meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Today, Explained

Is America still capitalist?

Today, Explained

Vox

News, Daily News, Politics

4.310.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 August 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

President Trump is threatening CEOs, nationalizing the steel industry, and demanding a cut of Nvidia's profits. There's a term for all that — and it's not "free-market." This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. President Trump addressing steelworkers at the US Steel Corporation Irvin Works facility in West Mifflin, PA. Photo by Rebecca Droke/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Two years ago on Today Explained from Vox, we ran a series on Americans' deep and growing frustration with capitalism.

0:12.8

Everything comes with a price, even peace of mind. We wrestled with this longstanding idea that there is no alternative to capitalism, where many people

0:21.6

still land. But recently, a leader has come along and he has begun to question our system.

0:28.6

I don't think that we should have billionaires. No, it's not Zohran. It's Trump. President Trump

0:34.1

is making some of the most unfree market anti-capitalist moves in recent memory,

0:39.6

such as rating companies based on how loyal they are to his big, beautiful bill,

0:44.3

or talking about taking a 10% share in Intel.

0:47.7

Everything's computer.

0:49.1

Or pressuring Coke to change its formula, even though people like current Coke and happily pay green American dollars for it.

0:55.4

Coming up, are we even still capitalist?

0:59.8

Support for the show comes from ServiceNow. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into, don't you know?

1:06.0

That's why it's no surprise that more than 85% of the Fortune 500 used the ServiceNow AI platform.

1:12.2

Didn't know that.

1:13.1

While other platforms duct-tape tools together, ServiceNow seamlessly unifies people, data,

1:18.1

workflows, and AI connecting every corner of your business.

1:21.6

And with AI agents working together autonomously, anyone in any department can focus on the

1:26.9

work that matters most.

1:28.1

I've never met an AI agent.

1:29.6

Learn how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people at ServiceNow.com.

1:33.7

Support of the show, it comes from The Guardian.

1:35.6

If you listen to our show, my guess is that you value independent voices and perspectives on the news.

1:40.0

You want real reporting on real stories, and you don't want to wonder if the news you're getting is being skewed by an unseen hand.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

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

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

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.