Trump’s D.C. Crackdown: Straight Out of the Authoritarian Playbook? | Pivot

As Scott-Free August rolls on, Kara is joined by guest co-host David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, and host of The New Yorker Radio Hour. Kara and David discuss Trump's federal takeover of the D.C. police, and look ahead to the "feel-out" meeting with Putin in Alaska this week. Plus, redistricting fights spread across the country, Cuomo pulls some punches on Mamdani (with limited success), and Zuck's Palo Alto compound faces scrutiny. Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 5:23 Trump’s “Politics of Fear” 17:07 Trump-Putin Summit 26:41 Trump Takes Control of D.C. 35:40 Redistricting Fights 44:36 Cuomo Jabs at Mamdani 54:25 Wins and Fails Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Kevin Oliver Audio Engineer: Ernie Indradat Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa 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 SwisherhostDavid Remnickguest

Aug 12, 20251h 3mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: August 12, 2025
Duration: 1h 3m
Channel: Pivot
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

As Scott-Free August rolls on, Kara is joined by guest co-host David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, and host of The New Yorker Radio Hour. Kara and David discuss Trump's federal takeover of the D.C. police, and look ahead to the "feel-out" meeting with Putin in Alaska this week. Plus, redistricting fights spread across the country, Cuomo pulls some punches on Mamdani (with limited success), and Zuck's Palo Alto compound faces scrutiny. Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 5:23 Trump’s “Politics of Fear” 17:07 Trump-Putin Summit 26:41 Trump Takes Control of D.C. 35:40 Redistricting Fights 44:36 Cuomo Jabs at Mamdani 54:25 Wins and Fails Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Kevin Oliver Audio Engineer: Ernie Indradat Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa 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
David Remnick
guest
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Pivot, featuring Kara Swisher and David Remnick, Trump’s D.C. Crackdown: Straight Out of the Authoritarian Playbook? | Pivot explores trump’s Fear Politics, D.C. Crackdown, and Emerging Urban Power Shifts Kara Swisher and guest co‑host David Remnick discuss Donald Trump’s deepening authoritarian instincts, focusing on his politics of fear, his proposed federal takeover of D.C. policing, and his maneuvering on Ukraine and Russia. They frame Trump’s second-term project as openly anti–rule of law, enabled by a cabinet and legal team largely stripped of shame, limits, and competence. The conversation widens to the fragility of key institutions like The Washington Post, escalating redistricting warfare, and the rise of insurgent urban politicians such as Zoran Mamdani in New York. They close with cultural and media riffs that underscore how billionaire behavior, civil society pushback, and narrative framing shape the broader political environment.

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