What Is Going On with Trump's Trade War? | Pivot

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway break down Trump's confusing trade war as he attempts to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, and the anticipated economic fallout. Then, Elon Musk's hostile takeover of the U.S. government continues, with DOGE getting access to federal payment systems. Plus, Big Tech earnings and DeepSeek, and the strategy behind OpenAI’s latest funding round. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro Chat 03:39 D.C. Plane Crash Coverage and Blame Game 08:12 Trump’s Trade War 23:25 Government Websites Disappear 29:24 Big Tech Earnings 35:53 OpenAI’s New Funding Round 44:29 Elon’s DOGE Gains Access to Payment System 54:03 Wins and Fails 1:05:02 Preview of Kara's Interview with Ben Stiller #pivot #podcast #donaldtrump #tariffs #tradewar #elonmusk #doge #openai #microsoft #meta #tesla #bigtech #siliconvalley #earnings #econony 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 Credits: Producers Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Video Editor Andy Robinson Audio Engineer Ernie Indradat Special Thanks Drew Burrows Mia Silverio Dan Chiolan Vox Media's Executive Producer of Audio Nishat Kurwa

Scott GallowayhostKara Swisherhost

Feb 4, 20251h 6mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: February 4, 2025
Duration: 1h 6m
Channel: Pivot
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway break down Trump's confusing trade war as he attempts to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, and the anticipated economic fallout. Then, Elon Musk's hostile takeover of the U.S. government continues, with DOGE getting access to federal payment systems. Plus, Big Tech earnings and DeepSeek, and the strategy behind OpenAI’s latest funding round. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro Chat 03:39 D.C. Plane Crash Coverage and Blame Game 08:12 Trump’s Trade War 23:25 Government Websites Disappear 29:24 Big Tech Earnings 35:53 OpenAI’s New Funding Round 44:29 Elon’s DOGE Gains Access to Payment System 54:03 Wins and Fails 1:05:02 Preview of Kara's Interview with Ben Stiller #pivot #podcast #donaldtrump #tariffs #tradewar #elonmusk #doge #openai #microsoft #meta #tesla #bigtech #siliconvalley #earnings #econony 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 Credits: Producers Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Video Editor Andy Robinson Audio Engineer Ernie Indradat Special Thanks Drew Burrows Mia Silverio Dan Chiolan Vox Media's Executive Producer of Audio Nishat Kurwa

SPEAKERS

Scott Galloway
host
Kara Swisher
host
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Pivot, featuring Scott Galloway and Kara Swisher, What Is Going On with Trump's Trade War? | Pivot explores trump’s Tariff Shock, Musk’s Power Grab, And AI’s Bubble Risks Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway open by revisiting a recent plane crash segment, issuing a sincere on-air apology for sounding glib and stressing the human tragedy behind such events. They then dive into Trump’s new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, arguing they function as a hidden tax on U.S. consumers, damage critical alliances, and appear tailored to advantage Elon Musk and Tesla. The conversation widens to Trump’s broader Project 2025-style agenda: mass deletion of federal websites, attacks on DEI and public-health information, dismantling USAID, and empowering Musk’s Doge team to slash government programs and control payments infrastructure. Finally, they assess big tech earnings and the AI funding frenzy, questioning whether OpenAI’s sky‑high valuation is sustainable, and close with reflections on foreign aid cuts, harsh immigration tactics, and the growing moral and strategic costs of U.S. policy shifts.

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