The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
00:48:18 · Scott Galloway, Heather Cox Richardson
[00:48:18] S0: Support for the show comes from USA Facts. I've interviewed countless politicians, and if there's one thing we all find disconcerting is when they butcher the facts with some biased half truth. Give us a break already. So when I had the chance to debate conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro, our natural response was bring it on. Why? Because it was sponsored by USA Facts, and each debate segment started with a presentation of government data and facts, employment, government spending, income data, housing, and more. The topic, the American dream. Is it still within reach? We argued. We found some common ground. We actually debated, and there were no personal attacks. Watch the full debate on The USA Facts YouTube channel. We think you'll find it unlike any other debate. That is entertaining and informative. We hope you check it out. We're back with more from Heather Cox Richardson. So Heather, I'm gonna brag now because I'm desperate for your affirmation, but I reached new levels of of pride today. Elon Musk said of me that he has never had any clue and has a picture of me, which is I wear as a badge of honor, but there is a question here. [00:49:36] S1: Don't you have any... Wait. What don't you have any clue about?
00:49:36 · Heather Cox Richardson, Scott Galloway
[00:49:36] S1: Don't you have any... Wait. What don't you have any clue about? [00:49:39] S0: Oh, I wrote that SpaceX was essentially using is the organ donor for Tesla shareholders, that SpaceX shareholders are gonna bail out Tesla, which is a, in my opinion, a failing car company that trades like a software company, but more boring stock stuff than than than is warranted in this conversation. The larger question is the following. Is there a historical route? I believe, and I've said this publicly, I think that Elon Musk is a traitor to the West. And that if Charles Lindbergh had managed to buy McDonnell Douglas, one of the largest aircraft companies in the middle part of the last century, and then had control over their guidance systems. And Roosevelt had decided to give DC-3 to the British, to the RAF to try and fend off Hitler's attack on London. And then somehow Lindbergh unilaterally decided to disable the radar on those planes. And as a result, the blitzkrieg increased in ferocity. I would be curious how we would treat Charles Lindbergh. I see this nothing less than... You know, look what we did to the Rosenbergs. I think we have normalized the notion that because people have billions of dollars and they're innovators and they're geniuses with technology and is all of that, that they get to live by an absolute different set of standards for which I'd... I see no historical reference here. So ground me in history around Elon Musk, how he acquits himself, and what we can learn from past examples of people with this much power.
00:51:18 · Heather Cox Richardson, Scott Galloway
[00:51:18] S1: Well, I'm gonna start by saying thank you. It sure as hell looks like treason to me. And I am I am beside myself that this man has taken upon himself the foreign policy of The United States and is doing whatever the hell he wants. I I am I am apoplectic. [00:51:38] S0: A 100%. Agreed.
00:51:38 · Scott Galloway, Heather Cox Richardson
[00:51:38] S0: A 100%. Agreed. [00:51:40] S1: So I... But I'm gonna go a step before that and say, you know what it looks like to me, although it's the same story really, is Benedict Arnold and how he was, of course, an American general or a general with the the colonial forces who sells out to the British and takes the fort at West Point, which is a crucially important fort. It starts to drain it of supplies and of fortifications in order to make it easier for the British to capture. And, of course, the plot gets exposed, and he ends up being able to flee and become openly working for the British. But I am... I I I don't understand why people... I mean, you're certainly hearing some democrats saying, you know, we're gonna look into this, but, oh my god. Like, I I... Listen to me. I can't even put a sentence together because I'm with you. No... Nobody should have that kind of power, and nobody should take a... No private citizen should take a stand against the stated foreign policy of The United States Of America. And and, frankly, I think we got an issue with Trump there too, deciding that all of a sudden he's going to create an, you know, a... Or he's going to use a... An escape hatch so he doesn't have to put into effect the Graham Act that puts new sanctions on Russia, and he's openly working for Russia. And, you know, to me, that's that's the big story of this era is the degree to which The United States has been compromised by its leader's relationship with Russia.
00:53:17 · Scott Galloway, Heather Cox Richardson
[00:53:17] S0: 100% agree. It strikes me that any other administration, Musk, would be in an interrogation room in Langley, Virginia answering very serious questions. So let's move on to some q and a from our audience here. Bill asks, Heather said Trump or Vance may veto. Thoughts on Trump leaving office and why? What do you think happens on... Is there a chance on January 2029 two people show up to be inaugurated? [00:53:41] S1: January 29 of? [00:53:42] S0: I'm sorry. January of '29. Is that right? [00:53:45] S1: Two people two people... No. No. What I was referring to there is I'd... Two things, that I think work together. Trump is not healthy. I am not a doctor. I am not a psychiatrist, but the dude is not okay. I mean, he's [00:54:00] S0: a of 80 or 81.
00:54:00 · Scott Galloway, Heather Cox Richardson
[00:54:00] S0: a of 80 or 81. [00:54:02] S1: Yeah. Yeah. He's... And he's he's not okay. And not but, but and, as of the midterms, he has nothing he can deliver to the Republicans. He's a lame duck. He's made it clear he can't turn out voters any longer. Why are they gonna try and keep him? And the bottom line is I would I would actually be surprised if he isn't moved off stage in one way or another over the next two years. I'm not suggesting it's gonna happen or not, but you can see JD Vance ramping up his performances, you know, being out there in front of people. You can see his attempt to cement control. And, of course, once you're past the midterms, he could have that time and go into 2828. Right? '28 as an incumbent. And you can also look and see a pea... Increasingly appears that certain members of the inner circle are getting iced out. So you can see JD Vance trying to consolidate power, and, of course, he's got the tech bros behind him. My concern about the period after this midterm... I have many concerns about it, but one of them is that what you're gonna see is JD Vance consolidating power with extraordinary money behind him and using the power of the federal government to do whatever he wants for two years. So I think, you know, we... We're all focused on the midterms. I think, Vance is a is a real place to be watching the next couple of years. Maybe it won't happen. Who knows? But I... Do you see Trump's continuing to be able to walk for two more years? I don't know. I'm not a doctor, but I... I'm... My money is not on him for two more years.