What Is Elon Up To? Inside the Broligarchy with Quinn Slobodian and Michael Tracey
Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
Useful Idiots, LLC
4.5 • 4.6K Ratings
🗓️ 14 February 2025
⏱️ 93 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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Click here for the full interviews with Quinn Slobodian and Michael Tracey: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-episode-what-is-elon-up?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Calls on Ghost Witnesses from JFK Commission https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/rep-anna-paulina-luna-calls-on-ghost?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
For $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.com
Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to.
This week, the world saw the president of the United States sit quietly at his desk while the richest person in the world stood over him to take questions from reporters. It comes only days after another subservient look from “tough guy” Trump when he pushed in his boss’s chair like a waiter:
While Netanyhu seems to be in complete control of Trump internationally, we’re turning to the domestic front to ask: how much power do Musk and the Broligarchy have over the president’s decisions?
Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history at Boston University and author of the upcoming book Hayek's Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ, and the Capitalism of the Far Right, and journalist Michael Tracey join the show to unravel the mystery around Elon Musk, analyzing what he’s already done, what DOGE has the power to do, and how he plans to build his influence.
Quinn explains the difficulty in putting a label on Musk, which he says is often helpful in giving a historical analysis for a person. Some call Musk a techno-fascist, others call him a libertarian, and others a tech oligarch. Quinn doesn’t quite agree with any of these labels, and begins building a new one.
We also ask him about Steve Bannon, who has been replaced at Trump’s side by Musk, and whether there will be some kind of MAGA civil war between the pseudo-populists and the tech elites. And dive into how Elon Musk was shaped by the South African apartheid.
Michael Tracey discusses Trump’s role in the Ukraine War. After Trump’s failed promise to end the war in “24 hours,” it’s become clear that he doesn’t plan to stop giving aid to Ukraine. And with reports of a historic phone call this week between Trump and Putin, what is next for Ukraine?
Subscribe for the full interview with Michael Tracey on what Russia is willing to accept from Trump, the hypocrisy of the culture wars, and what Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation as director of national intelligence means for foreign policy.
00:00 Intro
01:26 Dems are PISSED at constituents and activists
09:49 Republicans are slashing Medicaid
21:05 Trump calls FRAUD on policy he doesn't like
24:39 Plastic straws and sharkaganda
26:57 Quinn Slobodian interview
27:40 How much power does Elon Musk have?
31:12 The PayPal Mafia
35:43 DOGE targets the Pentagon
40:56 Musk got his contract under Biden
48:23 Elon's obsession with population
53:33 A MAGA civil war?
57:02 The 5 Core Propositions of Elon Musk
1:04:16 Michael Tracey interview
1:04:54 Trump called Putin
1:08:21 KGB spies in the White House
1:13:13 How does Trump view Ukraine?
1:20:47 Trump wants to raise military spending??
1:24:12 What will Russia accept?
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Transcript
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| 0:55.0 | secure. Hello and welcome to Useful Idiots. I'm Katie Halper. I'm Mary Matei. Thanks so much for being |
| 1:05.9 | here. Our website is Useful Idiots Podcast.com. Go there to support the show and get bonus content. |
| 1:12.5 | On today's show, we'll be featuring two guests. |
| 1:16.3 | Quinn Slobodian, author of Crack Up Capitalism, Market Radicals, and the Dream of a World |
| 1:21.3 | Without Democracy. |
| 1:22.7 | We'll join us to talk about the broligarchy and how things are going under co-president Elon Musk. |
| 1:29.3 | And we'll hear from Michael Tracy, usefulity it's fan favorite, one of my favorite journalists. |
| 1:34.4 | He'll be talking about his impression of the Trump administration so far. |
| 1:38.8 | And is Donald Trump living up to his campaign promises of America first? |
| 1:43.4 | And what's up with Donald Trump promising to own Gaza after not mentioning that as part of his |
| 1:49.6 | campaign pledge? |
| 1:50.9 | And we'll also hear Michael's thoughts on the Ukraine war, which Trump is talking about ending. |
| 1:56.1 | But knowing Donald Trump, it's hard to expect him to follow through. |
| 2:00.6 | So we'll talk about that and a whole lot more on today show. |
... |
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