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Trump’s State of the Union: “High Chance of Crazy” | Pivot

February 24, 2026 / 01:04:10

This episode of Pivot covers the recent blizzard impacting over 40 million people in the US, the killing of a cartel leader in Mexico, and the implications of Donald Trump's tariffs.

Hosts Cara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss the blizzard in New York City, with Scott mentioning his plans to attend an award ceremony in Brooklyn. They then shift to the violent aftermath of a military operation in Mexico that resulted in the death of the Halisco New Generation Cartel leader.

The conversation highlights the structural issues surrounding cartel violence in Mexico, including the integration of cartels into the economy and governance. They also touch on the impact of US drug demand and the changing dynamics of drug trafficking.

Later, they discuss Trump's recent tariff increase and the Supreme Court's ruling against his previous tariffs, emphasizing the political and economic ramifications of his actions. The hosts express concerns about the implications of Trump's approach to trade and governance.

Finally, they mention the upcoming State of the Union address and the reactions from Democrats, including plans for a counter rally.

TL;DR

Pivot discusses a blizzard, cartel violence in Mexico, and Trump's tariff implications.

Video

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The victimization that he has is so
00:00:02
massive, you know, that he's always
00:00:04
being victimized. Someone's always
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[ __ ] him. That's his whole world
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view.
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Hi everyone, this is Pivot from New York
00:00:15
Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast
00:00:17
Network. I'm Cara Swisser.
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>> And I'm Scott Galloway.
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>> Scott, you're missing the blizzard. It's
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outside. I should pull it back.
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>> Is it a bomb cyclone?
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>> It's something else. Can you see that or
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not? I see a city being snowed on by an
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old lady. Um
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leisure
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>> today. It's nuts. It's It is really
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quite a blizzard. It's a blizzard. It's
00:00:40
what's happening here. So, just so you
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know, as we tape, over 40 million people
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in the US are under a blizzard warning,
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by the way, and snow dropping 3 in an
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hour in some locations. It really is
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still going on here in New York. Um and
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it's crazy. It's it's it's there's a lot
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of snow happening. We all thought the
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snow was over. Maybe I'll go take a a
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walk in New York and co walk in the
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Central Park and contemplate my life.
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>> Do what I would do. Go to Shea Margo and
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get [ __ ] up and establish eye contact
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with a nice young Russian lady.
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>> I'm getting an award tonight in
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Brooklyn. I've got to go out there.
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>> Of course you are.
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>> I am. I'm getting the governor's award.
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>> I'm getting an award tonight in
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Brooklyn. That is the most Cara Swisser
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thing ever said.
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>> I'm getting an award in Brooklyn.
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>> Yes, I have to go there. Yeah, it's for
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the ambies.
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>> What do you Okay. All right. Fine. I'll
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play along. There's a podcast. What are
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you getting an award for?
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>> For being old from the governor's award.
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>> The Oscars is a podcast. I thought that
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was the vibes. What? What are those?
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What is it called? The web those. No,
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that's the Oh, the
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>> the signal awards.
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>> No, I don't know. Whatever. They're
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trying to make
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the mic. That's called That's what
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podcast.
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>> This is not the BAFTAs or the Oscars.
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This is the podcast version. I'm getting
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the great contributions to podcasting
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award.
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>> Really?
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>> I guess here's something crazy going on.
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Mexican security forces killed the
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leader of the Halisco New Generation
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Cartel and eight other cartel members in
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a Mexican military operation aided by US
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intelligence support and then they went
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crazy these these cartels and they're
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like they're in Porto Viarda like
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Captain Stubing that's how I know Porto
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Viarda from from Loveboat and they're
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like bombing the whole place and all
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these Americans have been either
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diverted from going there or cannot
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leave there not just Americans but lots
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of people and they're like attacking
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neighborhoods and this footage is really
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something. All these burnt cars and it's
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really something. I don't know what you
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think about it.
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>> I don't it the the issue is it's not I
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mean it's violence but it feels like
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it's more structural governance and an
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economic issue that's been evolving for
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nearly two decades and that is these
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cartels are so inextricably integrated
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into the economy and even the
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government.
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>> That's a really good point. And it it
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it's not a traditional drug war in the
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old sense. It's sort of fragmentation
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and power vacuums. Right? After the
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break up of more powerful consolidated
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cartels, dozens of regional groups now
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compete for territory
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and trafficking routes and increasingly
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diversified revenue streams. like things
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like fuel theft, extortion,
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uh human smuggling, elite I mean all
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kinds of supposedly they've interrupted
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the avocado supply chain and
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often times the violence is about local
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market control because Mexico is a big
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economy rather than exports.
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>> I guess that this is the reaction like
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to to just show what they can do to
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upset economics, right? I guess that's
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what they're doing like with these. the
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I mean the thing that does so much
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damage to this
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>> hands down my favorite place to travel
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in the world and I'm very fortunate I
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get to go to a lot of every year I go
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with a group of guys to Tulum I love
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Cabo I think San Miguel dea I just think
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Mexico I also think it's the best
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bargain in the world it's six-star
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service and food and culture and vistas
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for fourstar prices where in eur whereas
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in Europe you get a lot of five star
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service for six-star prices. The I
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absolutely love the food, the culture,
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the people. And what happens is
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Americans immediately are like, "Oh, no.
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I'm not going to travel there." And the
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reality is most of this violence is coni
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confined to what I'll call Mexican on
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Mexican violence,
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but it makes you think, should I?
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>> These photos of tourists from, you know,
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they're all in their hotels near beaches
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and they're just showing enormous
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amounts of fires. I guess there there
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was one guy who was in his hotel room
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and this guy these these two cartel
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members are on motorcycles set fire to
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like a version of a 7-Eleven there like
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just in front of him and it was really
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it's really interesting to experience it
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this way like sort of online like hey I
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was down here having a margarita and oh
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yeah the drug cartels just bombed a car
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in my
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>> this does this does sort of signal a
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shift because for the last for in recent
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years Mexico's federal ederal strategy
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and some people call it appeasement has
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been more about containment over
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confrontation. This is confrontation and
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also we don't we don't want to have an
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honest conversation. The US plays a role
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here. There's a dimension here and that
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is a lot of our firearms flow south. You
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know what drives a lot of the profits
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here is is US drug demand and fentanyl
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production and trafficking have reshaped
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the the supply chain and the economics
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of the trade. lower input costs, much
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higher potency, smaller shipping
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volumes. So the the synthetic the power
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or economic potency of synthetics have
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changed the incentive structure. You
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don't need large cocoa fields or massive
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kind of drug smuggling convoys. You need
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kind of like chemical precursors and in
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distribution networks and enforcement
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muscle. But this is, you know, Yeah. But
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I'm let me be clear. I'm still going to
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Mexico. I love Mexico.
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Anyway, it's a black eye for Claudia
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Shine Bomb, I have to say. Even if the
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US helped her and stuff like that.
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Anyway, we'll we'll move on.
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>> Well, is it a black eye or does she show
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some some some muscle here like
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>> by by doing something about I don't
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know. I don't know. We're going to keep
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watching it and I hope people there are
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safe. How is Resistant Unsubscribe
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going? Some of you have been writing in
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asking, let's check in on that for
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alternatives to big tech that they're
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unsubscribing from. I'm going to help
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you out here. Uh, Scott, we asked David
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Pierce, editor at large of The Verge and
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co-host of The Vergecast, to give us
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some recommendations. Everyone's going
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to help you, Scott. Let's listen to what
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David has to say.
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>> If I was trying to get rid of big tech
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apps in my life, my top three or four
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recommendations would definitely start
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with Proton. Proton is this company
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started by a bunch of CERN scientists in
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Switzerland that is very privacy
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focused. And over the years, they've
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actually built a series of apps that are
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basically as good as everything you get
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from Google. They have a drive, they
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have an email, they have calendar, they
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have all this stuff. The next one is
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probably Signal, which is the messaging
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app I think everyone should switch to.
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There are things that are good about
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WhatsApp even though it's owned by Meta,
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but Signal is is a is an organization
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run by the right kind of people who
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believe in the right kind of things. And
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then the third one is slightly more a
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field, but I would say anyone who wants
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to do smart home stuff in their life
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right now should use Home Assistant. You
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can use Alexa, you can use HomeKit, you
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can use Google, but Home Assistant is
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this very specific, hackable, open
00:07:27
system that you control much more
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completely than you control any of those
00:07:31
other systems. Everything from the stuff
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on your doorbell that's looking out at
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the world and seeing people come up to
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your door to like the baby monitors
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inside of your house. Who runs that
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stuff matters.
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>> That was great. That was great. Those
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are all three terrific recommendations.
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So, what's going on, Scott?
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>> Well, first off, it bears repeating. You
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have been the biggest supporter of this
00:07:50
and I very much appreciate it. Um,
00:07:52
>> no problem.
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>> But as we wind down February, so the two
00:07:56
objectives were what I call signal and
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incentives. wanted to send a signal to
00:08:00
the American public that they have this
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weapon hiding in plain sight and that
00:08:03
their economic decisions can have an
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impact. I think we've I I think we've
00:08:08
hit that
00:08:10
on all levels. We've gotten just a ton
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of media exposure, a ton of unsubscribes
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people. I do think there's a large
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percentage of the populace who now
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realizes that economic strength is is
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strength. The second objective was
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incentives and that is to reconfigure
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the incentives among big tech executives
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to think twice before they enable or
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facilitate. I'm not sure we've
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accomplished that quite frankly. I my
00:08:30
friends have said it's a conversation on
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product management teams but it's not a
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board level conversation yet.
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>> So the question is as we wind down
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February what do we do? And I was
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>> I was contacted by um uh the Dutch
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historian Ruter Bregman who's been
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instrumental in this.
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>> Yeah. I'm a huge fan by the way. He's
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only 37.
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>> He's a lovely guy.
00:08:50
>> Yeah. And super smart. and he reached
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out and said,
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>> "FYI, for people who don't know, he
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confronted the issue of billionaires at
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Davos and got a lot of
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>> He called him a bunch of tax avoiders."
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He basically said, "None of you want to
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talk about the real issue on the table,
00:09:02
which was tax avoidance." He's unafraid.
00:09:04
I love the guy. And anyways, I I love
00:09:07
authors and academics who are just sort
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of unafraid.
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>> And he contacted me and said, "You've
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got the brand, the visibility, and the
00:09:14
momentum. We have this group of really
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talented young people and some traction
00:09:18
in something called Quit GPT." and his
00:09:21
view is you need to consolidate and
00:09:23
focus on one and try and bring them
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down. And so we're trying to figure out
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um and I'm going to speak to you about
00:09:30
it and some other people, but I've had a
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bunch of organizations,
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a bunch of Congress people, elected
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representatives all say, how do we
00:09:38
continue this and how do we make it more
00:09:39
effective? and it's gotten I did an I
00:09:43
did an analysis for us to get the number
00:09:45
of visitors unique visitors to our site
00:09:47
if we paid for it and we haven't paid a
00:09:49
dime would cost us somewhere between5
00:09:51
and $9 million.
00:09:53
It just shows the power of social media
00:09:56
um in terms of the platforms we've built
00:09:58
and the content stream we have uh and
00:10:00
how powerful podcasts are driving. But I
00:10:03
need to in the next several days figure
00:10:06
out what we do in March. Is it focusing?
00:10:09
Is it different media outlets? What is
00:10:10
it that that helps maintain this
00:10:12
momentum? Is it consolidating? There are
00:10:14
three or four similar movements around
00:10:16
the world. Do we all consolidate? I was
00:10:19
on a call with recorded ed and I was
00:10:20
like, if the British, the Russians, and
00:10:22
the Americans can come together to
00:10:24
defeat Germany, maybe we should figure
00:10:26
out a way to all consolidate and come
00:10:28
together. But the the two points are
00:10:31
distill down to a smaller number of
00:10:32
targets if you will and also do what you
00:10:34
said devel uh um structure some
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full-time resources.
00:10:39
>> Yeah, I think so. So that that that that
00:10:41
you can they just tell you what to do,
00:10:43
right? Essentially there's there's a lot
00:10:44
of people who do that. One of the things
00:10:46
that's you know someone who I'm really
00:10:47
impressed with that maybe well she's a
00:10:49
Democratic uh she wrote a great book
00:10:51
about young people organizing Amanda
00:10:52
Litman who runs Run for Something and
00:10:54
it's to I had her on the podcast. She's
00:10:56
incredibly um you know strategic in
00:10:59
terms of figuring out what people need
00:11:01
to do, especially young people. It seems
00:11:02
like this is something you need to get
00:11:05
people who are actually a little more
00:11:06
you know that that really can focus
00:11:08
energetically. I don't mean
00:11:09
professionally like because there's a
00:11:11
lot of professional organizers that
00:11:13
don't really get stuff done. I think
00:11:14
you've really caught lightning in a
00:11:16
bottle here and you've got to keep doing
00:11:17
it. Anyway, we were we're still working
00:11:20
on an event uh Scott and I are and so
00:11:22
we're going to do that hopefully. Um and
00:11:25
uh and we'll see where it goes from
00:11:27
there. Um but let's uh let's move on to
00:11:29
the stuff we have to cover today. Uh
00:11:30
Donald Trump is increasing his global
00:11:32
tariff uh to 15% from 10% effective
00:11:35
immediately just days after the Supreme
00:11:37
Court struck down most of his global
00:11:39
tariffs. In a 6 to3 decision, the court
00:11:41
ruled that Trump exceeded his authority
00:11:42
when he invoked the Emergency Powers
00:11:44
Act. Trump called the decision
00:11:45
ridiculous and anti-American. He also
00:11:47
insulted the justices personally quite a
00:11:50
bit. Um that was, you know, it was worse
00:11:52
than that. He's just being a giant
00:11:53
[ __ ] baby. His latest workaround uses
00:11:56
a 1974 trade law that allows him to
00:11:58
impose temporary terrorists for 150
00:12:00
days. He just posted on True Social a
00:12:02
little while ago about the court
00:12:03
empowering him to use the terrorists in
00:12:04
a more powerful and obnoxious way. He's
00:12:07
just, you know, he's just the the the
00:12:09
court, let me be clear, was very clear
00:12:12
about what he was doing was illegal
00:12:14
essentially and that the Congress and
00:12:16
and and uh Gorsuch, the judge Gorsuch
00:12:19
had a really eviscerating take on how
00:12:22
Congress has sort of abregated its
00:12:23
responsibility. Uh they also are
00:12:25
questioning one of the other justices
00:12:28
also questioned whether the re who was
00:12:29
against it questions if the if the
00:12:32
refunds could happen. Um Scott Bessant
00:12:35
sort of is trying to hedge that bet
00:12:36
because they've got to give billions in
00:12:38
in many many billions in um I think 175
00:12:42
billion something like that in returns
00:12:45
to US businesses etc. Um what did you
00:12:49
think about this and the reaction? Um I
00:12:52
I I'll just let me let me actually read
00:12:55
through this stuff. We can discuss the
00:12:56
whole thing. The repercussions of this
00:12:58
tariff position. The EU just hit pause
00:13:00
on its US trade deal until it gets more
00:13:02
clarity on what Trump is doing.
00:13:03
Thousands of companies around the world
00:13:04
have already filed lawsuits challenging
00:13:06
the tariffs even before the Supreme
00:13:08
Court's ruling. So there's all a market
00:13:09
in that. Estimates suggest the
00:13:11
government could owe again more than 175
00:13:13
billion in refunds. The Supreme Court is
00:13:16
leaving the refund question in lower
00:13:17
courts. This is just Kavanagh who warned
00:13:19
the process. It's going to be a mess.
00:13:20
And it is. Let's let's listen to
00:13:22
Secretary Bessant uh what he said about
00:13:24
these payoffs. He spoke to Fox News
00:13:26
after the decision. This could take
00:13:28
months. This could take years to to
00:13:30
litigate and to get to the payouts. And
00:13:34
if there is a payout, it looks like it's
00:13:37
just going to be the ultimate corporate
00:13:39
welfare.
00:13:39
>> Oh, please, Scott. You took the money
00:13:41
from them. Give it back. Um, so talk
00:13:43
about what the next move is for
00:13:44
everybody and and and the reaction that
00:13:46
Trump had, which was was was very I
00:13:49
honestly thought it was dangerous given
00:13:51
the political uh heat right now,
00:13:53
especially for the Supreme Court
00:13:54
justices.
00:13:57
Well,
00:13:59
it's weird. Everyone says he's a loser.
00:14:01
There's no doubt it's a check on his
00:14:02
authority and, you know, a rejection or
00:14:06
a gag reflex. The the primary purpose or
00:14:09
power of Congress is the power of the
00:14:11
purse. They're the ones that are
00:14:12
supposed to I mean what you've had on a
00:14:15
metal level and Barry Goldwater back in
00:14:17
the 70s warned of this there's been a
00:14:18
slow abregation of power to the
00:14:22
executive branch and a lot of the power
00:14:24
was checked by norms not by laws and
00:14:27
then someone showed up and said [ __ ] the
00:14:29
norms I'm declaring wars and tariffs on
00:14:32
my own. And one of the reasons you've
00:14:34
seen such uh so many Republican Congress
00:14:37
people decide to retire is they're like
00:14:40
it's one thing to be in the minority and
00:14:41
know that you've been defenistrated or
00:14:43
neutered. It's another thing to be in
00:14:44
the majority and the speaker of the
00:14:46
house is not the speaker of the house.
00:14:47
He's the speaker of the white house.
00:14:48
He's there just to run rough shot over
00:14:50
us and pretend he represents Congress.
00:14:53
He doesn't. He represents the president.
00:14:56
And Republicans are like, "Wait, I
00:14:58
thought we were in charge and had some
00:14:59
say here and we don't." And these
00:15:01
tariffs would not have gone through.
00:15:03
there are enough Republicans against the
00:15:04
tariffs. You know, they're supposed to
00:15:05
be the free marketers. So, this is a
00:15:08
victory for uh co-equal branches of
00:15:11
government in Congress controlling the
00:15:14
purse. I think it's a huge victory for
00:15:16
the Supreme Court who was looking
00:15:18
increasingly like Trump's um you know,
00:15:22
trolls or not trolls, Trump's acolytes,
00:15:24
right? This does look like the
00:15:26
independence of the court. Six to three
00:15:28
is pretty resounding. In a weird way, I
00:15:31
thought this gave Trump an offramp from
00:15:35
what was clearly a failed economic
00:15:36
policy that I thought the economy and
00:15:39
the stock market would actually probably
00:15:42
um go up. What was interesting is the
00:15:44
the reaction was muted. The market was
00:15:46
slightly up, but now it's looking like
00:15:48
he's going to use another provision 122
00:15:50
which only lasts 150 days. But it's more
00:15:53
inconsistency. And we've said this for a
00:15:55
long time. More than more than the
00:15:56
tariffs themselves, the most damaging
00:15:58
thing to American trade policy is
00:16:00
inconsistency. Nobody no small business
00:16:02
knows how to plan their business against
00:16:05
what will be tariffs or not tariffs.
00:16:07
What I've been tracking, I was working
00:16:09
with a hedge fund trying to find tariff
00:16:12
claims. So if you're Mercedes-Benz of
00:16:15
the United States and you paid 20
00:16:16
million tariffs, you could at one point
00:16:18
potentially buy those claims for 10
00:16:21
cents on the dollar. Now, those have
00:16:23
accelerated to 20 to 40 cents on the
00:16:25
dollar, but the reason they're not
00:16:26
trading at 60 or 80 cents on the dollar
00:16:28
is the administration and complexity of
00:16:30
potentially getting the money back. I
00:16:31
think that's a red herring. I just don't
00:16:34
>> I think if if they collected this money
00:16:36
easily, I don't see why they can't
00:16:37
reimburse it easily. It was all done
00:16:39
digitally. So, I don't I don't buy that
00:16:40
argument. But, it's more indecision.
00:16:43
It's more sclerotic decision-m where
00:16:45
people can't plan their business again.
00:16:47
And what you see is just a continued
00:16:50
reconfiguration of the global supply
00:16:52
chain around the US where we have
00:16:54
massively
00:16:56
benefited over you know someone brought
00:16:58
up the notion the very simple notion
00:17:00
actually I think it was Justin Wers that
00:17:01
said we have a trade deficit in the form
00:17:04
of dollars but we have a trade surplus
00:17:07
in the form of stuff. So the example is
00:17:09
I have a trade deficit with my barber
00:17:11
but my barber makes me look just [ __ ]
00:17:14
dreamy for very little money. So it's a
00:17:16
good trade and US trade policy while we
00:17:20
give more paper money to them we get so
00:17:22
much [ __ ] because of the strength of the
00:17:25
dollar is an economic imbeile like he's
00:17:28
just he's seeing things like he learned
00:17:29
economics in fourth grade and that's
00:17:31
where he's stuck right
00:17:33
>> but if you if you if you if you export
00:17:35
$100 with Nvidia chips to Germany in
00:17:38
exchange for $100 of a Mercedes G Wagon
00:17:41
they operate at 10 points operating
00:17:43
margin and get seven times you IBIT
00:17:46
does. So they get $70.
00:17:48
We operate uh Nvidia operates at like 60
00:17:51
points operating margin and trades at
00:17:53
40. We get $2,400.
00:17:56
I mean, if there's any asymmetry here of
00:18:00
who is who has disproportionately
00:18:02
benefited from global trade, it's been
00:18:04
the US. We've been the big winner.
00:18:06
>> So this is stuck in Trump's brain
00:18:08
forever because he's just not honestly
00:18:10
he's not that smart, right? like I know
00:18:12
just in a in a very basic way he has
00:18:14
this has had in this brain and then he
00:18:16
has these facilitators and by the way
00:18:17
Scott Besset knows better of course he
00:18:19
knows exactly what you know and he's I
00:18:22
don't know what his game is I mean it's
00:18:23
he's talk about tarnishing a reputation
00:18:25
that he had that was pretty decent um
00:18:28
but one of the one of the things that's
00:18:30
problematic is that he's operating sort
00:18:32
of economics for dummies or something
00:18:35
like something because he sticks in his
00:18:37
brain that this is the way things go and
00:18:39
I I I think most people don't think
00:18:41
about it in in in a complex way. I think
00:18:44
the two things that I think about again
00:18:46
were these that the Supreme Court did
00:18:48
him a favor here, right? That got him he
00:18:50
got to try out his stupid ideas.
00:18:53
>> He seems to be doubling down.
00:18:54
>> He's doubling down in a really demented
00:18:57
way and the personal stuff that he was
00:18:59
attacking them with. And you know,
00:19:00
apparently
00:19:01
>> families should be ashamed.
00:19:02
>> Families and Barrett, Coney Barrett and
00:19:06
Gorsuch, I think. um just really strange
00:19:10
just really really strange and they were
00:19:12
all they were saying was pointing out
00:19:14
the obvious which was this is something
00:19:16
Congress should do it's something
00:19:17
Congress is job is to do and he just
00:19:20
doesn't feel any restraints on himself
00:19:23
and that's what it is and it's like old
00:19:25
man combined with someone who's already
00:19:27
an egoomaniac and a narcissist combined
00:19:30
with more old man combined with he gets
00:19:32
to do what he wants this term and the
00:19:34
victimization that he has is so massive
00:19:37
you know that he's always being
00:19:38
victimized. Someone's always [ __ ]
00:19:40
him. That's his whole world view that
00:19:42
it's just we're being governed by a guy
00:19:44
who just again didn't is a victim.
00:19:48
Thinks he's a victim. Anyway, uh we'll
00:19:50
see where does it go from here very
00:19:52
briefly.
00:19:53
>> Well, on Cowsi, they're saying it's a
00:19:55
76% chance the court orders a tariff
00:19:58
refund before 2027. So, it does feel
00:20:01
like he's running out of options. This
00:20:03
section 122 has a maximum 150 days. The
00:20:07
Supreme Court does seem pretty resolute
00:20:09
on this 63. I don't think he's going to
00:20:11
lot get a lot of support from even
00:20:12
Republicans who are Congress like, "Oh,
00:20:14
wait. We have meaning again. You mean we
00:20:15
get to actually have input? You actually
00:20:17
have to bring this to us." And and if if
00:20:19
he thinks these tariffs have merit and
00:20:21
they're good for the economy, then take
00:20:23
it to Congress and work out a deal with
00:20:25
them. That's that's what they're there
00:20:27
for.
00:20:27
>> He can't get it passed because he can't
00:20:28
get it passed the way he wants
00:20:29
>> because he can't justify it
00:20:30
intellectually or economically. Right.
00:20:32
Well,
00:20:33
>> this is the the amount of money the
00:20:36
prosperity we have recognized from
00:20:38
global trade. Now, granted
00:20:40
he his some of his instincts are
00:20:42
correct. We had an asymmetric
00:20:44
relationship. We were getting taken
00:20:45
advantage of in my view in terms of our
00:20:47
relationship with China. They you know
00:20:50
they they steal our IP and then sell us
00:20:52
stuff at 60 cents on the dollar. We are
00:20:54
not good at looking after people who are
00:20:56
on the wrong end of global trade. Right.
00:20:58
>> But he's never doing that. He just tells
00:21:00
them he's here for them. But then he
00:21:02
doesn't actually do anything for them.
00:21:05
>> And then if you want to look at the
00:21:06
manufacturing sector that was supposed
00:21:08
to be rejuvenated, that has not
00:21:10
happened. What has happened
00:21:12
>> is that the tourist industry which
00:21:13
employs 12 million people versus the
00:21:16
manufacturing industry which employs 11
00:21:18
million is taking a real hit cuz
00:21:21
Canadians are thinking, "No, I'm not
00:21:23
going to Disneyland or Las Vegas this
00:21:24
year." Did you see that story about that
00:21:26
British woman who was put into ice for 6
00:21:28
weeks for, you know,
00:21:30
>> checking your people have to turn over
00:21:33
their phone and they're being asked for
00:21:34
their password? It's like, [ __ ] that.
00:21:35
I'll go to I'll go to Capri or I'll go
00:21:37
to Buenosar, you know, I'll do something
00:21:40
else. I would think this is a I would
00:21:42
think every tourism board in the world
00:21:44
is like come here. We'll take your
00:21:45
money.
00:21:45
>> Okay, Scott, let's go on a quick break.
00:21:47
When we come back, get ready for Trump's
00:21:49
State of the Union. Support for this
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00:24:20
>> Scott, we're back. As we record, we're
00:24:22
one day away from Trump's State of the
00:24:24
Union speech. This will appear on the
00:24:25
day of it. He's walking in with a 60%
00:24:28
disapproval rating. According to a new
00:24:30
Washington Post ABC Ipsos poll, House
00:24:33
Minority Leader Hakee Jeff is urging
00:24:35
Democrats either attend in silent
00:24:37
defiance or skip the speech. And a
00:24:39
growing number of Democrats plan to
00:24:40
attend a counter rally on the National
00:24:42
Mall called the people's state of the
00:24:43
union. And uh Virginia Governor Abigail
00:24:46
Spanber is delivering the official
00:24:47
Democratic response. It's a good choice.
00:24:49
Um what do you think of this?
00:24:52
>> I I don't think he quite frank I I'm
00:24:54
wondering if that's if and when we bomb
00:24:57
Iran. I don't
00:24:59
>> I don't think he has a lot to I I don't
00:25:01
know.
00:25:02
>> Apparently
00:25:03
it apparently he's going to talk about
00:25:05
how manufacturing is coming back to the
00:25:07
US like tomorrow. He's sort of like an
00:25:08
Elon promise.
00:25:10
>> I think the screenshots here are going
00:25:11
to be really hilarious. The audience
00:25:12
reaction even I think there's even going
00:25:14
to be some Republicans who are kind of
00:25:15
like, "Oh yeah, I clap." Uh yeah, that's
00:25:18
not
00:25:19
>> Yeah,
00:25:20
>> that's not that's not working here. I I
00:25:23
think it's going to be very interesting,
00:25:25
but I feel as if he's, you know, they're
00:25:28
like, "Okay, how do we turn chicken [ __ ]
00:25:29
into chicken salad here?"
00:25:31
>> Yeah. They're going to to Vance
00:25:32
apparently gave an interview where he's
00:25:34
talking about how we're going to
00:25:35
suddenly have factories everywhere. Like
00:25:37
it's all made up. Literally, it feels
00:25:38
like, you know, there was a really
00:25:39
interesting meme online, Elon promising
00:25:41
autonomy for like 10 years, like
00:25:44
tomorrow, next week. They're going to
00:25:46
try to say everything's great with the
00:25:47
economy, which to me, when Biden did
00:25:49
that, was so uneffective when people
00:25:51
know that's not the case. I think this
00:25:53
these these numbers are just astonishing
00:25:56
that he keeps doubling down, right, on
00:25:58
these 60% disapproval is so high. I
00:26:01
don't think you I think it was this
00:26:03
number right after the January 6th
00:26:06
attack on the capital. I mean, I think
00:26:08
that's where we are right now. And um
00:26:10
it'll be interesting. I think there's a
00:26:12
high chance of crazy like that he does
00:26:14
something nuts.
00:26:15
>> Just goes unchained.
00:26:16
>> Unchained like he says something kooky
00:26:18
or he loses his words. I wouldn't get up
00:26:21
there if I were him. You know, of course
00:26:23
he's going to have pancake makeup caked
00:26:26
on his hand. By the way, whoever is
00:26:28
doing that, I can tell you there are
00:26:30
Hollywood people that can make that hand
00:26:31
look better. I keep looking at it. I'm
00:26:33
like, what is his like secretary doing
00:26:35
it or, you know, with a bunch of like
00:26:37
like cheap makeup? It's really weird. I
00:26:40
feel like they could do a better job.
00:26:41
>> It's the same person that came up with
00:26:42
the tariff strategy.
00:26:43
>> Right. Exactly. It's Peter Navaro
00:26:45
slabbering, you know, Mac.
00:26:47
>> Hold your hand out.
00:26:48
>> It's not even
00:26:49
>> My niece works My niece works at
00:26:51
Sephora. This is how you do it.
00:26:53
>> But seriously, I think it is a good
00:26:55
chance of crazy. good can't like a high
00:26:57
chance of crazy like something. Yeah, I
00:26:59
wouldn't do it if I were him. I'd find
00:27:00
some dumb excuse not to do it. But he he
00:27:03
he's now a heat seeeking me missile.
00:27:06
>> Have you noticed how much he's been like
00:27:08
appearing like he keeps appearing
00:27:10
everywhere? I don't know. I just feel
00:27:12
like it's bad. And speaking of which, I
00:27:15
think it's we'll see what happens. But
00:27:17
the at the very least if he doesn't say
00:27:19
something crazy, poop his pants or or
00:27:22
lose his words and it'll be fine, I
00:27:24
guess. and doesn't just lie too much.
00:27:27
Um, I don't know. What should the
00:27:28
Democrats do? Just show up and say
00:27:30
nothing, stare angrily?
00:27:32
>> I think you just I think you just sit
00:27:34
there and kind of look like, "Okay,
00:27:36
>> are you [ __ ] kidding me?
00:27:37
>> This dude has lost his shit." I I don't
00:27:39
know what they should do. I don't think
00:27:40
they
00:27:42
uh
00:27:43
you know, uh, acquaint yourself like the
00:27:46
elected leaders you are and just uh
00:27:49
polite, you not go. The Supreme Court
00:27:52
has to go the all of them, right? Don't
00:27:54
you think? Don't you think all of them
00:27:55
have to go?
00:27:57
>> Yeah. As do our elected representatives.
00:27:59
I I just hate the idea of whoever's
00:28:01
president, half the house doesn't show
00:28:03
up. I I don't know.
00:28:04
>> I think there's a certain decorum. It's
00:28:06
the State of the Union. Show up. You
00:28:08
don't have to smile. You don't have to
00:28:09
applaud. But yeah, I think you show up.
00:28:10
And of course,
00:28:12
>> they're aliens. Maybe that's what he's
00:28:13
going to do. I don't know. Something.
00:28:14
He's going to have to have any jazz
00:28:15
hands and he shouldn't use his hands too
00:28:18
much. Let's just say
00:28:18
>> I'm just praying that the teleprompter
00:28:20
goes down and he goes full apeshit
00:28:22
crazy. I hope that it's
00:28:24
>> I hope it's too gin and tonics for drunk
00:28:26
uncle.
00:28:26
>> No, but he doesn't drink. Remember, he
00:28:28
doesn't drink. Remember his brother died
00:28:30
of alcoholism.
00:28:31
>> But other than that, Cara, how is his
00:28:33
brother doing?
00:28:34
>> What?
00:28:36
>> Dead. All right. Um
00:28:37
>> that's like, do you ever run into a
00:28:39
friend and you ask how their dad is and
00:28:40
you didn't know? Like, oh, my dad passed
00:28:42
a year ago. Oh, but wait, other than
00:28:43
that, how's it going?
00:28:45
>> That's always my response.
00:28:46
>> You never do that.
00:28:47
>> I totally do that. What are you supposed
00:28:48
to say? People, what I find is people
00:28:50
don't go, oh, I'm sorry. All right. It's
00:28:51
like, well, dude, he died a year ago.
00:28:53
I'm fine. I think you make a joke out of
00:28:54
it.
00:28:55
>> Still okay. All right. Well, my mom's
00:28:57
still living. Just remember that. So,
00:28:59
all right.
00:29:00
>> Lucky.
00:29:00
>> Lucky. She's good. I got her a lazy boy.
00:29:03
>> I got her.
00:29:05
>> Still good.
00:29:06
>> That's the greatest innovation in
00:29:07
Hollywood. It's not AI. It's lazy boys
00:29:09
in theater.
00:29:10
>> It stands up now. It's so good. I took
00:29:11
her to lunch. I I lifted her right out
00:29:14
of that chair. Stuck her in. Anyway, she
00:29:16
loves her lazy boy. She loves her.
00:29:18
>> Yeah.
00:29:18
>> I'm just saying I'm getting you one.
00:29:20
They're very nice now. Anyway, um
00:29:22
>> I want one with wheels where I can just
00:29:23
fly down the avenue.
00:29:25
>> No, we're going to keep you in a room
00:29:26
and that's going to be the end of it.
00:29:28
So, this is one I've been really excited
00:29:30
to talk to you about. President Trump
00:29:31
has called on Netflix to fire board
00:29:33
member Susan Rice or quote the
00:29:35
consequences after Rice said Democrats
00:29:37
would push for corporate accountability.
00:29:40
The DOJ is investigating Netflix
00:29:42
proposed takeover of Warner Brothers and
00:29:43
whether the deal may quote substantially
00:29:46
lessen competition. and Paramount saying
00:29:48
there's quote no statutory impediment to
00:29:51
closing its deal for Warner Brothers
00:29:52
after clearing a US antitrust waiting
00:29:54
period. This is not true. Uh regulators
00:29:57
could still stop to sue it. Of course,
00:29:58
there's the EU and other uh other ways.
00:30:01
This is not This was a press release.
00:30:03
Meanwhile, a group of Democratic
00:30:05
senators is threatening to investigate
00:30:07
Paramount, seeking information on the
00:30:08
company's contacts with the Trump
00:30:10
administration. as we tape the seven-day
00:30:12
window for Warner Brothers to talk with
00:30:14
Paramount is nearing an end at 11:59 PM
00:30:18
on Monday. So, talk about this this
00:30:21
Trump thing. I mean, Susan Rice, like
00:30:23
what I mean, maybe it'll have an
00:30:25
implication. I don't know. It's just
00:30:26
weird. You can't make like he had tried
00:30:28
to get Lisa Monaco from stopping working
00:30:30
at Microsoft. Microsoft just ignored him
00:30:32
essentially and she's still working
00:30:33
there. Um, do you think it's important?
00:30:36
What do what do what do you think here?
00:30:38
Yeah, it's it's incredibly socialist.
00:30:41
Capital markets function on the
00:30:42
assumption that boards are accountable
00:30:44
to shareholders, that regulatory
00:30:46
authority is exercised through formal
00:30:48
channels, and that political powers and
00:30:50
uses leverage and private corporate
00:30:51
disputes.
00:30:53
And you know, when those lines erode,
00:30:56
you introduce political risk and into
00:30:58
ordinary governance decisions.
00:31:01
Capitalism is supposed to be regulated
00:31:03
competition. and you a guy who just has
00:31:07
a history of bankrupting casinos and
00:31:10
leaving a stream of unpaid
00:31:11
subcontractors
00:31:14
uh you know who got rich through a grift
00:31:16
monetizing the White House is not the
00:31:18
person to be telling companies it's just
00:31:21
it's totally anathema to the way America
00:31:23
has built its economy
00:31:25
you know when political actors treat
00:31:28
corporate boards as cultural back uh
00:31:30
battlegrounds you shift you shift from
00:31:34
kind of rules-based capitalism to
00:31:36
personalitydriven capitalism. Investors
00:31:40
investors can price regulation, but they
00:31:42
struggle to price discretionary
00:31:43
political targeting. So, does this mean
00:31:46
every time the administration changes,
00:31:48
we invest in companies that are have
00:31:50
Democratic board members versus
00:31:52
Republican
00:31:53
>> board members? And practically, if
00:31:56
presidents start leaning on boards, it
00:31:58
invites Congress, regulators, and state
00:32:00
officials to do the same. And that's not
00:32:01
market discipline.
00:32:03
That's
00:32:03
>> we won't give you this unless you get
00:32:05
rid of this person. I mean, so far
00:32:08
>> again, it didn't work with Lisa Monaco
00:32:10
at Microsoft. They just basically
00:32:12
ignored the request.
00:32:14
>> And I think so I was with some Netflix
00:32:15
people. I went to the BAFTA awards last
00:32:17
night and I was
00:32:19
>> you went to BAFTA. Hello. Where are the
00:32:22
lead? What did you wear?
00:32:24
>> Oh, I I I did know BAFTA was a big deal
00:32:26
and I showed up just with a blazer and
00:32:28
then Ted Sandos came up to me in a tux.
00:32:30
I'm like, "Oh god, I [ __ ] up."
00:32:31
>> Yeah. Okay.
00:32:32
>> Um,
00:32:32
>> yeah, he was there.
00:32:34
>> Yeah. Uh, but everyone, yeah, it was
00:32:36
really, really fancy. I didn't a friend
00:32:38
of mine took me to dinner and said, "Do
00:32:39
you want to go to the BAFA Awards?" I
00:32:40
said, "Yeah."
00:32:41
>> Wow.
00:32:41
>> And anyways, but
00:32:45
they will I I have no inside information
00:32:47
here, but I know what smart class act
00:32:51
management is. I am sure if they haven't
00:32:53
already, they'll put out a statement of
00:32:54
support for Susan Rice. And this is
00:32:59
this has become so obviously he's now
00:33:02
supporting um Paramount, but I talked to
00:33:06
some Netflix. I think that at this point
00:33:09
these so much testosterone has gotten
00:33:11
involved in this. If you had asked
00:33:13
either the Ellison's or Ted Sando 6
00:33:16
months ago, are you willing you ever pay
00:33:18
$82 billion for Warner? They'd say, no
00:33:20
[ __ ] way. It's not worth that in any
00:33:22
world. But because Zazlav, to his
00:33:24
credit, is not a great operator, but
00:33:26
he's an outstanding investment banker,
00:33:28
he has played them off each other and
00:33:30
convinced both of them to overpay. If
00:33:33
the Ellison's end up getting this, and
00:33:35
Netflix doesn't, my prediction is that
00:33:37
Netflix stock is up 10 to 20%. Because
00:33:40
with $80 billion, Netflix can create
00:33:42
just a [ __ ] ton of content, new
00:33:44
verticals, new markets, new subscription
00:33:45
plans. They'll be able to at this point
00:33:48
I think it would almost be better for
00:33:50
them if they lost and they just sue the
00:33:52
[ __ ] out of Paramount and the government
00:33:55
and basically create keep Hollywood in a
00:33:58
state of flux because
00:33:59
>> this non non
00:34:01
>> and they're the winner. They they'll
00:34:02
keep on humming. I mean that company's
00:34:04
firing on all 12,000 cylinders with
00:34:07
>> content production all over the world
00:34:09
and just you know they're sort of the
00:34:11
default, right? You have to even in the
00:34:13
resist and unsubscribe people would say
00:34:15
I'm going down to one streaming media
00:34:18
platform and if you go down to one who
00:34:19
do you choose
00:34:20
>> absolutely
00:34:21
>> you choose Netflix right it's
00:34:22
>> Netflix yeah
00:34:23
>> everyone else is heated seats and car
00:34:25
stereoss they're they're the engine in
00:34:27
the car itself they're the chassis so to
00:34:30
speak
00:34:30
>> or Disney right because it's
00:34:32
>> you have young kids and you don't watch
00:34:34
TV maybe well I guess
00:34:35
>> I watch a lot of TV you're wrong you're
00:34:37
wrong I watch it at night
00:34:39
>> but but yeah it it's
00:34:42
What you're going to see here, I think,
00:34:44
is that even if the Ellison's get it, if
00:34:48
Netflix could block the closing of the
00:34:52
acquisition until the next
00:34:54
administration, they might be able to
00:34:55
overturn it because
00:34:56
>> that's right.
00:34:57
>> The whole point of capitalism is it's
00:34:59
pretty basic in in M&A. Whoever shows up
00:35:02
with more money gets approved by
00:35:04
shareholders and then it has to survive
00:35:06
regulatory review. The president has no
00:35:08
role in any of that. That's not as what
00:35:10
he that's not what he's there for. He's
00:35:12
the whole point of government is we let
00:35:14
our thoroughbreds run. We have
00:35:17
antitrust. We have regulatory concerns.
00:35:19
We have cifhious security concerns. But
00:35:21
you're supposed guess what the American
00:35:24
corporation is the second best
00:35:28
performing organizations in history only
00:35:30
behind the US military. We create these
00:35:33
these out of control full body contact
00:35:36
violence, not a ton of regulation, low
00:35:38
regulation rules, regulated competition
00:35:41
produces unprecedented profits,
00:35:43
prosperity, and innovation. And all of a
00:35:46
sudden, you have a a failed rich kid
00:35:49
deciding who should own what.
00:35:51
>> Yeah. Exactly. So, one of the things
00:35:53
that I has is really struck me. Look,
00:35:55
Netflix will be fine without this. I
00:35:57
think they really want it now. You know
00:35:58
what I mean? I think they are
00:36:00
>> ego's involved now.
00:36:01
Not just ego, but it's actually could be
00:36:03
good for them, too. Right. This gives
00:36:05
>> I don't agree. I think with that money,
00:36:06
they could build a bigger business on
00:36:07
their own
00:36:08
>> possibly. Right. You're right. You're
00:36:09
absolutely right. So, they'll be fine.
00:36:11
Whatever. And in slowing everything
00:36:13
down, they've created a slowdown for
00:36:15
everybody, which is always good for them
00:36:17
because they're faster, right? They were
00:36:19
lapping Hollywood for years. That I sat
00:36:21
there, I was like, why are you letting
00:36:22
Netflix lap you all for years and years
00:36:24
and years? So, they have that ability to
00:36:27
do that. And they've always stayed
00:36:28
fresh. They're a very fresh company even
00:36:30
as old as they are comparatively, right?
00:36:32
So, they're still they remain fresh and
00:36:34
relevant. Um, and people are learning
00:36:36
how to do what they do, but it's taken
00:36:38
forever for Hollywood to do so. And one
00:36:40
of the things that just gets me is one,
00:36:42
the efforts of Paramount are one, to run
00:36:45
a shitty business and show that you
00:36:47
cannot do content, whether it's over at
00:36:48
CBS News or Losing Taylor Sheridan.
00:36:52
>> Oh, come on. Landmen.
00:36:53
>> The world before the world before HR. I
00:36:56
love Landmen.
00:36:57
>> Okay. I know you do.
00:36:58
>> A bunch of men drilling where they're
00:36:59
not supposed to drill. People die and
00:37:00
then they pay him off and everything's
00:37:02
better.
00:37:02
>> How could you How could you ruin 60
00:37:04
Minutes? What a bunch of [ __ ] idiots.
00:37:06
I'm sorry. Like, how could you how could
00:37:08
you get Anderson Cooper to walk out?
00:37:11
He's such a polite young man. Like, it's
00:37:13
just like you're a bunch of dummies. I'm
00:37:15
sorry. I really I like some of you, but
00:37:17
seriously, this is rid It comes from the
00:37:20
top. I'm sorry. And getting daddy to pay
00:37:22
for it is really depressing on so many
00:37:25
levels. Like, so sad. It's like sad rich
00:37:27
kid. And they and they're going to Let
00:37:30
me just tell you, guess who's coming for
00:37:32
you. You think the Democrats won't do
00:37:34
anything? You are wrong, Paramount. They
00:37:36
are coming at you. If they win these
00:37:38
elections, I don't It's going to be a
00:37:41
long time before you get your hands on
00:37:43
CNN. It's going to be a long time before
00:37:44
you get your hands on any of this. And
00:37:46
then let's stop at European regulators.
00:37:49
Like, and by the way, now people in
00:37:52
Hollywood don't all love Netflix. That
00:37:53
is 100% clear. But now suddenly a lot of
00:37:56
Hollywood people like Mark Ruffalo very
00:37:58
liberal is is pushing back against James
00:38:01
Cameron who's cuz he loves theaters
00:38:02
whatever. Um there's now like a a
00:38:06
growing like hey leave Netflix alone
00:38:08
like which is incredible because they're
00:38:10
so like bossy to most of Hollywood. So
00:38:13
Paramount, you have managed to shoe
00:38:15
yourself in every foot possible, every
00:38:17
toe in the way you've conducted this and
00:38:19
just throw the money at it as you should
00:38:21
have done in the first place and just
00:38:23
take daddy's money and and buy it, but
00:38:26
you're still not going to get it easily,
00:38:27
especially because you're stressing all
00:38:29
this closeness with the Trump
00:38:31
administration. It's not going to end
00:38:32
well for you in three or four months.
00:38:34
That's my thought. In the first Star
00:38:36
Wars, uh, Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi is on the
00:38:39
Millennium Falcon and he feels a
00:38:41
disturbance in the Force and he has to
00:38:43
sit down and he goes, "It's as if
00:38:45
millions of people just screamed and
00:38:48
then nothing." And he's referring to the
00:38:50
Death Star which builds a capability to
00:38:53
destroy planets and Darth Vader orders
00:38:55
the destruction of Aldderon.
00:38:57
You are going to see if the Ellison's
00:39:00
get if the Ellison's close, if Paramount
00:39:03
closes on Warner Brothers, you are going
00:39:06
to hear a scream from the creative
00:39:07
community of which they're not even
00:39:09
aware of.
00:39:10
>> Mhm.
00:39:11
>> Agreed.
00:39:12
>> You have a melting ice cube in Paramount
00:39:15
and then you'll get this the scale.
00:39:17
They'll overpay. At this point, they're
00:39:20
both overpaying. Whoever gets it is
00:39:21
overpaying. And then father Ellison is
00:39:24
gonna go, "Okay, the only way we can get
00:39:26
anything resembling a return is to
00:39:28
reduce cost by 40%." The fact that SAG
00:39:31
After the Writers Guild are not hair on
00:39:36
fire about AI, you want to see AI come
00:39:40
to an industry and destroy the labor. Oh
00:39:44
my god. Because Ted Sand, whatever you
00:39:46
think about Netflix, they like
00:39:47
Hollywood.
00:39:49
>> They still hire makeup artists. They
00:39:50
still they still do things kind of I
00:39:53
don't want to call it,
00:39:54
>> you know, the old way. I I think with
00:39:56
CBS they're like, "All right, we have to
00:39:59
make some bold take some risk because
00:40:01
this thing is just going away slowly."
00:40:04
>> Dink way. I get it. They I have a list
00:40:06
of that.
00:40:08
>> It's hard to defend the execution to
00:40:10
date. They had to take some risks here.
00:40:12
I wouldn't have taken a lot of risk with
00:40:14
60 minutes. Yes. Now, I would have
00:40:15
waited until this deal was over and
00:40:18
maybe hired a competent person, but
00:40:20
that's a different story. Anyway, um
00:40:22
let's go on a quick break and we come
00:40:23
back. Investors want protection from AI.
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for anything.
00:41:25
Scott, we're back. This is really
00:41:26
interesting because you've talked about
00:41:28
the the problems that companies not AI
00:41:30
are having, but Wall Street is taking
00:41:32
interest in a new category called Halo
00:41:34
companies. Heavy assets, low
00:41:36
obsolescence. Business is seen as
00:41:38
largely immune to disruption from AI.
00:41:40
Really interesting. S&P 500 sectors for
00:41:43
industrials, materials, utilities, and
00:41:44
consumer staples have marched ahead in
00:41:46
the last month. Companies like
00:41:47
McDonald's and Exon Mobile are taking a
00:41:49
win as investors try to take cover from
00:41:51
potential AI disruption. Now, you've
00:41:54
said a lot of these companies have
00:41:55
suffered because AI has taken most of
00:41:58
the gains in the stock market. Talk
00:42:00
about this. This was a story in the Wall
00:42:02
Street Journal, but it's something we've
00:42:03
discussed before. It was the other 400
00:42:05
companies, not the first the top seven
00:42:08
or whatever.
00:42:10
>> There's been a rotation out of AI
00:42:12
companies into what are traditionally
00:42:14
thought of as defense stocks like
00:42:15
Proctor and Gamble or Caterpillar, but
00:42:18
they have been run up. And so what
00:42:20
you've had is you've had this weird
00:42:21
phenomena where there's been a pretty
00:42:24
serious like multi-trillion dollar
00:42:26
destruction in the private and public
00:42:28
market valuations of the companies most
00:42:29
tightly associated with AI whether it's
00:42:32
Nvidia or Microsoft or you know they
00:42:35
have all gotten hit pretty hard. What's
00:42:38
also interesting though and then there's
00:42:39
been a rotation into quote unquote the
00:42:41
defensive guys that are considered AI
00:42:43
immune. Goldman Sachs put together an AI
00:42:46
immune index. the opportunity in all of
00:42:48
this and where I'm actually thinking of
00:42:50
investing is that while AI stocks have
00:42:53
come down, you know, the there's still a
00:42:56
massive fear that they're going to
00:42:59
destroy entire sectors. And the sectors
00:43:01
that are ground zero for this fear right
00:43:03
now are traditional SAS companies,
00:43:06
Salesforce, Service Now, um Adobe. The
00:43:10
view is since this new innovation from
00:43:13
um clude I'm sorry from claude that
00:43:16
those businesses that someone will just
00:43:18
automatically put in a prompt and all of
00:43:20
a sudden overnight no longer need
00:43:22
Salesforce for their CRM for for their
00:43:25
salespeople and that overnight
00:43:27
Salesforce is going to go away. I mean
00:43:28
Salesforce and Adobe and Service Now
00:43:30
these companies are off somewhere
00:43:32
between 40 and 70%. These companies and
00:43:35
by the way there's absolutely no
00:43:38
evidence whatsoever. voted last week.
00:43:40
Yeah.
00:43:41
>> So, these companies are growing at
00:43:42
double digits. Meanwhile, some of these
00:43:44
old economy companies that are growing
00:43:46
at single digits are trading at much
00:43:48
higher multiples. So, I would argue that
00:43:52
one of the biggest opportunities in the
00:43:54
market right now is the traditional SAS
00:43:56
companies as a multiple on their free
00:43:58
cash flow. They
00:43:59
>> This is beyond these Halo companies,
00:44:01
beyond the McDonald's.
00:44:02
>> No, I think the Halo guys quite frankly
00:44:04
are overpriced right now.
00:44:06
>> Oh, interesting. They're low growth
00:44:08
companies trading at exceptional pees.
00:44:11
Meanwhile, I mean, keep in mind if you
00:44:14
think so at all my companies, we've had
00:44:17
Salesforce.
00:44:18
I don't care if some kid if some kid
00:44:20
came to me and said, "Okay, we can kind
00:44:22
of replicate Salesforce with a
00:44:24
thoughtful prompt into anthropic." I'd
00:44:27
be like, "Okay, we're going to have to
00:44:29
retrain everybody on a new UI."
00:44:32
these companies get so they have client
00:44:34
service, they have events, they have
00:44:36
they have worked out millions of bugs
00:44:39
over a couple years. I get invited to
00:44:42
Dreamforce if I spend enough money. The
00:44:44
thought that all of a sudden people are
00:44:46
just going to strip out Adobe or Figma
00:44:50
or Service Now is just these companies
00:44:53
are so deeply embedded. You can call it
00:44:56
technical debt, you can call it
00:44:57
switching costs, whatever it is. In
00:44:59
addition, if if AI can actually take the
00:45:03
coding down to something meaningless,
00:45:04
then what will happen, I think, is that
00:45:07
these SAS companies will reduce their
00:45:09
cost by 10 or 20%. Which gives you their
00:45:13
actual coding and technical costs are
00:45:14
only 10 or 20% of their revenue. The
00:45:16
other 80% is marketing, branding, client
00:45:18
service, design, events is so that shows
00:45:22
you where the value is. They'll do the
00:45:24
same thing and then pass on those
00:45:26
savings. So you might see some mild
00:45:28
margin compression, but I think the
00:45:29
flight into quote unquote defensive
00:45:31
stocks. I think that trade has been
00:45:33
overdone.
00:45:35
And I think there's one of the biggest I
00:45:37
haven't been able to find value
00:45:38
anywhere. I've been selling, not buying
00:45:41
for the first time in a long time. I
00:45:43
look at these SAS companies. There is
00:45:44
absolutely no evidence anywhere that a
00:45:47
large corporation is giving up Adobe or
00:45:49
Salesforce and putting in new prompts
00:45:51
into AI. So I think that threat has been
00:45:54
massively
00:45:56
over overdone. Also I think the rotation
00:45:59
into these more traditional low growth
00:46:00
companies quite frankly I think those
00:46:03
guys are really overvalued right now.
00:46:05
These are low growth companies trading
00:46:07
at a tech growth multiples.
00:46:10
>> Yeah I would agree. I think you're
00:46:12
absolutely right. I think that's a
00:46:13
really interesting take on that. The it
00:46:15
is interesting that people are looking
00:46:16
beyond AI right like where are the
00:46:19
opportunities and I think I think your
00:46:20
argument is excellent. So, what are you
00:46:22
buying?
00:46:23
>> Oh, I'm going to put together probably a
00:46:25
basket of Figma, Adobe, Salesforce,
00:46:29
maybe Service Now, but I look at those
00:46:33
companies and unless there's a collapse
00:46:35
in their business model, do you know how
00:46:37
hard it is to get rid of I remember, you
00:46:40
know, these companies are so deeply
00:46:42
embedded. I remember we were paying
00:46:44
$25,000 a year for my terminal for
00:46:46
Bloomberg and we thought, okay, let's go
00:46:48
to Thompson Reuters. It's cheaper.
00:46:50
Bloomberg is so tightly integrated into
00:46:53
your life if you're managing a hedge
00:46:54
fund. Even messaging the way we message
00:46:58
people in the hedge fund over time,
00:46:59
Scott things do get replaced over time,
00:47:02
right?
00:47:03
>> I think what's going to happen here is
00:47:04
margin compression
00:47:05
>> a box if you remember a lot of this
00:47:08
>> but they'll I think they'll cut costs. I
00:47:10
mean I still think I mean for example
00:47:13
Salesforce I actually think is really
00:47:14
brilliant branding. They have built some
00:47:16
of the tallest buildings in every one of
00:47:18
their markets in the world. There
00:47:20
there's probably if they needed to quite
00:47:22
a bit of cost they could cut and pass on
00:47:24
to their consumers. These are smart
00:47:26
people. What they might say is if they
00:47:29
see a threat they might say oh
00:47:31
Salesforce is now6x per seat versus X
00:47:34
per seat. These are smart well-run
00:47:37
management teams. Uh and by the way no
00:47:40
evidence whatsoever that any of this is
00:47:43
impacting any of those companies.
00:47:44
>> Yes. That is the bigger point. All
00:47:46
right. Scott's going different than
00:47:47
Halo. He's going, "What are we going to
00:47:49
call them? S not dead software."
00:47:52
>> I would say abandoned. Abandoned. It's
00:47:56
like that little monkey who was who was
00:47:58
rejected by his his family and found a
00:48:01
plushy. It's the plushy strategy.
00:48:04
>> I knew you watched that.
00:48:05
>> I can't stop watching that little
00:48:07
monkey.
00:48:07
>> I know.
00:48:08
>> I can't stop watching.
00:48:09
>> Did you see the one
00:48:10
>> his mom rejected him and they gave him a
00:48:12
plushy?
00:48:13
>> I know. But did you see the one where
00:48:14
they it was speaking of AI use where the
00:48:17
monkey attacks all the other monkey the
00:48:18
monkey with the plushy attacks all the
00:48:20
other monkeys
00:48:21
>> starts doing kung fu on them.
00:48:22
>> Yeah. Starts doing kung fu on them like
00:48:24
he's like he's had enough. He's going to
00:48:26
punch. Anyway,
00:48:28
>> I just thought that I saw that and
00:48:30
granted I think I was on an edible and
00:48:31
I'm like that's my purpose in life is to
00:48:33
be other people's plushy.
00:48:34
>> Plushy.
00:48:35
>> That's my purpose.
00:48:36
>> You are my plushy. Anyway,
00:48:38
>> I meant I'm here to go somewhere weird
00:48:40
really quickly. So, I'm going to move
00:48:41
on. One more quick break. We'll be back
00:48:43
for wins and fails. Support for today's
00:48:46
show comes from Upwork. Hiring help
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That's upw.com.
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upwork.com.
00:49:50
All right. Wins and fails. I shall go
00:49:52
first cuz I have declared myself first.
00:49:55
So when the Olympics just ended, they
00:49:57
were quite good. US women and women in
00:49:59
general dominated. America's female
00:50:01
Olympians won six gold medals and 17
00:50:03
medals overall. American men won four
00:50:05
gold medals and 12 medals over her. It's
00:50:07
not a competition, but they did really
00:50:08
well. Um, and in any case, one of the
00:50:11
things I was really struck by was not an
00:50:13
American, but someone who is American,
00:50:16
Eileen Goo, uh, who won the gold medal
00:50:18
in the women's free uh, free skipipe
00:50:21
event for China. She's been been
00:50:23
meddling for China and just won a couple
00:50:26
of silvers. She's been really plagued by
00:50:28
stupid questions largely from male um,
00:50:31
reporters. But she got asked a question
00:50:34
uh when asked by a woman, "What do you
00:50:36
think about your words before you
00:50:37
speak?" It actually was a very
00:50:38
complimentary question saying, "You're
00:50:40
so well spoken. How do you do it?" And
00:50:42
so, let let's listen to her answer,
00:50:44
which I thought was so superb. She's
00:50:46
gorgeous. She's a model. She's a skier.
00:50:48
She's an athlete, etc. Let's let's
00:50:50
listen. I think overall, I'm just a
00:50:53
pensive person. Like, I'm a very
00:50:55
introspective I'm an introspective young
00:50:57
woman. Like, I spend a lot of time in my
00:50:59
head. Um, and it's not a bad place to
00:51:01
be. I I journal a lot. I break down all
00:51:03
of my thought processes. I think I apply
00:51:05
a very analytical lens to my own
00:51:08
thinking and I kind of modify it because
00:51:11
it's so interesting. You can control
00:51:12
what you think. Like you can control how
00:51:14
you think and therefore you can control
00:51:16
who you are. And especially as a young
00:51:18
person, like I'm 22, so with
00:51:19
neuroplasticity on my side, I can
00:51:21
literally become exactly who I want to
00:51:22
be. How cool is that? Like how
00:51:24
empowering is that, right? I think she
00:51:25
was quite lively in a way that I really
00:51:27
enjoyed listening to her uh you know
00:51:29
push back against people very a lot of
00:51:31
these athletes whether they were some of
00:51:33
the skaters uh the women skaters were
00:51:35
astonishing and they're they're their
00:51:37
own people. I really enjoyed this for
00:51:39
that for all these uh these athletes
00:51:42
especially the women showing off. They
00:51:43
don't have to be adorable little dolls.
00:51:46
They were just their own people. I
00:51:48
really like that. My fail is related.
00:51:50
It's when Trump called the US men's
00:51:53
hockey team in the locker room after
00:51:54
their victory where Cash Patel was
00:51:56
making a [ __ ] idiot himself chugging
00:51:58
beers and acting like he was 21 when
00:52:00
he's old and spending taxpayer money.
00:52:02
But let's not get into that imbecile.
00:52:05
But anyways, Trump then tried to said
00:52:08
hold my beer to Cash Patel and he
00:52:10
invited them to the State of the Union
00:52:11
and the White House. But let's listen to
00:52:14
how he said it.
00:52:14
>> We'll do the White House the next day.
00:52:16
We'll just have some fun. We have medals
00:52:17
for you guys. And we have to I must tell
00:52:20
you, we're gonna have to bring the
00:52:22
women's team. You do know that.
00:52:28
>> I do believe I probably would be
00:52:29
impeached. Okay.
00:52:31
>> It's so great to have a really old man
00:52:32
make a stupid old man joke and that is
00:52:36
fine. He is what he is. And it was just
00:52:38
gross to insult the women who had just
00:52:40
won the gold medal. Um instead the guys
00:52:43
laughed and I get it. I get it. I get
00:52:45
it. You're in a locker room, you just
00:52:47
won, you're all excited, and you have
00:52:48
the president calling you, but you don't
00:52:50
have to laugh at his jerky joke. And it
00:52:52
it it doesn't shed good light on you to
00:52:54
do this and to cut down the women's team
00:52:57
just because UN because of this imbecile
00:52:59
old man said this thing. I think it's
00:53:02
time is over for for talking about women
00:53:04
like their battle axes or they're such a
00:53:06
pain to be here and oh the ladies. It's
00:53:08
tiresome in the extreme. Um I'm not
00:53:11
someone who doesn't like a good joke. I
00:53:13
put up with Scots all the time, but this
00:53:15
is just not funny. And it isn't funny to
00:53:17
the women's team. Now, a day later,
00:53:18
after Trump did invite the US uh women's
00:53:21
hockey team, it turns out they simply
00:53:23
can't make it. Sorry, Donald Trump.
00:53:26
We're getting our hair washed or washing
00:53:28
our hair, I don't know, whatever stupid
00:53:29
excuse. They don't want to they don't
00:53:31
want to hang with you. A spokesman for
00:53:33
the team said, "We are sincerely
00:53:34
grateful for the invitation extended to
00:53:36
our gold medalinning US women's hockey
00:53:38
team." and added that they would not be
00:53:40
able to attend, quote, due to the timing
00:53:42
and previously scheduled academic and
00:53:44
professional commitments. I love them.
00:53:46
And I'm going to just relate very
00:53:48
quickly. When my son Louie was on a
00:53:50
men's soccer lacrosse team, there was a
00:53:53
there was an audio of something where
00:53:55
they it really insulted the girls in the
00:53:58
class really badly. Like really like it
00:54:01
was a dumb, stupid, sexually charged um
00:54:05
song they played. I don't remember it
00:54:07
exactly, but they got a video of it, of
00:54:08
course, because everything's videotaped.
00:54:11
And it was gross what they were doing.
00:54:13
They're assaulting their classmates like
00:54:15
in a really sexist way. And Louie wasn't
00:54:18
singing the song. I he was in the video.
00:54:20
He wasn't singing the song. But I
00:54:22
remember um you know, when I saw it, I
00:54:24
was so disappointed in him because he
00:54:26
didn't say anything, right? He didn't
00:54:28
like and I know he couldn't he was in
00:54:30
the locker room. And so we had a great
00:54:31
talk at the time and I remember spending
00:54:34
a lot of time talking to both my boys
00:54:36
about their role in pro, like you say,
00:54:39
protecting women. Not just protecting,
00:54:40
but don't laugh at stupid [ __ ] like
00:54:43
that. Like you don't have to go along
00:54:45
just to get along. And it was really it
00:54:47
reminded me of that moment when when
00:54:50
Louise said to me at the time, you know,
00:54:51
I didn't do anything. And I said, you
00:54:53
didn't do anything. That's exactly my
00:54:55
problem with you at this moment. And I
00:54:58
get it. I get what it's like being a
00:54:59
boy. I get the pressures of it, but
00:55:01
honestly, US men's soccer hockey team,
00:55:05
you know,
00:55:07
just be better. Let's just say, let's
00:55:10
say be what I would say to you is if I
00:55:12
was your parent, I'd slap you back to
00:55:13
last Sunday. Anyway, that's my Go ahead.
00:55:16
Congratulations, by the way, US men's
00:55:18
hockey team and the women's hockey team.
00:55:20
>> The I I thought the highlight of the
00:55:22
Winter Olympics was um Megan Keller, who
00:55:25
scored the overtime. I grew up going to
00:55:27
hockey games. It was the only one of the
00:55:29
few ways my father and I bonded. We used
00:55:31
to go to LA Kings games and watch Marcel
00:55:34
Deion and Whitey Whiting and Roie Vashan
00:55:37
and uh so I know something about hockey
00:55:40
and I used to go to Maple Leafs games
00:55:41
with my father. The the overtime goal
00:55:44
from Megan Keller hands down for me was
00:55:48
the the ultimate demonstration of
00:55:50
athleticism,
00:55:52
grace under pressure. And keep in mind,
00:55:55
you know, these women are really doing
00:55:58
it for the love of the sport. They
00:55:59
don't, their league does not pay a lot.
00:56:01
>> Can I point out Alyssa Lou and the three
00:56:04
others, the three other women from the
00:56:06
US were all supportive of each other.
00:56:07
Like they weren't like had each other
00:56:09
level of camaraderie.
00:56:11
Amazing.
00:56:12
>> I do not fault the men for laughing.
00:56:13
They're in a locker room. They're
00:56:14
talking to the president and most of
00:56:16
them are like 23 year olds from
00:56:17
Wisconsin. They don't
00:56:19
>> Not that there's anything wrong, but I
00:56:21
don't fault them. I fault the president
00:56:23
for not setting a good example for young
00:56:25
men,
00:56:25
>> right?
00:56:25
>> You know, that's just not And but the
00:56:28
the women
00:56:30
>> did you see the final of the the women's
00:56:32
hockey?
00:56:33
>> Yeah, it was amazing.
00:56:34
>> The goal she pulled off
00:56:36
>> was so ext I I kept watching it over and
00:56:39
I spent 20 minutes watching it 40 times.
00:56:43
Anyways,
00:56:44
>> uh Megan,
00:56:45
>> they don't get they don't get to star in
00:56:46
heated rivalry, etc. They It really is.
00:56:49
They they they're an astonished
00:56:52
rivalry with women's hockey.
00:56:54
>> That's already happening.
00:56:55
>> You got one viewer.
00:56:56
>> I'm sorry. That's already happening. But
00:56:58
we'll go into it in great. Go ahead.
00:57:00
Yours win and fail.
00:57:02
>> Well, it's one thing and that is
00:57:06
okay. So,
00:57:08
we let our thoroughbreds US corporations
00:57:11
run. And we have structural systemic
00:57:13
laws that tell them, okay, you can't
00:57:15
pour mercury into the river. And if an
00:57:18
industry becomes so consolidated, it
00:57:19
starts extracting unfair rents from
00:57:21
labor, consumers, the government moves
00:57:23
in. Other than that, one of the reasons
00:57:25
for our economic growth is we heir on a
00:57:27
lack of regulation or government
00:57:29
intervention. When the president starts
00:57:31
weighing in and saying the most
00:57:33
ridiculous [ __ ] about a board member he
00:57:37
called her racist, oh yeah, Susan Rice,
00:57:39
like famous racist.
00:57:41
>> So that's not even my fail though. that
00:57:44
we we've expected that kind of weak and
00:57:47
weird socialist/communist/autocratic
00:57:50
behavior that hurts our economy. What I
00:57:55
can't stand is that Democrats
00:57:58
do not lack all creativity around how
00:58:01
we're going to strike back. And let me
00:58:03
just give you one idea because I love
00:58:04
the idea of economic activism. And that
00:58:08
is all right. A a kind of beltway
00:58:12
on-ramp into greater wealth is the
00:58:14
following. You serve in Congress or in
00:58:16
the cabinet and you go on because you're
00:58:18
an impressive person with strong
00:58:20
connections and an understanding of the
00:58:21
world. You go on to serve on corporate
00:58:24
boards and make some money. I bet Susan
00:58:26
Rice has made millions of dollars on the
00:58:29
board of Netflix. And by the way, I
00:58:32
think it's great. She worked her ass
00:58:33
off. I don't mind. There should be a
00:58:35
cooling off period going to work for
00:58:37
lobbyists. But I have been on boards
00:58:40
with former the New York Times. We had
00:58:41
Bill Canard, the former head of the FCC,
00:58:43
went on to be the American ambassador to
00:58:44
the EU. I was on a board with uh Rick
00:58:47
Snder who went on to be the governor of
00:58:49
Michigan. I think it's great that they
00:58:51
serve on boards. They're talented,
00:58:52
thoughtful people. They deserve to make
00:58:53
money. I have no problem with it. But if
00:58:56
the president starts [ __ ] with
00:58:58
Democrats on boards,
00:59:01
leader Jeff and uh Senator Schumer, why
00:59:05
the [ __ ] are you not [ __ ] back? And
00:59:08
this is the following. For example, Mike
00:59:11
Pompeo, former head of the CIA and
00:59:15
Secretary of State, he is on a board,
00:59:17
and I did this in about 10 minutes of
00:59:19
research. He did he is on a board uh
00:59:23
called Von which is a single class share
00:59:27
company and when I used to do activism I
00:59:30
had to spend 150,000 to 250,000 to file
00:59:33
a 13D and nominate directors and get
00:59:36
lawyers involved. I have now written up
00:59:40
uh uh uh the filings for nominating
00:59:42
governors at this single class share
00:59:44
company and I did it in about 7 minutes
00:59:47
using AI. I'm gonna buy one share in
00:59:50
this company and I'm gonna start
00:59:52
targeting Republicans on boards and not
00:59:55
renominating them and then maybe go
00:59:57
after another board member and anyone in
01:00:00
Congress who's a Republican who decides
01:00:03
they too would like to make some money
01:00:04
on boards. Well, why aren't Schumer and
01:00:07
Jeffrey saying, "We're going to we're
01:00:10
going to be back in power, folks. And if
01:00:12
you want to go serve on boards as Susan
01:00:15
Rice did, we're gonna start [ __ ] with
01:00:17
you.
01:00:18
>> Now look, Scott, the thing is what he's
01:00:20
doing is totally wrong. So you should do
01:00:21
the wrong thing in order to meet him.
01:00:24
Like that is a hard decision.
01:00:25
>> You you fire a gun at me, I am pulling
01:00:28
out my gun and I am shooting you in the
01:00:30
[ __ ] face.
01:00:31
>> All right, I'm good.
01:00:32
>> This is about incentives. And this this
01:00:34
notion that Democrats that we're higher
01:00:36
and mightier and that we'll restore the
01:00:39
con [ __ ] that. [ __ ] that. You wanna You
01:00:43
want to deny the Constitution and and
01:00:46
engage in depraved criminal behavior
01:00:48
against us? Well, fine, folks. If you
01:00:51
think we're going to restore just go
01:00:52
back to being the nice guys who are
01:00:54
gentile and restore the norms, no. That
01:00:57
is the wrong incentives. There needs to
01:00:59
be a loud and clear message to the
01:01:00
Republicans who are grabbing this their
01:01:03
ankles as America gets [ __ ] here. Be
01:01:06
clear. You want an autocracy? Fine. and
01:01:09
we'll show you an autocracy when we're
01:01:11
back in charge.
01:01:13
>> Sorry for sorry for the lecture.
01:01:14
>> Okay. I think they're not going to be
01:01:15
invited at the next Democratic getaway.
01:01:17
I There's other ways to fight back that
01:01:19
are just as devastating to them that you
01:01:21
don't have to do what they did. There's
01:01:23
lots someone called me from one of these
01:01:26
companies and it's like, "Oh, I don't
01:01:27
think the Democrats are going to hurt
01:01:28
us." I said, "Oh, they're going to hurt
01:01:30
you. You're just not the same way.
01:01:31
>> They're not afraid. They think we're
01:01:33
going to go back to strongly worded
01:01:35
letters."
01:01:35
>> No, they're not going to. I think
01:01:36
there's going to be action. I do. I just
01:01:38
don't think we have to do it the way
01:01:39
Trump is doing, which is essentially
01:01:40
acting like Putin. Anyway, we have we
01:01:43
have to we have to uh move on. But just
01:01:45
for people who don't know, Trump's
01:01:47
favorite judge, speaking of fails,
01:01:48
Eileen Cannon just blocked the public
01:01:50
release of special counsel Jackson's
01:01:51
report on the classified documents case
01:01:54
against Trump trying her best to get
01:01:55
into the Supreme Court. Eileen or Ailen,
01:01:58
whatever your [ __ ] name is, you suck
01:01:59
and you're going to be overturned on
01:02:01
appeal. Um anyway, we want to hear from
01:02:04
you. Send us your questions about
01:02:06
business, tech, or whatever's on your
01:02:07
mind. We don't want to hear from Judge
01:02:08
Cannon at all anymore, hopefully. Go to
01:02:10
nymag.com/pivot
01:02:12
to submit a question for the show or
01:02:13
call 85551 Pivot. Elsewhere in the Cara
01:02:17
and Scott universe this week on OnWith
01:02:18
with Carara Swisser, I spoke with Chris
01:02:21
Appleands and Maggie Kang, directors uh
01:02:23
of the K-pop Demon Hunters. Maggie is
01:02:25
also the creator. And Scott, you got a
01:02:28
mention. Let's listen.
01:02:29
>> How do we get Scott to watch it? Do we
01:02:31
just tell him every Let's tell him
01:02:33
everyone's hot. That'll work right cuz
01:02:35
everyone's hot. So, watch it. Do it.
01:02:38
>> I just got him to watch Heated Rivalry.
01:02:41
>> So, I know it took a bit, but I finally
01:02:43
got him. I am going to make when I'm
01:02:45
with him at South by Southwest, I'm
01:02:47
going to go to his room and we're going
01:02:48
to watch it. He and I I I will have to
01:02:50
cuddle with him. But that's what's if it
01:02:52
takes that's what it takes. I'm going to
01:02:54
do that. So, I will I promise I will get
01:02:56
him to watch it and I will give him an
01:02:57
edible
01:02:58
>> and I'll put him right in front of it
01:03:00
and that's how it's going to go. Just so
01:03:02
you know,
01:03:03
>> show
01:03:03
>> K-pop Demon Hunters.
01:03:06
>> You have not watched it.
01:03:07
>> I have not. But I don't have young kids.
01:03:09
Isn't it for little kids?
01:03:10
>> No, it's an adult movie. Just watch it.
01:03:12
You're going to watch it with me. You
01:03:13
and I are going to watch it. Okay, we're
01:03:14
going to
01:03:15
>> Yeah, that's definitely got to involve
01:03:16
some sort of THC.
01:03:18
>> Okay, we won't
01:03:20
>> K-pop Demon Hunters. It's They're sexy
01:03:22
cartoons. You'll love it.
01:03:23
>> Aren't those folks billionaires now?
01:03:24
It's not the most watched thing ever on
01:03:26
Netflix.
01:03:26
>> It is, but I think they got didn't get
01:03:28
again like he did rivalry. They got they
01:03:30
got it for a song. Uh, but I think they
01:03:32
did fine. I mean, they're amazing. It's
01:03:33
an amazing podcast. I love K-pop Demon
01:03:35
Hunters. It's not for kids, actually.
01:03:36
It's a It's a very complex show. Okay,
01:03:39
that's the show. Thanks for listening to
01:03:40
Pivot. Be sure to like and subscribe to
01:03:42
our YouTube channel. We'll be back on
01:03:44
Friday.

Episode Highlights

  • Award Night in Brooklyn
    Cara Swisser announces she's receiving the governor's award tonight in Brooklyn.
    “I'm getting an award tonight in Brooklyn.”
    @ 01m 08s
    February 24, 2026
  • Mexico's Violence and Tourism
    Scott discusses the impact of cartel violence on tourism in Mexico, emphasizing his love for the country.
    “I love Mexico.”
    @ 05m 57s
    February 24, 2026
  • Trump's Tariff Controversy
    Trump increases global tariffs to 15% despite Supreme Court ruling against him, causing political tension.
    “He's just being a giant [ __ ] baby.”
    @ 11m 53s
    February 24, 2026
  • Trump's State of the Union Speech
    Trump walks in with a 60% disapproval rating, facing a counter rally from Democrats.
    “It's going to be very interesting, but I feel as if he's...”
    @ 24m 24s
    February 24, 2026
  • Political Risk in Corporate Governance
    Discussion on Trump's influence over corporate boards and the implications for capitalism.
    “When political actors treat corporate boards as cultural battlegrounds, you shift to personality-driven capitalism.”
    @ 31m 25s
    February 24, 2026
  • Netflix's Dominance
    Despite challenges, Netflix's position in the streaming market remains strong.
    “Netflix will be fine without this.”
    @ 35m 55s
    February 24, 2026
  • Political Pressure on Paramount
    The potential impact of political shifts on Paramount's future is discussed.
    “You think the Democrats won’t do anything? You are wrong, Paramount.”
    @ 37m 32s
    February 24, 2026
  • Star Wars Analogy
    A comparison is made to a Star Wars scene to illustrate corporate turmoil.
    “It’s as if millions of people just screamed and then nothing.”
    @ 38m 45s
    February 24, 2026
  • Empowerment Through Thought
    Reflecting on how controlling your thoughts can shape your identity.
    “You can control what you think and therefore you can control who you are.”
    @ 51m 12s
    February 24, 2026
  • Women Athletes' Individuality
    Celebrating the strength and independence of female athletes.
    “They don't have to be adorable little dolls. They were just their own people.”
    @ 51m 48s
    February 24, 2026
  • A Call to Action for Men
    Encouraging men to stand against sexism and support women.
    “You don't have to laugh at stupid [ __ ] like that.”
    @ 54m 40s
    February 24, 2026
  • A Bold Political Statement
    A powerful declaration about the future of political leadership.
    “You want an autocracy? Fine. We'll show you an autocracy when we're back in charge.”
    @ 01h 01m 06s
    February 24, 2026

Episode Quotes

Key Moments

  • Cartel Violence05:57
  • Demented Doubling Down18:54
  • Teleprompter Chaos28:20
  • Netflix Resilience35:55
  • Paramount's Challenges37:32
  • Light-hearted Banter48:36
  • Empowerment51:22
  • Sexism in Sports54:40

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

Related Episodes

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