EVERY SPOKEN WORD
60 min read · 11,650 words- 0:00 – 2:33
Intro
- SGScott Galloway
What's going on here is contrary to the very reason America was founded. The reason we started this experiment was we didn't want to be abused by a monarch. [upbeat music]
- KSKara Swisher
Hi, everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm Kara Swisher, and I just scooped out my litter, and Scott is in swanky Switzerland. This is the state of our relationship.
- SGScott Galloway
I was with your first wife just a few minutes ago.
- KSKara Swisher
I, I heard she's, uh, swanning around there. How's it going?
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, she's, uh, one of my favorite things is this thing called She Knows, and-
- KSKara Swisher
Mm-hmm. Oh, She Knows-
- SGScott Galloway
- They invite me 'cause they know dudes will show up, and they like-
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah
- SGScott Galloway
... to have dudes at their stuff. Um-
- KSKara Swisher
Mm, now, that's, that's just what women want, but go ahead. [chuckles]
- SGScott Galloway
Well, I think it is, actually.
- KSKara Swisher
[chuckles] Okay.
- SGScott Galloway
Um, I think they want to reach across the aisle, so to speak.
- KSKara Swisher
Okay. All right.
- SGScott Galloway
I think they want to do a reach around. [chuckles]
- KSKara Swisher
[chuckles]
- SGScott Galloway
Um, oh, God, my mind is a blank now. Uh-
- KSKara Swisher
Okay, you're in Davos.
- SGScott Galloway
Oh, yeah, that's where I am.
- KSKara Swisher
And by the way, you look fantastic, let me just say.
- SGScott Galloway
You know, unfortunately, Kara, my-
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah
- SGScott Galloway
... iPhone, when I opened it, still, uh, the Apple Face ID still works, so, [chuckles]
- KSKara Swisher
[chuckles]
- SGScott Galloway
And everyone said-
- KSKara Swisher
You still-
- SGScott Galloway
- And everyone's saying: "You just look like you." And I'm like, "Well, that wasn't the fucking point."
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah, it's subtle.
- SGScott Galloway
But anyways-
- KSKara Swisher
I can see the difference.
- 2:33 – 19:50
Davos
- SGScott Galloway
last time I was here was nineteen ninety-nine. I was here twenty-six years ago. I don't know if you know this about me, but I peaked early.
- KSKara Swisher
Similar timeframe for me, but go ahead.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
I was there twenty-six years ago, and the vibe then was, um, it was about the internet. America was about cooperation and consumerism, and sort of there was some-- there was really optimism, like, I want more. It was very consumerist, if you will, and now I'd say the vibe is, one, AI. Everything's AI. I was one of these guys running around trying to pitch my start-up, Red Envelope, or my e-commerce incubator to everybody. Now, everyone's pitching everyone on AI start-ups, and the American brand, which is meant to be the operating system here, I think, is really about coercion and chaos right now, and the vibe-
- KSKara Swisher
And arrogance. Arrogance is what I'm detecting.
- SGScott Galloway
It's even beyond arrogance.
- KSKara Swisher
Right. Okay.
- SGScott Galloway
It's be- it's, it's just being rude for no real reason. Like, and the-
- KSKara Swisher
Howard Lutnick was a particular moron on that topic. Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, and Christine Lagarde, she walked out on him. That was kind of the big, the big event here. But there is-- also, the vibe here is very unsettled because for all the talk about your being a union, it's clearly still not a union. In my opinion, the strongest move would have been if they had-- somebody had actually read Mark Carney's speech and said: He just articul- articulated how we all feel more powerfully than anyone in the European Union has done. We want him to give that speech. We want him to outline a series of things that we could do as a union of all Western nations, selling US Treasuries, forming a trading zone outside of the US, and they should've had all fucking twenty-seven EU member leaders sitting behind Mark Carney. Instead, they just look like, oh, the number sixth-- you know, the, the world's sixth, eleventh, twenty-eighth, and the Seven Dwarves economy are angry at us. They clearly don't care.
- KSKara Swisher
All right. Okay. All right, this is like you attacking the Dems. Tell-- explain what the Repu-- what, what the Trump administration is doing there? 'Cause let's talk about the bullies, not the bullied, uh, for a second. What i- what is the vibe from Lutnick? Uh, Bessant looks like the, the, the man from Grey Poupon. Like he's, [chuckles] he's excited to find Grey Poupon everywhere he goes. Never seen such a crash in reputation of that guy. But t- talk a little bit about that, the, the, the arrogance, 'cause it's just-- you can-- you see it bristling off of tech people. Uh, the Palantir CEO once again needs to stop talking quite so much. Uh, the only one that was interesting was Dario Amodei, who is still trying to piss off David Sacks, which I enjoy every day of the week and twice on Sunday. But what's the vibe from the US? It seemed absolutely, "Fuck you," like, "We're, we're, we're the man," even though... "And I'm popular," Trump was saying, even though the, his polls are crashing here in the United States.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, I was at a dinner where Dario spoke last night. Um, the-- I don't know, the w- the way I, the way I would describe the vibe is, I don't even think it's... The business leaders I still think are really well respected. People are still like: "Hey, Anthropic, can you open a branch in Helsinki? And let's talk about Poland's economy." So there's still, I think, a real a, I don't know if the term is affection, but appreciation, because the bottom line is the American economy continues to grind on, and one of the masters of the universe-- I went to one of these dinners where, um, you know, Chad Harris, o- o- one of the, the masters of the universe from finance stood up and said: "Look-... r- uh, distinctive our political situation, you, and you talked about Anthropic. Anthropic's raising ten or fifty billion at three hundred-- There's, like, seven companies in Europe worth three hundred and fifty billion dollars or more, and Anthropic started five years ago.
- KSKara Swisher
It's actually gaining a lot of ground in enterprise, too, but go ahead.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, it is, and it's, it's, it's kind of the success story maybe outside of Gemini and AI, I would argue, over the last twelve months. So I feel like there's still a great deal of affection and want to work together. I wouldn't argue-- I would say that from the administration standpoint, their presence here isn't... I think arrogance is the wrong word. I, I like the definition of stupid: You help others and hurt yourself, you're an artist or a philanthropist. You help yourself while hurting others, you're a bandit. You help others while helping yourself, you're intelligent. The definition of stupid is hurting others while you hurt yourself.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
The, the, talking about h- h- how important it is for the US to own Iceland when you mean Greenland, you just look stupid. You're just... And it's, the- it's not gonna happen. The big news, to be fair, he walked back military action. He said that's not gonna happen. He did away with the tariffs he threatened earlier in the week, so we come across-- we just come across as just we're, we're, we're a baby with an AR-15, is how we come across right now.
- KSKara Swisher
So is it worth it for you to be there? Do you... Are you- you looked like you wanted to get out, and I needed to c- helicopter in and get you, but, uh, d- was it worth it? Is it worth it?
- SGScott Galloway
Well, so I'm name-dropping. I said no, and then Larry Fink called me and asked me to come and said, you know, "It's very nice to me," and said, "This will be a good audience for you." And I got to give it to him. This is, quote, unquote, "according to people who've been here for thirty years, the best of us yet," in terms of the quality or the power, I would say, of the people. Uh, uh, you know, Elon Musk felt left out. He's flying in this afternoon to give a speech. Heads of state, senators, uh, the thing that sort of embodied how powerful the people are, I literally saw Lindsey Graham walking around looking for someone to talk to. Like, he looked lonely, and he was trying to find someone to talk to him.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah, he's such a pathetic chode.
- SGScott Galloway
So everyone's here.
- KSKara Swisher
He's a chud, not a chode.
- SGScott Galloway
And by the way, you wanna, you wanna hear serious vibe, serious juju, serious mojo, serious rizz? Fucking Governor Newsom is walking around like he is the next president, and guess what? Everyone believes him. He has an entourage of pe- He has some... I'm not exaggerating. It's like there's light shining on the guy. [laughing] He was- I-
- KSKara Swisher
[laughing] He probably had someone-
- SGScott Galloway
I walked down. I walked down. I had one of those... This was a nice moment for me. I have a, I have a big ego like everyone else. I walked down into the Congress hall, and there was a crowd of people around this guy, and no matter how big the crowd is, you see him like he's fucking Rihanna standing on [laughing] Arnold Schwarzenegger's shoulders. He just... It's like, and it's like God- it's like he's the chosen one.
- KSKara Swisher
Uh, yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
And then he stops and comes-
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah
- SGScott Galloway
... over, catches my-
- KSKara Swisher
And says hi
- 19:50 – 22:24
DOGE Misused Social Security Data
- KSKara Swisher
Scott, we're back with more news. DOGE employees shared Social Security data, according to court filings. The filings show that political advocacy group contacted members of the DOGE Social S- uh, Security team, asking for an analysis of state voter rolls. One of the employees signed an agreement with the group, who aimed to, quote, "find evidence of voter fraud and overturn election results in certain states." No accountability. This is something we talked about on Pivot, saying, this is probably exactly what's happening. It's very dangerous this data is being shared. Who knows what else? And I think at some point, we will find out exactly what was s- uh, what was, was taken and misused. And speaking of DOGE, uh, Elon has dropped ten million dollars in support of a pro-Trump Republican Kentucky Senate candidate, Nate Morris, who is running to succeed retiring old person, Mitch McConnell. Um, you know, he's tried to do this. He tried to do it in Wisconsin. Um, so I, I don't know what you think about the DOGE thing. I think it's just... Of course, this is what they did, and hopefully, they will be prosecuted.
- SGScott Galloway
In terms of DOGE, like you called this-
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
You don't give your...
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
I'm, I'm much more promiscuous with my data than you, and you said, "I would never give them my-
- KSKara Swisher
Right
- SGScott Galloway
... uh, data," but unfortunately, the Social Security agents, you're-- you have to give them your data. I mean, the government, the government knows your HIV status.
- KSKara Swisher
Yep, exactly.
- SGScott Galloway
You know, the government knows-
- KSKara Swisher
Everything
- SGScott Galloway
... uh, how much money you have, what you do with your money, where, who you send it to. You know, they have a kind of access to pretty much everything.
- KSKara Swisher
Unique data that they need for these LLMs, by the way.
- SGScott Galloway
And I don't-
- KSKara Swisher
Unique data.
- SGScott Galloway
I actually believe in the government's right to collect data. What I-- but I think you have to match that with really stringent laws, that if you're gonna violate that privacy, it has to be under threat of, like, domestic, you know, of terrorism or something.
- KSKara Swisher
Well, they had no accountability here.
- SGScott Galloway
Well, yeah, and nothing's gonna happen, right? So-
- KSKara Swisher
I don't think so. I don't believe that. I think it... We're gonna-- there's gonna be a forensics on this later, and we're gonna understand ex- it's, uh, not fully, but what they did here. And I, I do know of tech people taking account of what happened in cryptocurrency, what's happening here, and at some point, there will be a reckoning.
- SGScott Galloway
But do you think people will be punished for this?
- KSKara Swisher
I don't know. I, I don't think Elon Musk will necessarily be, unless there's, you know, signs of, you know, take the, take the stuff and run, I suppose. I mean, but he's just barreling on, even though Tesla sales or Cybertruck sales, what, they sold twenty thousand last year. They're supposed to sell two hundred and fifty thousand. Um, I can't believe they sold twenty thousand, but, you know, he keeps rolling on. I think he'll keep rolling on as he-- 'cause he can collect money for Grok, or he'll keep doing... I just did a show today on CSAM, which is, uh, child, uh, essentially child pornography, and he'll just keep rolling on, even though it's shameful w- what's happening. The other thing, Netflix
- 22:24 – 29:40
Netflix’s All Cash Warner Bros. Offer
- KSKara Swisher
has officially updated its Warner Bros. offer to an all-cash deal, replacing the original cash and stock structure. The latest agreement reduces the amount of debt, uh, put on Warner's spinoff, Discovery Global, by two hundred and sixty million dollars. The two companies say the new structure should allow Warner shareholders to vote on the deal by April. Um, also, but at the same time, Netflix narrowly beat Wall Street expectations in its latest earnings. The company posted two point four billion dollars in fourth quarter profit, up twenty-nine percent over the year. But the growth is slowing. Revenue is projected to grow only about thirteen percent this year, compared to sixteen percent last year. It's still working well. Netflix shares hit a fifty-two-week low during the trading this week, which is why they went to all stock. Uh, I think it's just a matter of price with this Warner Bros. deal. It looks like Netflix has the inside edge at this moment. Um, but I'm not... I don't know. Any thoughts?
- SGScott Galloway
Well, they continue. Uh, the expectations are so huge that even though the revenue and earnings topped estimates, up eighteen and thirty-one percent year-on-year, respectively, uh, the stock's been down and that a third of a billion paid global subscribers. Uh, there are a few takeaways from the year. The content spend ratio, um, is almost less than it's ever been, which is good for shareholders.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah. You, you have noted that.
- SGScott Galloway
Well, in 2015, Netflix spent eighty-five cents per one dollar of revenue, right? Now they're spending thirty-eight cents, a fifty-five percent decrease, which says: All right, we're gonna dominate the market. We're gonna take advantage of our cheap capital, overspend on content. No one can keep up with us. Then we're gonna aggregate an unprecedented number of paid subscribers, and we're gonna let revenue continue to grow and hold our spending flat. It's a great strategy. Some people would argue it's predatory pricing.... uh, the advertising business, um, still not a big business. I've always been against it. This year, it accounted for three percent of Netflix's total revenue, despite the fact that advertising revenues are up two and a half fold from twenty twenty-four. I think it's bad for the brand, but it's probably very high margin. And in terms of watch time, as a t- as a share of television watch time, Netflix is sitting at nine percent, while YouTube is at twelve point seven. A combined Netflix, Warner Bros. entity would garner or register about, uh, ten point four percent of all watch time, uh-
- KSKara Swisher
So still under YouTube?
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, it's much more pers- uh, like, all watch time is not created equal, right? 'Cause just like HBO watch time-
- KSKara Swisher
Right. Sure
- SGScott Galloway
... is very impactful and cultural. Uh, it just, you know, watching, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, no one's gonna be at the Academy Awards from that. Anyways, but they're- those two, they're kind of Genghis and Kang, and then the Seven Dwarves. They're, uh, so, uh, at-- if they're number two at ten point four, would be, the number three, Disney Plus, is at just four point seven.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
So, and I've said this, I like Ted Sarandos a lot. I'm not a huge fan. I don't know him. I'm sort of neutral on the Ellisons. I don't know them. I'm a huge fan of Ted Sarandos. I would rather see Paramount own this for any other reason than I think we just need more bulking up of competitors.
- KSKara Swisher
Mm-hmm.
- SGScott Galloway
Um-
- KSKara Swisher
That's what a lot of people think, yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
They-
- KSKara Swisher
I just think they're terrible owners.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, you just don't... I, I, I can understand that viewpoint. Uh, you, you trust Ted more than you trust the Ellisons. I get that.
- KSKara Swisher
I just-- Here's what I think. You know, a lot of people are making a lot of noise in Hollywood about like, "Oh, he's against theaters, and Dave will save it." Dave is not capable of saving it, for one, the, the theatrical experience. And con- to me, I'm a consumer person. Consumers, if they wanted to go to the theater, they'd go to the fucking theater, and they don't. They go to the theater when they want to, and the theater experience is declined because of theaters, not because of consumers, and not because of Ted Sarandos. So blaming him for that is just-- He's just doing his-- He's just following the trends, and consumers have spoken. The-- And I'm, I'm a consumer person in the end of the day, and if they put out... Like, the Oscar nominations just came out today. Yay, Golden. Uh, uh, but, um, but I just, like, people, if they wanted to go to the theaters, they'd go to the theaters, and you c- no, no rich Ellison person is gonna save it. Uh, I don't care how many, you know, James Camerons or Chris Nolans scream about it. If, if you make movies that people wanna see in the theaters, they will. That's it. And so I'm not gonna put that on him. I'm just not. I just... It's his business to do what is best for his business, and so that's just my opinion.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, well, uh, Carney summarized it, and it's, it's apropos here: "Nostalgia is not a strategy."
- KSKara Swisher
Right, exactly.
- SGScott Galloway
And show me a-
- KSKara Swisher
Thank you
- SGScott Galloway
... director claiming how it's all collective, we need to go to movies. I'm gonna show you someone who gets every Academy Award film-
- KSKara Swisher
In his screen
- SGScott Galloway
... link sent to him and watches it in his home theater. You want an interesting stat, and by, I mean, and also, uh, what is a theater? What isn't? Um, my fifteen-year-old, best theater experience of recent memory, he called me. He could not have been more excited. He went and watched the final of Stranger Things-
- KSKara Swisher
Mm-hmm
- SGScott Galloway
... in a theater.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah, sure, if he wants.
- SGScott Galloway
And it was just-
- KSKara Swisher
It's your up to your son
- SGScott Galloway
... it was just amazing. He was just totally blown away by it.
- 29:40 – 33:41
FCC Comes for Late Night
- KSKara Swisher
media. The FCC says daytime and nighttime talk shows aren't automatically exempt from the political equal time rule anymore. That means if they host a candidate, they may have to offer equal airtime to opposing candidates. Talk shows have previously qualified for an exemption to the rule for, like, ever. It's clearly aimed at na- late-night hosts like Colbert and Kimmel, maybe Jon Stewart, although Jon Stewart has more different people on. But is, this is ridiculous. This is, this is Brandon Carr, that thirsty choad, doing it again. I mean, it's the same thing. He failed last time by threatening them, and this is a threat, I suppose. Uh, whatever.
- SGScott Galloway
... Yeah, I actually like this law, but this is an abuse of it.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
I think-
- KSKara Swisher
Yep.
- SGScott Galloway
I think, I think it's a good law that you try and give people equal time, such that one party doesn't weaponize the media, but this is just an abuse of it. And I think where it'll come back to haunt them and why this will go nowhere is someone's gonna say: "Well, what about AM talk radio, which is dominated by Republicans?"
- KSKara Swisher
Correct. That is great, yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
And what is, what is TV and what is radio when now radio and podcasts are now TV shows, just at a lower means of production? So I don't think this is gonna hold the test of any sort of legal test that their buddies over at News Corp or Sirius Radio or whoever it is are gonna want, "Okay, you set this precedent. We're all, we're all on fire."
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah, bring over the lesbian Kara Swisher over to Newsmax. Whatever. [laughing] Oh, as if I'd talk to... I w- I would talk to the MyPillow lady who's getting ratioed by Ilhan Omar every day. Uh, I'd talk to her. I would, just to just do the same thing. But yeah, it's ridiculous. It's aimed at Colbert and Kimmel, and they'll just have Marjorie Taylor Greene on. "Fine, Brandon, you piece of shit." Anyway-
- SGScott Galloway
How do you really feel?
- KSKara Swisher
Let's go on a quick break. When we come back, we'll talk about the latest in Minnesota. By the way, Brandon Carr, I'm gonna be following you after you're out of office, just so you know. I'll be watching you. [upbeat music] Support for today's show comes from SelectQuote. Time for some life talk, specifically life insurance. If you have policy right now, do you know how much you're paying for it and for how much you're being covered? Odds are you pay too much for too little. And sure, it's not the easiest conversation to have. Frankly, it's scary to think about, but it's simple to get right, thanks to SelectQuote. For over forty years, SelectQuote has been one of the most trusted brokers in insurance, helping more than two million Americans secure over seven hundred billion dollars in coverage. Their mission is simple: to find you the right insurance policy for your unique needs. They shop, you save. No medical exam? No problem. They partner with providers offering same-day coverage up to two million dollars without needing to visit your doctor. When you work with SelectQuote, a licensed insurance agent will call you right away with a policy for your life and your budget. Get the right life insurance for you for less and save more than fifty percent at selectquote.com/pivot. Save more than fifty percent on term life insurance at selectquote.com/pivot today to get started. That's selectquote.com/pivot. [upbeat music] Support for the show comes from Indeed. Hiring isn't just about finding someone willing to take the job, it's about connecting with someone who can move your business forward. For that, check out Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Indeed Sponsored Jobs boosts your job posts for quality candidates, so you can reach people that can help your business thrive. People are finding quality hires on Indeed right now as we speak. In the minute I've been talking to you, twenty-seven hires were made on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. Join the three point three million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results now with Indeed Sponsored Jobs. And listeners to this show will get a seventy-five dollar Sponsored Job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com/pivot. Just go to indeed.com/pivot right now and support our show by saying you heard about it, Indeed, on this podcast. Indeed.com/pivot. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring do the right way with Indeed. [upbeat music]
- 33:41 – 38:45
The Latest in Minnesota
- KSKara Swisher
Scott, we're back with more news. Federal officials launched what they're calling Operation Catch of the Day with ICE o- oh, God, they're so awful, with ICE officers targeting Somali communities. J.D. Vance is expected to visit Minneapolis as we tape, as a show of support to federal immigration enforcement operations there. Oh, ai, yi, yi. ICE agents in Minnesota have detained at least four kids from the same school district this month, including a five-year-old boy, in order to catch his parents. Tensions are already running high following the Renee Good shooting. There was a release of her autopsy. It looks like he shot well after he had to through the head. The first two shots were, were not great, but they d- didn't kill her. The third one did, so he didn't have to shoot her. Hundreds of Minnesota businesses are planning to shut down Friday in protest of ICE activity in the state. I happen to be interviewing, uh, Minneapolis Mayor, uh, Jacob Frey today, so I'll hear the latest. Where do we go from here?
- SGScott Galloway
Well, the, the thing that struck me, I don't know if you saw this, but the best argument I think around the Second Amendment or protection of the Second Amendment, even in the face of the original, you know, the original authors or, or the original founders, could not have conceived of what these weapons [chuckles] would do right now, is that every time we have... People know where guns are, it's been used to- the Nazis, when they rolled into a place, just went and found where the gun w- guns were registered, took the guns away, and then Nazis showed up and had-- there was no ability for, uh, civilians to push back. Okay, so we have guns everywhere. We have a mass police force showing up. Where are the people with the guns? And the answer is, they've started showing up in Minnesota, and that is, there are some neighborhoods, have you seen this? Where people are outside on patrols with guns saying, "Uh, sorry, don't come to my neighborhood." I'm not endorsing this. I think it's, you know, fascism can come from the far right or the far left, but this does feel like they're risking and like they're begging for or prompting for pretty serious violence and an excuse to start firing on civilians. I think, quite frankly, Minnesota leadership looks weak here. I just would've-- I, I don't- I feel sorry for them. They're flat-footed. I don't know how they respond, but if, if-
- KSKara Swisher
What do they do? They're abusing citizens. What can they do, resist these? These people have enormous firepower.
- SGScott Galloway
I'm not suggesting they show up with zip ties and bullet vests. I just... I quite frankly, Kara, I, I, I think Governor Walz looks really weak here.
- KSKara Swisher
Okay, again, you're focused on the Democrats. I'd like you to focus on the people that are actually-
- SGScott Galloway
No, I'm focused on actually both sides to be a critical thinker.
- KSKara Swisher
Okay, uh, uh, but a critical thinker would say, "What do you- what, what is happening with the people that actually have the guns and are abusing their, the government power?" I'd like your thoughts on that.
- SGScott Galloway
Well, I've just said, the mass police reminds people of Stasi. I, I'm, I'm-- I think it's horrible, and I think that Democratic senators should write up, basically make it clear, "We're coming for you, and the statute of limitations does not expire for these types of crimes." Having said that, I don't- I feel like no one is really stepping into the void.... of, of kind of, of, of leadership here, and standing up and saying, "All right." I mean, I, and I don't- I, I empathize with them. I don't know- I, I'm not sure what I would do. I don't, I don't know how you handle this situation. I gotta be honest. I don't think this is... I, I would, I'd be very interested to see. I don't think the leadership of Minnesota, and I, I ma- I, I am sympathetic to their impossible position.
- KSKara Swisher
They've been very vocal.
- SGScott Galloway
What's that?
- KSKara Swisher
They've been very-
- SGScott Galloway
Well, the mayor has been-
- KSKara Swisher
They've been very-
- SGScott Galloway
That's a good example. That, I think that's a fair point.
- KSKara Swisher
So has the Senator Tina Smith. So has Senator Klobuchar. I, I, I feel like you're not... They are.
- SGScott Galloway
What has Senator Klobuchar said?
- KSKara Swisher
She's been all over, they, talking about, "We're gonna come back when this is over. We're, we, there- we, we wanna tamp down the violence." At the same time, they're... This over abuse of power, they're saying the things you want. I just, the, the, the, th- these, these, these have- these people have impunity. They just don't stop if you, you know-
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- KSKara Swisher
And I think-
- SGScott Galloway
No, it's a fair point
- KSKara Swisher
... the question is, the only way to stop them is to attack them, which you can't do, like, you can't do. And, you know, I, I think the citizens of Minnesota who has, uh, uh, who have that history, like, h- hun- uh, decades of this kind of resistance for ye- for a long, long, long, long time, are the ones showing the real bravery here.
- SGScott Galloway
Agreed. But who would you, who would you identify as, quote, unquote, "the leader in pushback of resistance here?" Is it the mayor of Minneapolis? Is it the Senate, some Senator Klobuchar? Who is it?
- KSKara Swisher
I think a lot of the s- the, the, the local officials are being very vocal, and I think judges are trying to pull it back. I just think these people just keep going. I think they don't... I think Stephen Miller just says, "Okay, wh- when they, when they shoot a woman through the head, their next move is, 'Yeah, now you can go into their houses,' even if they're not criminals, essentially."
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- KSKara Swisher
And so-
- SGScott Galloway
Home invasions
- KSKara Swisher
... I just don't know what the response is, except shooting at them, and I don't- and I think that leads to a really... And that's what- that's why they've got these people, these, the government, is if you're gonna behave like thugs, the only response is thuggishness, right? That actually is effective, and then you're kind of... Like, let, let's, let me do this. On a local level, after Fox News
- 38:45 – 46:36
“Wine Moms”
- KSKara Swisher
said that gangs of diluted wine moms were harassing I- ICE agents, uh, Amanda and I made a funny video, but we wanted to ask women to call in and tell us about their experiences. Let's hear one. These are average citizens. Let's hear one.
- SPSpeaker
Hey, Scott and Kara. My name's Annie, and I'm a mom who lives in Minneapolis. I've been helping to resist ICE by driving kids to and from school every day. What we need to do is get kids to the classroom to learn. If their parents are too afraid to leave the house and too afraid to go to the bus stop, then this is where we can step in and help. Um, are these the actions of a leftist terrorist group? I don't think so. I think it's just people deciding that this is the right thing to do. So if that makes me a part of the diluted wine moms club, then I will proudly wear it like a badge of honor. Thanks.
- KSKara Swisher
One more?
- SPSpeaker
Hi, Scott and Kara, and by which I really mean Kara and Amanda, diluted wine moms. I am the mother of a seven-year-old, about twenty-five minutes south of St. Paul, and I got myself tailed by ICE on Thursday last, last week. Um, the crime I committed essentially was taking a photo of the license plate of the Florida plates on only the back of his vehicle and giving him a dirty look, which he very well deserved. Um, about fifteen minutes later, he took my picture, I took his picture, and then fifteen minutes later, after picking up my child at school, I found a very large black SUV following me, very close range, for five minutes, felt like about an hour. So fun times here.
- KSKara Swisher
These are... Scott, I mean, people are trying to do things, and it, it reminds me a little bit of-
- SGScott Galloway
Kara, don't put words in my mouth.
- KSKara Swisher
[chuckles]
- SGScott Galloway
You're making it sound like I don't, I don't stand behind-
- KSKara Swisher
I don't, I, I-
- SGScott Galloway
... the public in Minneapolis-
- KSKara Swisher
I know you do
- SGScott Galloway
... Minnesota.
- KSKara Swisher
Okay, go ahead. Go ahead.
- SGScott Galloway
Uh, I think what, uh, the, the young, the young woman who said that she is shuttling kids to school, I think the efforts to provide food to people who might be harassed by ICE so they don't have to leave their house, I, I, I, you know, I salute the people of Minneapolis doing whatever they can. Um, I'm disappointed that there doesn't appear to be a Democratic leader standing up in Minnesota or anywhere else, showing anything resembling... W- I mean, like, we need a leader. We, we need somebody who is... And I, I get that this is a very difficult situation, but I, I, I feel as if, okay, uh, we need somebody to... And again, I've said this before, why do they know? Why are they violating everyone else's privacy, and someone hasn't come out and said, "Okay, we're smart people, and we know how to use the internet, and here are the people that we believe have committed or are accomplices to murder and second-degree murder in the Renee Good case, and these are- these- this is the criminal prosecution papers we're planning to file, which will be outside of the statute of limitations"? And so, uh, on a ground level-
- KSKara Swisher
Well, Keith Ellison has said this. I think what you're talking about is someone like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, and I agree with you 100%.
- SGScott Galloway
Oh, oh-
- KSKara Swisher
And, uh, Newsom has certainly talked about it a lot.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- KSKara Swisher
Josh Shapiro has talked about it a lot. Um, anyone, uh, you haven't heard a lot from some of the other presidential candidates, but you've... You know, I thought that Pritzker stood up quite a bit when they went to Chicago.
- SGScott Galloway
I think every presidential candidate, I mean, I mean, it's just kinda... I think every presidential candidate should be in Minneapolis right now.
- KSKara Swisher
I agree.
- SGScott Galloway
And, uh, peaceful protests, not threatening anyone physically, but, you know, uh, just there, and, and I, I don't... This is, uh, uh, what's going on here is contrary to the very reason America was founded. The reason we started this experiment was we didn't want to be abused by a monarch who had no checks and no, no, no balances and no control, that could just abuse citizens based on what they felt was advantageous for them or their blood sugar level, and that's what's going on here. But I'm, I'm disappointed in the Democratic Party.... that I, it, it strikes me, it's like there- it feels like there needs to be a leader here, and it's not obvious to me who that is.
- KSKara Swisher
I was listening to Rachel Maddow's, uh, Burn Order, which is about Japanese internment camps, and two pe- two groups of people stand out to me. One are Quakers, who threw blankets and everything up over these, uh, internment camps, even as the army was lying about what they were, which was, you know, which was astonishing that they did this. Which, I mean, blankets, does it end it? No, but it helps, just like these w- this-
- SGScott Galloway
It's symbolic at a minimum.
- KSKara Swisher
These, these women driving these kids, right? That is critically important for citizens to get out there, even... And there's a lot of videos of just average citizens who are like, have never come out, and it's like, "I'm sick of this shit." I love that. But one of the people that it reminds me of is this guy, C- uh, Governor- Colorado Governor Ralph Carr. He opposed the intern- uh, I mean, Japanese Americans. He called it unconstitutional. He welcomed them to Colorado. He- cost him politically. He lost 'cause of all this anti-Japanese sentiment. He thought denying rights based on ancestry was an undermining the American system, and, and, and he welcomed them, and he, he was... It was unpopular, and he, he, he- it the downfall of his political career. Now, there's lots of things named after him in Colorado. But he took... It, it was a price. It was an absolute price for this guy, and the backlash was significant at the time, but if you think about those kind of things, you, you do need a political figure like this, even if at great cost, and you're absolutely right. And they do have to put their bodies on the line and their political reputations. But to me, this is gonna be citizens gonna push back here 'cause that's how the Minnesota way... And one thing, I really appreciate these moms, um, calling in. This is the kind of stuff you need to do. None of them, uh... They're, they're just exercising their rights as citizens of the United States, and they do not seem particularly dangerous to me. Um, so I think that's a, a good thing. I'm sorry, I wasn't meaning to put words in your mouth. I just think the focus, it- unfortunately, it's gonna be on citizens.
- SGScott Galloway
No, and you're right. It's clear I haven't, I haven't registered nor paid attention to some of, you know, uh, for example, Senator Klobuchar and what they have said, and I do empathize with, like, you know, the point is, okay, what exactly, uh, do you do with people, with the federal government who have mandated [scoffs] weaponry? Um, uh, the whole thing is, [sighs] again, I, I, I'm, I'm waiting for the Democrat to say, "This is who we're, who we're- we are going after these folks. Me, y- I think you are breaking laws, and if you break more laws, we're coming for you."
- KSKara Swisher
We're ke- we're keeping names. We're taking names.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, we're taking names.
- KSKara Swisher
We're taking names.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- 46:36 – 54:54
Predictions
- KSKara Swisher
hear your prediction, and then I will say my wins and fails.
- SGScott Galloway
So [sighs] if there is an upside, and I, I, I admit, I- it would be impossible to call this an upside, but I do think that there may be some element of distraction around this Greenland shit. I, I won't even give him that credit. Bottom line is, my prediction is that I think we're about to see the US, um, conduct a military strike on Iran. I think you look... The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike force... By the way, this is, none of this is confidential information. It's all been reported. The fueling tankers that basically give you, like, a gas station in the sky, many of them have been relocated to bases in the region, and some of that just might be, "Okay, the region is a bit hot right now, so we want additional kinetic power there." But I think, one, I think it's the right thing to do. I think we have an unbelievable opportunity here to topple a regime who's been the primary funder of terror, terror and the most oppressive regime maybe globally in a long time and is really deeply weakened. I interviewed Niall Ferguson yesterday, the historian, for the Prof G pod, and he- I asked him, "What is the likelihood the r- regime survives if we don't intervene in a coordinated strike?" And he put it at 90%.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
He said, "They'll just wait it out."
- KSKara Swisher
Well, they tamped down the protesters. They've tamped down-
- SGScott Galloway
Well, yeah, when you start killing people, right?
- KSKara Swisher
Killing them, exactly.
- SGScott Galloway
You can do the right thing for the wrong reasons. I think Trump [chuckles] is gonna do this 'cause I think he absolutely loved the macho Tarzan light that Venezuela provided him.
- KSKara Swisher
Mm-hmm. He, yeah, w- he was jonesing for something like that, and it gets away from the Epstein files. Again, 34 days.
- SGScott Galloway
There you go.
- KSKara Swisher
Turn 'em over, Pam.... Pam, it's a law. Turn them over. Yeah, I agree with you. I think that's exactly right. I am gonna do a wins and fails. I, uh, the Oscars weren't released yet, I'm gonna do something lighter 'cause this has been a heavy situation, despite the fact that I, I really enjoy your Davos stories. Um, uh, I, I'm really, the, the, the Oscars came out, a lot of great movies this year, 100%. But I was actually very heartened to see someone like Kate Hudson get a- get an Oscar nomination. I think she's been-
- SGScott Galloway
What's she been nominated for?
- KSKara Swisher
For, uh, Song Sung Blue.
- SGScott Galloway
Oh, that's supposed to be-
- KSKara Swisher
I saw it
- SGScott Galloway
... You liked that. That's supposed to be a cute movie.
- KSKara Swisher
Delightful movie.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- KSKara Swisher
I don't think she'll win, probably Jesse Buckley from Hamnet. There's a bunch of others who are probably more actor-y. Uh, but I think she's a hardworking, uh, you know... Yeah, she's the daughter, obviously, of Goldie Hawn, but she's done some amazing work, and, uh, including comedy, more serious stuff, Almost Famous.
- SGScott Galloway
Absolutely. Uh, Almost Famous or Absolute Famous? What was that called?
- KSKara Swisher
Almost Famous-
- SGScott Galloway
Almost Famous
- KSKara Swisher
... with Cameron Crowe.
- SGScott Galloway
Great movie.
- KSKara Swisher
She was wonderful in that movie. But I think she's hardworking, and she's in a, a, a, Netflix series I like a lot, um, about the LA Lakers, essentially. And she's del- she-- I took, as I said, I took my wife, Amanda, who was like, Kate Hudson, Kara. I really- I've interviewed her once many years ago, and I really like her, and, um, just a lovely, smart, thoughtful person. And, uh, she, uh... Amanda was like, "Oh, Kate Hudson," and then she came out, and she goes, "That was an astonishing acting. I was not expecting how layered and good that was." And so, uh, so anyway, so she was... I just feel good for her, good for her to get in there. I don't- I doubt she'll win, but, uh, I think it's a nice job. You should see the movie. It's still, it's-- If you feel bad, go see that movie. It's, it's sort of like Heated Rivalry. You feel bad? Watch it. Um, and then I'm just gonna do two wins. Uh, again, with the Heated Rivalry, one of the funniest things happening on the internet, this is not a new thing, are people acting out scenes from Heated Rivalry in public and putting them online [chuckles] and they are so funny! They are so... They made me laugh my ass off. There was one where the two guys were doing it in the DMV in front of this woman, and she was just watching the whole thing, and it just get... uh, the feeling-- One of the things that was really interesting was Esther Perel talked about the reason people like Heated Rivalry, which is sort of the, the media of the moment, really, um, and it's because she was saying that it makes you feel better about the outcome, that you're expecting the hit, and you don't get the hit, you get the right response from people, and it retrains you to think everybody's not evil, [chuckles] essentially. Like, I, I know as a gay person watching it, like, I was waiting for someone to get beaten up. I was waiting for some rejection or some ugliness, and it- all the answers are good, and so y- I, I, I'm gonna go watch it a second time because I was just sitting there waiting for the bad news as a gay person, 'cause it always comes in those depictions and in life. Um, so it was, uh, not any- not as much anymore, but in, definitely in my younger life. So, uh, I, I just thought that was great. That was great, too. I'm gonna do two wins. I don't have time.
- SGScott Galloway
I know. I, I don't even see movies anymore. I already know who's gonna win the Oscar.
- KSKara Swisher
Who?
- SGScott Galloway
Well, you just tell me which film has the following.
- KSKara Swisher
What?
- SGScott Galloway
Um, it's a, quote-unquote, "brave film," which means, which is Latin for it has sad people, foreign accents, subtitles-
Episode duration: 54:55
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