Pivot

Trump Bullies Allies, Powell Stays Put, and Kalshi Faces Criminal Charges

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway
20 Mar 2026 11 min read 1h 47m
TL;DR

Trump's unilateral Iran strategy is backfiring as U.S. allies refuse to help, driving oil prices to $91+ per barrel and threatening to spike inflation. Jerome Powell's decision to stay as Fed governor indefinitely blocks Trump's economic agenda, while Meta's $70B metaverse bet collapses with fewer than 1,000 daily active users—vindicating Galloway's years-long criticism.

Key Moments
Scott Galloway
“I predict this mega-micro penis war is going to get worse and I am here for it.”
Opening remark setting the tone for the episode's discussion of tech industry drama
Kara Swisher
“Marc Andreesen, who I really don't like anymore. I didn't like that much then, but he's really become such a troll.”
Discussing Andreesen's anti-introspection stance and broader critique of his influence on Silicon Valley
▶ 2:07
Scott Galloway
“The fatal flaw of the Trump administration is they don't recognize our power as a species and as a country and that is as powerful as we are, we're only a third of the world's GDP”
Analyzing why Trump's unilateral approach to the Iran crisis is failing diplomatically
▶ 11:07
Scott Galloway
“If I were to try and devise a strategy to weaken the corpus that is Facebook, I would invent this distraction called the metaverse and specifically the Oculus to pour billions of dollars down a sinkhole.”
Reflecting on his long-standing criticism of Meta's metaverse pivot, now vindicated by the platform's shutdown
▶ 24:53
Kara Swisher
“I never liked the metaverse. I was the original hater of headsets and metaverse.”
Kara confirms her long-held skepticism about VR as a mass market technology
▶ 24:12
About the show
›
Pivot is a weekly podcast from New York Magazine and Vox Media featuring Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discussing major news at the intersection of tech, politics, and culture. The hosts tackle everything from geopolitical conflict to Silicon Valley power dynamics with sharp analysis and pointed critique.
Takeaways
1
Unilateralism collapses when you alienate allies Trump's demand that U.S. allies send warships to the Strait of Hormuz was rejected outright—what Galloway calls a "global raspberry." The U.S. historically built coalitions through shared benefits (Gulf War cost-sharing model); demanding without offering leaves no leverage. Oil prices spiking to $91+ per barrel now compound the economic damage.
2
Powell's Fed independence just strengthened permanently By refusing to step down and announcing he'll stay through the confirmation process, Powell has essentially locked in his economic philosophy for years. Senate Republicans like Tillis are blocking Trump's nominee Kevin Warsh until Powell's DOJ investigation ends, giving Powell veto power over policy indefinitely—the opposite of what Trump wanted.
3
Metaverse collapse exposes tech's credibility crisis Meta spent $70B on a platform that peaked at under 1,000 daily active users. The fact that Zuckerberg can absorb this loss without consequence while other leaders face accountability shows how consolidated tech power has become. Immersive tech may have niche uses (Sphere venues), but consumer VR headsets solve no real problem and create biosocial friction.