Ian Bremmer: Who Is Actually Running the World?

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

April 23, 2026

Duration

1h 50m

Channel

What Now? With Trevor Noah

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Political scientist and author Ian Bremmer joins Trevor and Eugene to break down a world that is starting to feel a lot less predictable. What happens when American influence is no longer the default and tech companies begin to rival governments in power? Together, they unpack what that shift looks like in real terms, why the old rules are no longer holding, and what it means to be heading toward a “G-Zero” world, where no single country is in charge. With hundreds of new sales every week, you can eat well for less at Whole Foods Market. If you haven't already.... Subscribe to the channel here: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome 01:25 - Who Is Ian Bremmer? 03:59 - How the World Sees America — And How That Changed 05:55 - America Is Doing What It Accuses China Of 16:31 - Will Tech Companies Replace Governments? 20:29 - The Post-Human World: AI, Power & Identity 25:49 - Why Trump Won — The Cold Analysis 27:39 - The Mugshot That Guaranteed Trump's Win 32:24 - What Is Strategic Thinking (And Why America Lacks It) 34:04 - Trump Is a Symptom, Not the Cause 36:22 - Young Leaders & the Transformation of Saudi Arabia 44:03 - The US Is in the Middle of a Political Revolution 49:11 - When Can Democracy Break? 53:45 - Where Ian Bremmer's Clarity Comes From 1:10:47 - Strategic Thinking in Real Life + New York 1:13:05 - Ian as the Geopolitical Therapist to World Leaders 1:24:28 - What the World Gets Wrong About Russia 1:27:10 - Venezuela, Oil & America's Real Interests 1:32:54 - Has America Lost Its Moral Authority? 1:36:27 - Ian Bremmer's Biggest Unanswered Questions

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Trevor Noah

  host

  Comedian and television host; creator and host of the podcast "What Now? With Trevor Noah".

• Eugene

  host

  Co-host on "What Now? With Trevor Noah".

• Ian Bremmer

  guest

  Political scientist and geopolitical analyst known for writing about a "G-Zero" world and global governance.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of What Now? With Trevor Noah, featuring Trevor Noah and Eugene, Ian Bremmer: Who Is Actually Running the World? explores Bremmer and Noah unpack power shifts, AI sovereignty, and America’s crisis Bremmer argues the world has moved into a “G-Zero” era where the U.S. is less willing to lead and no coalition can reliably replace it, producing fragmented and unstable global governance.

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