Inside the Tech Company Powering Trump’s Most Controversial Policies

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.4 • 102.8K Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Warning: This episode contains strong language. Palantir, a data analysis and technology company, has secured federal contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars during President Trump’s second presidency, including to develop software to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement deport people. Michael Steinberger, who spent six years interviewing Palantir’s chief executive, Alex Karp, for the book “The Philosopher in the Valley,” explains how Mr. Karp went from a self-described lifelong Democrat to a champion of Mr. Trump, and the impact this transformation could have on American democracy.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Natalie Kittrowev.
0:04.7	This is the Daily.
0:06.0	President Trump pushing ahead with sweeping plans to trim the size of the federal government.
0:09.8	President Trump is ramping up deportations in Democrat-led cities.
0:13.2	The U.S. has attacked three nuclear sites in Iran.
0:17.2	At the heart of many of President Trump's most controversial policies, there's been one company, Palantir.
0:24.5	The core mission of our company always was to make the West, especially America, the strongest in the world, the strongest ever been.
0:31.1	According to Palantir's CEO, the company exists to defend Western ideals.
0:36.6	But to its critics, some worry that Palantir could
0:39.7	give the government sweeping almost futuristic surveillance capabilities. Palantir is enabling
0:44.9	the administration's illiberal tactics. Today, Times contributor Michael Steinberger on how Palantir
0:53.0	CEO, who's described himself as a lifelong Democrat,
0:57.1	became a champion of President Trump, how his political transformation shaped one of the most
1:02.9	secretive companies in the world, and the impact that transformation could have on American
1:08.4	democracy.
1:09.7	Palantir is here to disrupt and make the institutions we partner with the very best in the world,
1:16.7	and when it's necessary to scare enemies and on occasion kill them.
1:22.1	It's Tuesday, December 16th.
1:27.7	Michael, welcome to the show.
1:29.3	Thank you for having me.
1:31.0	You just published this book.
1:32.7	It's called The Philosopher in the Valley about Palantir and its CEO, Alex Carp.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 13 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The New York Times, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The New York Times and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.