:44
over when you pay people really well I
00:28:45
won't say overcompensate you have no
00:28:47
churn and it just is so much it's so
00:28:50
nice not to get a call on a Friday and
00:28:51
I'm hexing myself and saying oh I'm I'm
00:28:54
giving my you know two weeks not oh [ __ ]
00:28:57
anyway
00:28:58
>> expect that call on Friday from me okay
00:29:00
>> really call no
00:29:01
>> you're going to semaphore
00:29:02
>> no I'm not
00:29:03
>> you're going to go media if
00:29:06
>> you're going to know No. Um, you know,
00:29:08
it's interesting what'll happen here. I
00:29:09
think what it'll be is how much is that
00:29:11
stub is worth that extra part and
00:29:13
comparing them and it'll be come down to
00:29:15
money as we've said again and again and
00:29:17
again. I do think Netflix is the
00:29:19
superior buyer largely because I think
00:29:23
Paramount has to buy something. That is
00:29:24
absolutely true. And if they were better
00:29:26
owners, I might be more amendable to it.
00:29:29
But I find what they're doing over at
00:29:30
CVS, even though it's a small little
00:29:32
thing is soiling themselves on a daily.
00:29:35
So even those small decisions are bad.
00:29:37
So I don't expect good decisions from
00:29:38
them. That's the last thing in media.
00:29:40
The FCC says daytime and nighttime talk
00:29:42
shows aren't automatically exempt from
00:29:44
the political equal time rule anymore.
00:29:46
That means if they host a candidate,
00:29:48
they may have to offer equal airtime to
00:29:49
opposing candidates. Talk shows have
00:29:51
previously qualified for an exemption to
00:29:53
the rule for like ever. It's clearly
00:29:55
aimed at late night hosts like Coaron
00:29:57
Kimmel, maybe John Stewart, although
00:29:59
John Stewart has more different people
00:30:00
on. But is this is ridiculous. This is
00:30:02
this is Brandon Carr that thirsty cho
00:30:05
doing it again. I mean, it's the same
00:30:07
thing. He failed last time by
00:30:09
threatening them and this is a threat, I
00:30:11
suppose. Whatever.
00:30:12
>> Yeah, I actually like this law, but this
00:30:14
is an abuse of it. I think I I think
00:30:17
it's a good law that you try and give
00:30:18
people equal time such that one party
00:30:21
doesn't weaponize the media. But this is
00:30:23
just an abuse of it. And I think where
00:30:25
it'll come back to haunt them and why
00:30:26
this will go nowhere is someone's going
00:30:27
to say, "Well, what about AM Talk Radio,
00:30:29
which is dominated by Republicans."
00:30:31
>> Correct. That is great. Yeah.
00:30:32
>> And what is what is TV and what is radio
00:30:35
when now radio and podcast are now TV
00:30:38
shows just a lower means of production.
00:30:40
So I don't think this is going to hold
00:30:42
the test of any sort of legal test that
00:30:44
their buddies over at Newscore or Sirius
00:30:47
radio or whoever it is are going to
00:30:49
want. Okay, you set this precedent.
00:30:51
We're all we're all
00:30:53
>> bring over the lesbian Cara Swisser over
00:30:55
to Newsmax. Whatever.
00:30:59
Oh, as if I'd talk to I I would talk to
00:31:00
my pillow lady who's getting ratioed by
00:31:03
Ilan Omar every day and I'd talk to her.
00:31:05
I would just to just do the same thing.
00:31:08
But yeah, it's ridiculous. It's aimed at
00:31:09
Colurn and Kimmer and they'll just have
00:31:10
Marjorie Tele on. Fine, Brandon, you
00:31:13
piece of [ __ ] Anyway,
00:31:14
>> how do you really feel?
00:31:15
>> Let's go on a quick break. When we come
00:31:17
back, we'll talk about the latest in
00:31:19
Minnesota. By the way, Brandon Carr, I'm
00:31:21
going to be following you after you're
00:31:22
out of office, just so you know. I'll be
00:31:24
watching you.
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00:33:41
Scott, we're back with more news.
00:33:43
Federal officials launched what they're
00:33:44
calling Operation Catch of the Day with
00:33:47
ICE. Oh god, they're so awful. With ICE
00:33:49
officer targeting Somali communities, JD
00:33:51
Vance is expected to visit Minneapolis
00:33:53
as we tape as a show of support to
00:33:55
federal immigration enforcement
00:33:56
operations there. Oh, ICE agents in
00:33:59
Minnesota have detained at least four
00:34:01
kids from the same school district this
00:34:03
month, including a 5-year-old boy in
00:34:04
order to catch his parents. Tensions are
00:34:07
already running high following the Renee
00:34:08
Good shooting. There was a release of
00:34:10
her autopsy. It looks like he shot well
00:34:13
after he had to through the head. The
00:34:15
first two shots were were not great, but
00:34:19
they didn't kill her. The third one did,
00:34:21
so he didn't have to shoot her. Hundreds
00:34:23
of Minnesota businesses are planning to
00:34:24
shut down Friday in protest of ICE
00:34:26
activity in the state. I happen to be
00:34:28
interviewing uh Minneapolis Mayor Jacob
00:34:30
Pride today, so I'll hear the latest.
00:34:32
Where do we go from here? Well, the the
00:34:35
thing that struck me, I don't know if
00:34:36
you saw this, but
00:34:38
the best argument I think around the
00:34:42
second amendment or protection of the
00:34:43
second amendment even in the face of the
00:34:45
original, you know, the original authors
00:34:49
or the original founders, it could not
00:34:50
have conceived of what these weapons
00:34:52
would do right now is that every time we
00:34:56
have
00:34:58
people know where guns are, it's been
00:35:00
used to the Nazis when they rolled into
00:35:02
a place just went and found where the
00:35:04
Guns were registered, took the guns
00:35:05
away, and then Nazis showed up and had
00:35:07
there was no ability for uh civilians to
00:35:10
push back. Okay, so we have guns
00:35:13
everywhere. We have a mass police force
00:35:15
showing up. Where are the people with
00:35:17
the guns? And the answer is they've
00:35:19
started showing up in Minnesota. And
00:35:21
that is there are some neighborhoods,
00:35:23
have you seen this, where people are
00:35:24
outside on patrols with guns saying,
00:35:28
"Sorry, don't come to my neighborhood."
00:35:30
I'm not endorsing this. I think it's,
00:35:32
you know, fascism can come from the far
00:35:34
right or the far left, but this does
00:35:36
feel like they're risking and like
00:35:38
they're begging for or prompting
00:35:41
for pretty serious violence and an
00:35:45
excuse to start firing on civilians. I
00:35:48
think quite frankly Minnesota leadership
00:35:49
looks weak here. I just would have I I
00:35:52
don't I feel sorry for them. They're
00:35:53
flatfooted. I don't know how they
00:35:54
respond, but if if
00:35:57
>> what do they do? They're abusing
00:35:59
citizens. What can they do? resist
00:36:00
these. These people have enormous
00:36:02
firepower.
00:36:03
>> I'm not suggesting they show up with zip
00:36:05
ties and bullet vest. I just I quite
00:36:07
frankly care. I I hate to I think
00:36:08
Governor Walls looks really weak here.
00:36:10
>> Okay. Again, you're focused on the
00:36:11
Democrats. I'd like you to focus on
00:36:13
>> I'm focus on actually both sides to be a
00:36:14
critical thinker.
00:36:15
>> But a critical thinker would say what do
00:36:17
what what is happening with the people
00:36:18
that actually have the guns and are
00:36:21
abusing their the government power? I'd
00:36:23
like
00:36:23
>> I've just said the mass police reminds
00:36:25
people the stazzy. I'm I'm I think it's
00:36:27
horrible and I think that Democratic
00:36:29
senators should write up basically make
00:36:31
it clear we're coming for you and the
00:36:33
statute of limitations does not expire
00:36:35
for these types of crimes. Having said
00:36:37
that, I don't I feel like no one is
00:36:40
really stepping into the void of of kind
00:36:43
of of of leadership here and standing up
00:36:46
and saying, "All right, I mean, and I
00:36:48
don't I I empathize with them. I don't
00:36:50
know I'm not sure what I would do. I
00:36:52
don't I don't know how you handle this
00:36:53
situation. I gotta be honest. I don't
00:36:55
think this is I I would I'd be very
00:36:58
interested to see I don't think the
00:36:59
leadership of Minnesota and I may I
00:37:02
sympathetic
00:37:04
>> very vocal they've been very
00:37:06
>> well the mayor has been that's a good
00:37:08
example that I think that's a fair point
00:37:09
>> so has the senator Tina Smith so has
00:37:12
Senator Clolobachar I I feel like you're
00:37:14
not
00:37:14
>> what is Senator Clolobashar said
00:37:16
>> she's been all over the talking about
00:37:18
we're going to come back when this is
00:37:19
over we they're we want to tamp down the
00:37:22
violence at the same time there this
00:37:25
over abuse of power. They're saying the
00:37:26
things you want. I just the the these
00:37:30
these have these people have impunity.
00:37:31
They just don't stop if you you know and
00:37:34
I think the question is the only way to
00:37:36
stop them is to attack them which you
00:37:38
can't do like you can't do. And you
00:37:41
know, I I think the citizens of
00:37:42
Minnesota who have who have a history
00:37:45
like hund decades of this kind of
00:37:49
resistance for ye for long long long
00:37:51
long time are the ones showing the real
00:37:53
bravery here.
00:37:54
>> Agreed. But who would you who would you
00:37:57
identify as quote unquote the leader and
00:37:59
push back of resistance here? Is it the
00:38:00
mayor of Minneapolis? Is it the Sen
00:38:02
Senator Clolobashar? Who is it? I think
00:38:04
a lot of this the the the local
00:38:06
officials being very vocal and I think
00:38:08
judges are trying to pull it back. I
00:38:10
just think these people just keep going.
00:38:12
I think they don't I think Stephen
00:38:14
Miller just says okay when they when
00:38:16
they shoot a woman through the head
00:38:17
their next move is yeah now you can go
00:38:19
into their houses even if they're not
00:38:21
criminals essentially. And so I just
00:38:24
don't know what the response is except
00:38:26
shooting at them. And I don't and I
00:38:28
think that leads to a really and that's
00:38:30
what that's why they've got these people
00:38:32
these the government is if you're going
00:38:34
to behave like thugs the only response
00:38:37
is thuggishness right that actually is
00:38:39
effective and then you're kind of like
00:38:42
let's let me do this on a local level
00:38:44
after Fox News said that gangs of
00:38:45
deluded moms were harassing ace agents
00:38:48
Amanda and I made a funny video but we
00:38:50
wanted to ask someone to call in and
00:38:52
tell us about their experiences. Let's
00:38:54
hear one. These are average citizens.
00:38:56
Let's hear one. Hey Scott and Cara. My
00:38:58
name is Annie and I'm a mom who lives in
00:39:00
Minneapolis. I've been helping to resist
00:39:02
ICE by driving kids to and from school
00:39:03
every day. What we need to do is get
00:39:05
kids to the classroom to learn. If their
00:39:07
parents are too afraid to leave the
00:39:08
house and too afraid to go to the bus
00:39:10
stop, then this is where we can step in
00:39:11
and help. Um, are these the actions of a
00:39:13
leftist terrorist group? I don't think
00:39:16
so. I think it's just people deciding
00:39:18
that this is the right thing to do. So,
00:39:20
if that makes me part of the diluted
00:39:21
wine mom's club, then I will proudly
00:39:24
wear it like a badge of honor. Thanks.
00:39:27
>> One more.
00:39:28
>> Hi, Scott and Cara. And by which I
00:39:29
really mean Cara and Amanda, diluted
00:39:32
wine mom. I am the mother of a
00:39:34
seven-year-old about 25 minutes south of
00:39:36
St. Paul. And I got myself tailed by ice
00:39:40
on Thursday last week. Um, the crime I
00:39:44
committed essentially was taking a photo
00:39:47
of the license plate of the Florida
00:39:49
plates on only the back of his vehicle
00:39:51
and giving him a dirty look, which he
00:39:53
very well deserved. Um, about 15 minutes
00:39:55
later, he took my picture, I took his
00:39:58
picture, and then 15 minutes later,
00:40:00
after picking up my child at school, I
00:40:03
found a very large black SUV following
00:40:05
me very close range for five minutes
00:40:08
felt like about an hour. So, fun times
00:40:11
here.
00:40:12
>> These are Scott, I mean, people are
00:40:14
trying to do things and it reminds me a
00:40:16
little bit.
00:40:16
>> Terry, I don't put words in my mouth.
00:40:17
You're making it sound like I don't I
00:40:18
don't stand behind the public.
00:40:21
>> Okay, go ahead. Go ahead. I I think what
00:40:24
the young the young woman who said that
00:40:26
she is shuttling kids to school. I think
00:40:28
the efforts to provide food to people
00:40:31
who might be harassed by ICE so they
00:40:33
don't have to leave their house. I I I
00:40:35
you know I salute the people of
00:40:36
Minneapolis doing whatever they can. Um
00:40:39
I'm disappointed that there doesn't
00:40:41
appear to be a Democratic leader
00:40:43
standing up in Minnesota or anywhere
00:40:45
else showing anything resembling I mean
00:40:48
like we need a leader. We we need
00:40:51
somebody who is and I I get that this is
00:40:54
a very difficult situation
00:40:56
but I I I feel as if okay we need
00:41:00
somebody to and again I've said this
00:41:02
before why do they know why are they
00:41:05
violating everyone else's privacy and
00:41:08
someone hasn't come out and said okay
00:41:10
we're smart people we know how to use
00:41:12
the internet and here are the people
00:41:13
that we believe have committed or are
00:41:15
accompllices to murder and seconddegree
00:41:17
murder and the Renee good case and these
00:41:19
are these this is the criminal
00:41:20
prosecution papers we're planning to
00:41:22
file which will be outside of the
00:41:24
statute of limitations
00:41:26
and so on has said this I think what
00:41:29
you're talking about is someone like
00:41:30
Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeff and I
00:41:32
agree with you 100%
00:41:34
Nuome has certainly talked about it a
00:41:36
lot Josh Shapiro has talked about it a
00:41:38
lot um anyone you haven't heard a lot
00:41:41
from some of the other presidential
00:41:42
candidates but you've you know I thought
00:41:44
that Pritsker stood up quite a bit when
00:41:46
they
00:41:46
>> I think every presidential candidate I
00:41:47
mean I mean that's kind of I think every
00:41:49
presidential candidate should be in
00:41:50
Minneapolis right now.
00:41:51
>> I agree.
00:41:52
>> And peaceful protests, not threatening
00:41:55
anyone physically, but you know, just
00:41:58
there. And and I I don't This is
00:42:02
what's going on here is contrary to the
00:42:05
very reason America was founded. The
00:42:07
reason we started this experiment was we
00:42:10
didn't want to be abused by a monarch
00:42:13
who had no checks and no no balances and
00:42:16
no control that could just abuse
00:42:18
citizens. based on what they felt was
00:42:20
advantageous for them or their blood
00:42:21
sugar level. And that's what's going on
00:42:24
here. But I'm I'm disappointed in the
00:42:26
Democratic party that I it strikes me.
00:42:30
It's like it feels like there needs to
00:42:32
be a leader here. And it's not obvious
00:42:34
to me who that is.
00:42:35
>> I was listening to Rachel Madd's uh Burn
00:42:37
Order, which is about Japanese
00:42:38
internment camps, and two two groups of
00:42:40
people stand out to me. One are Quakers
00:42:43
who threw blankets and everything up
00:42:45
over these uh internment camps even as
00:42:47
the army was lying about what they were
00:42:49
which was you know which was astonishing
00:42:52
that they did this which I mean blankets
00:42:54
does it end it? No. But it helps just
00:42:56
like these this symbolic women driving
00:42:59
these kids right that is critically
00:43:01
important for citizens to get out there
00:43:03
even and there's a lot of videos of just
00:43:05
average citizens who are like have never
00:43:07
come out and is like I'm sick of this
00:43:08
[ __ ] I love that. But one of the people
00:43:11
that it reminds me of is this guy,
00:43:13
Governor, Colorado Governor Ralph Carr.
00:43:15
He opposed the intern and Japanese
00:43:18
Americans. He called it
00:43:19
unconstitutional. He welcomed him to
00:43:21
Colorado. He cost him politically. He
00:43:23
lost because of all this anti-Japanese
00:43:25
sentiment. He thought denying rights
00:43:27
based on ancestry was undermining the
00:43:29
American system and and and he welcomed
00:43:33
them. And he he was it was unpopular and
00:43:36
he he the downfall of political career.
00:43:38
Now, there's lots of things named after
00:43:40
him in Colorado, but he took it was a
00:43:43
price. It was an absolute price for this
00:43:45
guy and the backlash was significant at
00:43:47
the time, but if you think about those
00:43:49
kind of things, you you do need a
00:43:51
political figure like this even if at
00:43:53
great cost. And you're absolutely right
00:43:55
and they do have to put their bodies on
00:43:57
the line and their political
00:43:59
reputations. But to me, this is going to
00:44:01
be citizens going to push back here
00:44:02
because that's how the Minnesota way.
00:44:04
And one thing I really appreciate these
00:44:06
moms um calling in. This is the kind of
00:44:09
stuff you need to do. None of them.
00:44:11
They're just exercising their rights as
00:44:13
citizens of the United States and they
00:44:15
do not seem particularly dangerous to
00:44:17
me. Um so I think that's a good thing.
00:44:19
I'm sorry I wasn't meaning to put words
00:44:21
in your mouth. I just think the focus
00:44:23
unfortunately it's going to be on
00:44:25
citizens.
00:44:26
>> No. And you're right. It's clear I
00:44:27
haven't I haven't registered nor paid
00:44:30
attention to some of you know for
00:44:32
example Senator Clolobashar and what
00:44:34
they have said and I do empathize with
00:44:36
like you know the point is okay what
00:44:38
exactly do you do with people with
00:44:41
federal government who have mandated
00:44:43
weaponry. Um, the whole thing is
00:44:49
again I I I'm I'm waiting for the
00:44:53
Democrat to say
00:44:55
this is who we're who we're we are going
00:44:58
after these folks. I think you are
00:45:00
breaking laws and if you break more
00:45:01
laws, we're coming for you.
00:45:03
>> We're keep We're keeping names. We're
00:45:04
taking
00:45:05
>> We're taking names.
00:45:06
>> We're taking names. Yeah, I agree with
00:45:07
you.
00:45:07
>> It may take us 36 months before we can
00:45:09
do anything,
00:45:10
>> but 36 months goes fast.
00:45:12
>> Yeah, absolutely. I think it's um you
00:45:15
know I I think it's sad for the people
00:45:17
having to do it but that's but but
00:45:19
they're also doing it without stopping
00:45:21
and I get they need money but there's
00:45:23
other ways to people hate them. People
00:45:26
hate them and that's not no way to live.
00:45:27
One more quick break. We'll be back for
00:45:29
predictions and Cara's wins and fails.
00:45:31
>> Nice.
00:45:33
Support for the show comes from Mint
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00:46:35
>> Okay, Scott, let's hear your prediction
00:46:36
and then I will say my wins and fails.
00:46:39
So,
00:46:41
if there is an upside, and I I don't it
00:46:43
it would be impossible to call this an
00:46:44
upside, but I do think that there may be
00:46:50
some element of distraction around this
00:46:52
Greenland [ __ ] I won't even give that
00:46:54
credit. Bottom line is my prediction is
00:46:57
that I think we're about to see the US
00:47:00
um conduct a military strike on Iran. I
00:47:04
think you look the USS Abraham Lincoln
00:47:07
carrier strike force. By the way, this
00:47:09
is none of this is confidential
00:47:11
information. It's all been reported. The
00:47:13
fueling tankers that basically give you
00:47:15
like a gas station in the sky. Many of
00:47:17
them were relocated to bases in the
00:47:19
region. And some of that just might be
00:47:21
okay. The region is a bit hot right now.
00:47:23
So, we want additional kinetic power
00:47:25
there. But I think one I think it's the
00:47:29
right thing to do. I think we have an
00:47:30
unbelievable opportunity here to topple
00:47:32
a regime who's been the primary funer of
00:47:34
terror terror and the most oppressive
00:47:36
regime
00:47:37
maybe globally in a long time and is
00:47:40
really deeply weakened. I interviewed
00:47:42
Neil Ferguson yesterday, the historian
00:47:45
for the Profod and he I asked him what
00:47:48
is the likelihood the regime survives if
00:47:50
we don't intervene in a coordinated
00:47:52
strike and he put it at 90%.
00:47:55
>> Yeah.
00:47:55
>> He said they'll just tamp down the
00:47:57
protesters. They t
00:47:58
>> Well, yeah. when you start killing
00:47:59
people. Right.
00:48:00
>> Exactly.
00:48:01
>> You can do the right thing for the wrong
00:48:03
reasons. I think Trump is going to do
00:48:05
this cuz I think he absolutely loved the
00:48:07
macho Tarzan light that Venezuela
00:48:10
provided him.
00:48:11
>> He Yeah, was he was jonesing for
00:48:12
something like that and it gets away
00:48:13
from the Epstein files again. 34 days.
00:48:16
Turn them over, Pam. Pam, it's a law.
00:48:19
Turn him over. Yeah, I agree with you. I
00:48:21
think that's exactly right. I am going
00:48:22
to do wins and fails. I uh the Oscars
00:48:24
weren't released yet. I'm going to do
00:48:25
something lighter because this has been
00:48:26
a heavy situation despite the fact that
00:48:28
I I really enjoy your Davos stories. Um
00:48:31
uh I I'm really the Oscars came out a
00:48:34
lot of great movies this year 100%. But
00:48:36
I was actually very heartened to see
00:48:38
someone like Kate Hudson get a get an
00:48:39
Oscar nomination. I think
00:48:40
>> what's she been nominated for
00:48:42
>> for uh song sungl
00:48:47
Jesse Buckley from Hamnet. There's a
00:48:49
bunch of others who are probably more
00:48:51
actor. Uh, but I think she's a
00:48:53
hardworking, you know, she's the
00:48:55
daughter obviously of Goldie Han, but
00:48:56
she's done some amazing work and, uh,
00:48:58
including comedy, more serious stuff,
00:49:00
almost Famous.
00:49:01
>> Absolutely. Almost famous or absolute
00:49:03
famous. What was that?
00:49:04
>> Almost famous with Cameron Crow movie.
00:49:06
She was wonderful in that movie. But I
00:49:08
think she's a hardworking and she's in a
00:49:10
a Netflix series I like a lot um about
00:49:12
the LA Lakers essentially. And she's she
00:49:15
I took, as I said, I took my wife Amanda
00:49:17
who was like gay nuda. I really I've
00:49:20
interviewed her once many years ago and
00:49:22
I really like her and um just a lovely
00:49:26
smart thoughtful person and uh she uh
00:49:29
Amanda was like Kate Hudson and then she
00:49:31
came out she goes that was an
00:49:32
astonishing acting. I was not expecting
00:49:34
how layered and good that was and so uh
00:49:37
so anyway so she was I just feel good
00:49:40
for her good for her to get in there. I
00:49:41
don't I doubt she'll win but uh I think
00:49:44
it's a nice job you should see the
00:49:45
movie. It's it's if you feel bad go see
00:49:47
that movie. It's it's sort of like
00:49:48
Heated Rival. feel bad, watch it. Um,
00:49:51
and then I'm just going to two wins. Uh,
00:49:53
again with the heated rivalry, one of
00:49:54
the funniest things happening on the
00:49:56
internet, this is not a new thing, are
00:49:57
people acting out scenes from heated
00:50:00
rivalry in public and putting them
00:50:01
online and they are so funny. They are
00:50:04
so they made me laugh my ass off. There
00:50:07
was one where the two guys were doing it
00:50:08
in the DMV in front of this woman and
00:50:10
she was just watching the whole thing
00:50:12
and it just get the feeling. One of the
00:50:15
things that was really interesting is
00:50:16
Esther Pel talked about the reason
00:50:18
people like Hito Ravu which is sort of
00:50:19
the the media of the moment really um
00:50:22
and it's because she was saying that it
00:50:24
makes you feel better about the outcome
00:50:26
that you're expecting the hit and you
00:50:28
don't get the hit, you get the right
00:50:29
response from people and it retrains you
00:50:32
to think everybody's not evil
00:50:34
essentially. Like I I know as a gay
00:50:36
person watching it like I was waiting
00:50:38
for someone to get beaten up. I was
00:50:40
waiting for some rejection or some
00:50:42
ugliness and it all the answers are
00:50:44
good. And so I I'm going to go watch it
00:50:47
a second time because I was just sitting
00:50:48
there waiting for the bad news as a gay
00:50:50
person because it always comes in those
00:50:52
depictions and in life. Um so it was uh
00:50:56
not any not as much anymore but in
00:50:59
definitely in my younger life. So uh I I
00:51:02
just thought that was great. That was
00:51:04
great too. I'm going to do two wins. I
00:51:05
don't have
00:51:05
>> I know. I I don't even see movies
00:51:07
anymore. I already know who's going to
00:51:08
win the Oscar. Who?
00:51:09
>> Well, you just tell me which film has
00:51:11
the following. Um, it's a quoteunquote
00:51:14
brave film, which means which is Latin
00:51:16
for it has sad people, foreign accents,
00:51:20
subtitles, or it's a it's a biopic where
00:51:23
someone discovers racism in the third
00:51:24
act. Which movie is that?
00:51:26
>> Is it Hamnit? No. One battle after I'm
00:51:29
asking you. I really don't know.
00:51:30
>> Oh, no. I They're all very good movies.
00:51:32
They're all They are These are not These
00:51:34
movies that are being nominated are
00:51:36
terrific, actually.
00:51:37
>> Yeah. All these actors claim they hate
00:51:38
sequels unless it's the same movie about
00:51:40
Hollywood loving itself which they
00:51:42
remake every sinners would win but I
00:51:44
don't think
00:51:44
>> is that a good film. You like that?
00:51:45
>> Yes. Yes. I love that movie. I thought
00:51:47
it was great and I wish I you know
00:51:50
actually when I was looking at the
00:51:51
nominations I was like and I don't think
00:51:53
that show matters anymore or those the
00:51:55
Oscars necessarily matter but they're
00:51:57
they're all good. I was like oh I'd have
00:51:59
a hard time picking here and every one
00:52:01
of the actresses is terrific. Every one
00:52:03
of the actors terrific supporting. The
00:52:05
only thing that has to win um is Golden
00:52:08
from K-pop Demon Hunters. Thank you.
00:52:10
That was the only thing I would have to
00:52:11
say. Song of the year. And again, a
00:52:13
happy song. I'm going to leave on a
00:52:14
happy note. That's what I'm doing.
00:52:15
>> I'm not going to talk about other things
00:52:17
like that. Anyway, uh we want to hear
00:52:20
from you. Uh send us your questions
00:52:21
about business, tech, or whatever's on
00:52:23
your mind. Go to nymag.com/pivot to
00:52:25
submit a question for the show or call
00:52:26
85551 pivot. Before we go, Scott, you
00:52:29
also got a shout out from Michelle Obama
00:52:31
on Call Her Daddy podcast. It's such a
00:52:34
combination, Caller Daddy and Michelle
00:52:36
Obama. As someone who's done important
00:52:38
work on how social media is affecting
00:52:40
children, people should go check that
00:52:43
episode out. Congratulations. It was
00:52:45
very lovely to hear that. I have a lot
00:52:46
of people writing me about you. Uh,
00:52:49
meanwhile, Cara Swisser is getting some
00:52:51
accolades of her own. Let's play a
00:52:52
voicemail I got this week on my phone.
00:52:55
>> If this is Karen Cara Swisser's number,
00:52:59
I just wanted to relay that she's a
00:53:00
[ __ ] piece of [ __ ]
00:53:04
Oh, thank you for that.
00:53:05
>> That's it.
00:53:07
>> It's for Please come back and tell me
00:53:10
what it's for. I really appreciate that.
00:53:12
Oh my god. It's not a number I don't
00:53:14
want to use, actually.
00:53:15
>> What did you do to air?
00:53:17
>> I don't know. I don't know. You have
00:53:19
Michelle Obama petting you all over the
00:53:21
place saying you're wonderful. I get
00:53:23
this. I'm a [ __ ] piece of [ __ ]
00:53:25
>> I don't.
00:53:26
>> Anyway,
00:53:27
>> so just uh
00:53:28
>> Yeah,
00:53:29
>> that that pisses me off cuz guess what?
00:53:31
You know who doesn't get voicemails like
00:53:32
that?
00:53:33
>> What?
00:53:34
>> Men.
00:53:35
>> Yeah, they don't. Oh, I get them all the
00:53:36
time.
00:53:37
>> Yeah, they don't.
00:53:38
>> From men, actually. Usually from men.
00:53:40
But actually, this is a woman,
00:53:41
obviously.
00:53:42
>> I don't know. Misogyny is sort of a
00:53:44
universal practice. It's not limited. I
00:53:46
I It's probably unfair to call her
00:53:47
misogynist. Maybe she feels wrong by you
00:53:48
or whatever. But I'm not exaggerating. I
00:53:50
get a lot of [ __ ] posting online. No one
00:53:52
ever like calls me anything.
00:53:54
>> Oh, I get it all the time.
00:53:56
>> Yeah. And there's just a different level
00:53:58
of um
00:54:01
Anyways, I don't know.
00:54:02
>> I did seriously think it was my mother
00:54:03
at first.
00:54:05
>> That's lucky on Mother's Day.
00:54:07
>> By the way, our producers are so they
00:54:10
can call and leave you a message if
00:54:12
you're feeling left out.
00:54:14
>> Yeah. No, I have to I I like to pay
00:54:16
people to leave those kinds of messages
00:54:18
for me.
00:54:19
>> Yeah.
00:54:19
>> I know. Well, I just wanted to play it
00:54:21
because, you know, lady, if you're going
00:54:22
to leave me a [ __ ] [ __ ] message,
00:54:24
I'm playing it and using it as content
00:54:26
and also say why, but [ __ ] you. Like,
00:54:28
anyway, uh I don't really care. Anyway,
00:54:30
that's the show. Thanks for listening to
00:54:32
Pivot and be sure to like and subscribe
00:54:34
to our YouTube channel. We'll be back
00:54:37
next week.
00:54:38
>> Make sure to follow Pivot on your
00:54:39
favorite podcast platform. Thanks for
00:54:41
listening to Pivot from New York
00:54:42
Magazine and Vox Media. You can
00:54:43
subscribe to the magazine at
00:54:44
ninemmag.com/pod.
00:54:46
We'll be back next week for another
00:54:48
breakdown of all things tech and
00:54:49
business.

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Episode Highlights

  • Davos Vibe Check
    The atmosphere at Davos is described as unsettling, with a mix of arrogance and chaos among attendees. "We’re a baby with an AR-15."
    “It’s the least sexy gathering in the world.”
    @ 02m 04s
    January 23, 2026
  • Trump's Davos Speech
    Trump's speech at Davos was criticized for its aggressive tone and lack of coherence, leaving many attendees unsettled. He seemed to grip the podium as if to save his life.
    “He repeated his desire to acquire Greenland or Iceland.”
    @ 11m 21s
    January 23, 2026
  • Mark Carney's Powerful Speech
    Mark Carney delivered a memorable speech at Davos, emphasizing the need for honesty and cooperation in a fractured world. "Nostalgia is not a strategy."
    “Nostalgia is not a strategy.”
    @ 13m 12s
    January 23, 2026
  • Doge Data Misuse
    Court filings reveal Doge employees shared social security data to find evidence of voter fraud.
    “No accountability. This is something we talked about on Pivot.”
    @ 20m 10s
    January 23, 2026
  • Netflix's Strategic Shift
    Netflix updates its Warner Brothers offer to an all-cash deal, reducing debt by $260 million.
    “It looks like Netflix has the inside edge at this moment.”
    @ 22m 34s
    January 23, 2026
  • FCC's New Rule on Talk Shows
    The FCC states that daytime and nighttime talk shows aren't exempt from the political equal time rule anymore.
    “This is clearly aimed at late night hosts like Kimmel.”
    @ 29m 46s
    January 23, 2026
  • Operation Catch of the Day
    Federal officials launch a controversial operation targeting Somali communities, raising tensions.
    “Oh god, they’re so awful.”
    @ 33m 44s
    January 23, 2026
  • Local Resistance to ICE
    Citizens in Minneapolis are stepping up to resist ICE actions, showing bravery and solidarity.
    “I think the citizens of Minnesota showing the real bravery here.”
    @ 37m 53s
    January 23, 2026
  • Political Leadership in Crisis
    Discussion on the lack of strong political leadership in Minnesota during the ICE crisis.
    “I’m disappointed that there doesn’t appear to be a Democratic leader standing up.”
    @ 40m 41s
    January 23, 2026
  • The Power of Media
    Esther Pel discusses how certain media can positively influence perceptions of people.
    “It retrains you to think everybody's not evil.”
    @ 50m 29s
    January 23, 2026
  • Expecting Bad News
    A personal reflection on waiting for negativity in media as a gay person.
    “I was waiting for the bad news as a gay person because it always comes.”
    @ 50m 42s
    January 23, 2026
  • A Happy Note
    The show wraps up with a commitment to positivity.
    “I’m going to leave on a happy note.”
    @ 52m 14s
    January 23, 2026

Episode Quotes

Key Moments

  • Trump's Turbulent Tone11:21
  • Carney's Call to Action13:12
  • Doge Data Scandal19:51
  • FCC Rule Change29:42
  • ICE Protests34:23
  • Political Leadership40:41
  • Positive Ending52:14
  • Gender Dynamics53:31

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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