Pivot

Trump Threatens Insurrection Act, Paramount Sues Warner Bros, and Apple Teams Up with Google for AI

with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway
16 Jan 2026 8 min read 1h 5m
TL;DR

Trump is using foreign policy crises—Iran, Greenland, and France—as cover to distract from the delayed release of the Epstein files, which pose direct legal risks. Meanwhile, media organizations are abandoning expertise and editorial standards, and Democrats lack credible leadership to counter these threats effectively.

Key Moments
Kara Swisher
“All this foreign policy chaos is conveniently distracting from the story Trump doesn't want to discuss, which again is Jeffrey Epstein.”
Opening the episode by framing the week's geopolitical conflicts as deliberate distraction tactics
Scott Galloway
“I believe that uh people at ICE and the officials and administrators who have ordered them and created a context around this, I think that they potentially could be guilty of second or third degree murder, of manslaughter, of criminally negligent homicide, and absolutely of assault.”
Responding to ICE violence during Minneapolis protests where officers shot and killed a protester
▶ 1:56
Scott Galloway
“The word expert in the US might as well be the word meritocracy. You can be a a kid growing up in the poorest village outside of Hyderabbad in India and if you are just so [ __ ] talented and hardworking and smart and end up at I think it's called IIT, you can end up being one of those experts at Harvard that they're not going to listen to”
Criticizing CBS News' decision to rely less on academics and experts, warning it opens the door to misinformation
▶ 4:58
Scott Galloway
“This Denmark is similar to me showing up with an AR-15 and zip ties and a military vest and saying, 'If you don't give me a burrito bowl with pork, extra guacamole, and sour cream and brown rice for $14.73, I'm going to kill everyone here.'”
Using a Chipotle metaphor to explain how Trump's threats over Greenland are unnecessary when diplomatic and trade relationships already exist
▶ 22:48
Kara Swisher
“You don't write a letter like that if you don't want. It's a dare. It's a dare.”
Analyzing the Clintons' defiant refusal letter to Congress over Epstein testimony, suggesting they're deliberately provoking arrest
▶ 27:48
About the show
›
Pivot is a weekly podcast from New York Magazine and Vox Media featuring Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discussing the week's biggest news in politics, business, and culture. This episode covers Trump's threats to invoke the Insurrection Act, foreign policy chaos with Iran and Greenland, the Jeffrey Epstein files release delay, and corporate legal battles.
Takeaways
1
Abandoning expertise creates political vulnerability Media organizations moving away from expert-driven reporting toward populist sentiment leave democracies vulnerable to conspiracy theories and misinformation. CBS News's framing of Trump as 'more transparent than Walter Cronkite' exemplifies how newsrooms are sacrificing editorial standards for access and audience appeal.
2
Democratic leaders lack clear prosecution strategy Galloway argues Democrats should publicly propose legislation criminalizing government abuse of power and limiting presidential pardons for certain crimes. Without articulating concrete accountability measures and consequences, opposition lacks credibility against executive overreach.
3
Epstein files release reveals deeper institutional corruption The DOJ has only reviewed 1% of 2 million Epstein documents, and Trump administration delays suggest active suppression of evidence implicating powerful figures. The Clintons' defiant refusal to testify without Trump testifying first exposes how norms of Congressional accountability have collapsed across both parties.