Big Tech CEOs Kiss the Ring at Donald Trump’s Inauguration | Pivot

On this episode of Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway break down the optics and significance of Big Tech CEOs attending Donald Trump's inauguration — including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman. They also dig into the future of TikTok, and whether any of the last-minute rescue plans will succeed. Plus, the confirmation hearings for Trump cabinet nominees Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth get heated, but does it matter? Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro Chat 04:28 - Trump's Inauguration and Big Tech 11:20 - Biden's Farewell Warning 15:12 - WaPo Employees Send Letter to Bezos 20:12 - Big Story: TikTok's Future 29:47 - Big Story: Trump Noms’ Heated Hearings 44:17 - Listener Mail 50:36 - Predictions 56:30 - Prof G Preview / Programming Note 59:03 - Credits #pivot #podcast #donaldtrump #inauguration #elonmusk #jeffbezos #markzuckerberg #samaltman #joebiden #washingtonpost #tiktok #petehegseth #pambondi #confirmationhearings Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot

Kara SwisherhostScott GallowayhostPam BondiguestPete HegsethguestNancy (caller from Santa Rosa, CA)guest

Jan 17, 202559mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: January 17, 2025
Duration: 59m
Channel: Pivot
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

On this episode of Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway break down the optics and significance of Big Tech CEOs attending Donald Trump's inauguration — including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman. They also dig into the future of TikTok, and whether any of the last-minute rescue plans will succeed. Plus, the confirmation hearings for Trump cabinet nominees Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth get heated, but does it matter? Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro Chat 04:28 - Trump's Inauguration and Big Tech 11:20 - Biden's Farewell Warning 15:12 - WaPo Employees Send Letter to Bezos 20:12 - Big Story: TikTok's Future 29:47 - Big Story: Trump Noms’ Heated Hearings 44:17 - Listener Mail 50:36 - Predictions 56:30 - Prof G Preview / Programming Note 59:03 - Credits #pivot #podcast #donaldtrump #inauguration #elonmusk #jeffbezos #markzuckerberg #samaltman #joebiden #washingtonpost #tiktok #petehegseth #pambondi #confirmationhearings Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot

SPEAKERS

Kara Swisher
host
Narrator
other
Scott Galloway
host
Pam Bondi
guest
Pete Hegseth
guest
Nancy (caller from Santa Rosa, CA)
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Pivot, featuring Kara Swisher and Narrator, Big Tech CEOs Kiss the Ring at Donald Trump’s Inauguration | Pivot explores big Tech Titans Bow To Trump As Democracy, TikTok Teeter Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway riff on Trump’s inauguration, focusing on the spectacle of Big Tech CEOs attending and what that reveals about power, shareholder incentives, and creeping autocracy. They contrast this with Biden’s largely overlooked but historically important farewell warning about a new tech-industrial oligarchy. The conversation then turns to the TikTok ban, China’s leverage over Elon Musk, and the broader failures of U.S. policy to address Chinese apps and data security coherently. In the back half, they dissect Trump’s cabinet confirmations—especially Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth—as signs of hollowed-out governance, and close with economic implications of the LA fires, bank exposure, climate risk, and how tariffs and immigration policy may drive inflation.

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