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PivotStephen Miller’s Promotion Throws More Gasoline on the Fire
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CHAPTERS
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Live from L.A.: pivoting into a Hollywood-style political conversation
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway open the live show at the Orpheum Theatre with light banter and set up a guest segment meant to be more “Hollywood” than their recent political guest interviews. Kara frames the night’s theme: celebrity, media, and politics increasingly blending together.
- •Scott jokes about his UCLA days and Kara teases him about having had a ponytail
- •Kara introduces the live show setting and the Pivot partnership/network context
- •Kara sets up the guest as someone who moved from celebrity coverage to political coverage
- •The hosts position the conversation around how politics and pop culture now overlap
Harvey Levin’s history with Kara and why Trump was a TMZ story before politics
Kara welcomes TMZ founder Harvey Levin and recalls profiling TMZ early in its growth. They move quickly to Donald Trump’s long arc as a celebrity figure and how that pre-political fame shaped attention and coverage when he entered politics.
- •Kara recalls meeting Harvey when she profiled an early version of TMZ
- •Kara argues Trump was a TMZ story long before he was a political one
- •Harvey says he knew Trump for 20 years through a non-political lens
- •Kara presses on whether celebrity coverage influenced media coverage of Trump as president
Harvey Levin on Trump’s “radical change” and the idea of performance
Harvey describes a version of Trump he experienced before politics and contrasts it with Trump’s political persona. He suggests either Trump changed or is “acting” a role, while Kara pushes back that the current reality has serious repercussions.
- •Harvey says Trump used to be laissez-faire about how others live their lives
- •Harvey says people around Trump were “dumbfounded” by the change when he ran for office
- •Harvey suggests Trump may be performing an “act,” while still attributing bad motives
- •Kara emphasizes the toxicity and global repercussions of Trump’s politics
Why TMZ finally built a D.C. presence: rejecting cookie-cutter political media
Harvey explains why TMZ launched political coverage after earlier attempts were blocked when TMZ was under Warner Bros. He describes wanting to “zag” away from standardized D.C. reporting by using conversational, less scripted interactions with politicians.
- •Harvey says Warner Bros. previously killed TMZ’s D.C. plans over regulatory/political worries
- •Harvey calls D.C. reporting “incestuous” and “cookie cutter,” with reporters asking the same questions
- •He describes TMZ’s D.C. approach as conversation-first rather than interview scripts
- •Harvey says their reporters quickly won over members of Congress and drove massive viewership by showing politicians’ human side
Politics as pop culture: entertainment and government have long intersected
Kara questions whether turning politics into entertainment is healthy given real-life stakes. Harvey argues politics has long mixed with entertainment and reframes politics as one component of broader pop culture that affects everyone’s lives.
- •Kara worries politics-as-entertainment can undermine needed “gravity”
- •Harvey cites historical intersections between entertainers/celebrities and elected office
- •Harvey says he sees politics as part of pop culture’s “big tent” (alongside sports, celebrity, business, tech)
- •He argues the overlap isn’t necessarily new, and it reflects politics’ impact on daily life
The shutdown vacation photos that sparked TMZ D.C. and a new accountability lane
Harvey recounts how anger during the government shutdown led him to ask viewers to photograph members of Congress vacationing. The response—especially the Lindsey Graham Disney World photo—became a catalyst that accelerated the launch of TMZ D.C.
- •Harvey describes interviewing a TSA agent who was facing severe hardship during the shutdown
- •He asked viewers to submit photos of politicians vacationing during the crisis
- •Lindsey Graham’s Disney World bubble-wand photo became an early flashpoint
- •Harvey says the moment helped convince him to launch TMZ D.C. within a week
Traditional media vs. the new stack: social and YouTube as the primary battleground
Scott asks Harvey what he would build if starting a media company today. Harvey argues TV news and even websites are now “legacy,” and says his focus is social distribution—especially YouTube—paired with lower-cost production and creator development.
- •Harvey says journalism schools teaching television are out of step with audience behavior
- •He argues TV news skews very old and younger audiences don’t have cable
- •Harvey says TMZ is launching monthly YouTube documentaries in a “YouTube style” that’s rawer and more connected
- •He describes keeping legacy TV as “riding a wave into shore,” but expects it to go away over time
Making legacy media work again: platform blending, ‘Intervision,’ and multi-platform distribution
Kara asks what big media companies can do; Harvey points to tying legacy products to relevant social platforms. He also describes an old idea of blending digital features into a linear TV experience, and argues modern distribution should be everywhere at once.
- •Harvey cites Dancing With the Stars reviving by integrating social media obligations into the show
- •He argues pairing legacy platforms with relevant social lifts the legacy business
- •Harvey describes his long-standing concept of blending internet and television features (which he jokingly called “Intervision”)
- •Harvey says distributing the same content across YouTube, TV, websites, and multiple socials is additive rather than zero-sum
The TikTok-driven trial era: what Depp–Heard signaled about traditional media’s decline
Harvey points to the Johnny Depp–Amber Heard trial as a watershed moment dominated by TikTok rather than TV or websites. He contrasts it with the OJ trial as a purely television phenomenon, arguing the TikTok experience functioned like a participatory town square.
- •Harvey says the Depp–Heard trial was dominated by TikTok more than any other platform
- •He contrasts it with the OJ trial, which he describes as fundamentally a TV event
- •Harvey describes TikTok as creating a town-square-like user experience where people “spew opinions” and engage
- •He says seeing that dominance made him think “Traditional media is gone”
Post-election shock and Trump’s next phase: ballroom distractions and Stephen Miller’s rise
After the guest segment, Kara and Scott pivot to Trump’s inner-circle shakeup and Stephen Miller replacing Susie Wiles. They interpret the change as a dangerous escalation, discuss perceived cognitive decline and lack of guardrails, and debate what it signals for the next two years.
- •Kara reads jokes about Stephen Miller and frames the appointment as adding fuel to a fire
- •Scott calls Susie Wiles highly talented and says replacing her suggests enabling Trump’s worst instincts
- •They discuss rumors and internal dynamics, including the shrinking circle around Trump
- •Scott argues the real damage has been a lack of guardrails and the erosion of norms into unchecked power
L.A. and national governance: progressive city leadership, swing voters, and the need for economic plans
They turn to local politics and then broaden into what election results mean for Democrats’ strategy. Scott argues some outcomes are misread as ideological shifts and says accountability efforts must be paired with concrete economic policy proposals that address what voters want.
- •Scott argues the L.A. result is better framed as Bass losing than Raman winning, and as dynamics like renters vs owners and young vs old
- •He disputes the idea the election was a “blue wave,” framing it as Trump losing rather than Democrats winning
- •Scott highlights big voting swings among Hispanics, young people, and young men and calls them persuadable swing voters
- •He says Democrats need to balance oversight/subpoenas with a strong economic policy agenda focused on jobs, housing, and healthcare
California’s new leadership and affordability: taxes, energy tradeoffs, and pragmatic growth arguments
Kara brings up California’s governor-elect Becerra emphasizing cost of living and backing off a campaign promise related to medical cuts for undocumented immigrants. Scott argues against wealth taxes as implemented, emphasizes revenue/program tradeoffs, and calls for growth-oriented approaches that can fund social programs.
- •Kara says Becerra is prioritizing cost of living and keeping options open on taxes, energy, and healthcare
- •Scott criticizes billionaire/wealth taxes as emotionally appealing but practically ineffective, citing outcomes he describes in the UK and Europe
- •He argues Democrats should focus on pragmatic growth to fund social programs rather than symbolic policies
- •Scott suggests a pro-business message with “sensible regulation and accountability” and criticizes energy decisions that raise costs
Data center backlash: NDAs, community anger, and what “permission” from voters now looks like
Kara and Scott dig into voter anger about data center rollouts and how the process fueled backlash. Kara argues secrecy and heavy-handed tactics drove opposition, and both discuss what community-aligned approaches and guardrails could look like.
- •Kara argues backlash was predictable given NDAs and aggressive rollout tactics that ignored communities
- •She contrasts places with many data centers and says the key issue is how projects are done and negotiated locally
- •Kara lists process and infrastructure conditions she believes should be part of responsible buildouts (including transparency and water systems)
- •Scott warns regulation can entrench incumbents, while Kara argues power dynamics are shifting against Silicon Valley’s old defaults
Big Tech’s post-election reckoning: investigations, market jitters, and AI’s capital cycle
Kara outlines potential Democratic investigations into Big Tech and connects them to a volatile tech market, AI valuations, and IPO uncertainty. Scott argues markets were looking for an excuse to deflate the bubble and points to anti-data-center ballot measures as a specific shock that hit levered AI pure plays harder than diversified incumbents.
- •Kara lists possible probes involving tech companies and government activity, and says law firms are meeting with executives in anticipation of subpoenas
- •She describes a major tech sell-off and skepticism around AI valuations and IPO timing
- •Scott says anti-data-center ballot measures spooked the market and hurt levered AI companies more than diversified Big Tech
- •They debate whether AI investment is broadly good CapEx stimulus versus the need for governance and guardrails
Musk’s rough stretch: Cybertruck wind-down, Starlink questions, and the case for limiting billionaire power
Kara and Scott discuss setbacks for Elon Musk—from Cybertruck production plans to Starlink payment reporting—and whether political spending can buy future influence. Scott pivots to campaign finance reform and progressive taxation as defenses against unelected individuals accumulating outsized power, while Kara argues no individual should hold that level of unaccountable influence.
- •Kara says Texas leadership wants SpaceX to work “on our terms” and mentions a request to pause a state park sale to SpaceX
- •Kara says Tesla will wind down Cybertruck production and cites falling sales; she also raises questions about Starlink payments related to the White House
- •Scott argues big political spending appears less effective than before and calls for campaign finance reform
- •Scott and Kara agree that no private individual should wield that much power over government decision-making
Tour finale: Scott’s surprise gift for Kara and closing thanks to the live audience
The show ends with a playful on-stage gift reveal: Scott buys Kara a piece of luggage meant to upgrade her travel setup. They exchange jokes and appreciation, thank sponsors, and close out the live Los Angeles show.
- •Scott jokes about Kara’s well-worn luggage and calls it “a cry for help”
- •He reveals a surprise gift: a new piece of luggage and a gift receipt
- •Kara reacts with humor, then thanks Scott and acknowledges their partnership despite disagreements
- •They close with sponsor thanks and appreciation for the Los Angeles audience
Publisher timestamps
- 0:00Intro: Live from Los Angeles
- 1:51Harvey Levin on Taking TMZ to DC
- 8:16Politics and Pop CultureRead this chapter
- 11:06Traditional Media vs. New Media
- 28:47Stephen Miller Takes OverRead this chapter from 28:50
- 37:43California’s New Leaders
- 51:58Big Tech’s Post-Election ReckoningRead this chapter from 51:59
- 58:33The Data Center BacklashRead this chapter
- 1:01:30Musk’s Bad Week and the End of the CybertruckRead this chapter
- 1:09:38Scott’s Surprise Gift for Kara
