AI Summary
5 min read“I urge people to shift off of Google Maps,” Jennifer Welch tells Kara Swisher in this episode of Pivot, speaking to a broader frustration with tech companies that she believes have become “tradwives” to Donald Trump. Welch, co-host of the I’ve Had It podcast and author of the forthcoming book Not Today, Fascist, joins Swisher for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from Trump’s map-renaming stunts to the deportation of far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, Gwyneth Paltrow’s ill-fated AI dinner party, and the reinstatement of Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah. The throughline is a shared sense that the American guardrails—institutions, media, tech, and the electorate itself—are buckling under the weight of oligarchic submission, MAGA cannibalism, and a left that cannot seem to add rather than subtract. Welch and Swisher press for a politics of addition, a media ecosystem that rewards courage, and a consumer class that remembers its own power.
Maps, Names, and the Nihilism of Silicon Valley
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:43) **Opening Banter & Guest Intro** - Kara Swisher welcomes guest co-host Jennifer Welch (co-host of *I've Had It* podcast, author of *Not Today, Fascist*). Jennifer describes backlash she receives for comments about Melania Trump and fundamentalist Christianity.
- 2 (12:01) **Trump’s Map Makeover: Lake America & Tech Compliance** - Trump renames Lake Ontario to Lake America after trade talks with Canada break down; Google Maps adopts the change for US users while Apple weighs it. Jennifer and Kara discuss the fecklessness of tech CEOs.
- 3 (20:54) **Milo Yiannopoulos Deported: Leopards Eating Faces** - British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos is deported by ICE after overstaying his visa; Laura Loomer takes credit for reporting him. Jennifer highlights the irony of MAGA-on-MAGA cannibalism.
- 4 (31:26) **Gwyneth Paltrow’s AI Dinner Drama** - Gwyneth Paltrow postpones a private off-the-record dinner with Sam Altman after it leaks and sparks backlash from creatives. Jennifer sees it as a tone-deaf “let them eat cake” moment.
- 5 (41:28) **Karen Attiah Wins Her Job Back at the Washington Post** - Karen Attiah joins the show to discuss her arbitration victory after being fired by the Washington Post over a social media post about the Charlie Kirk assassination. She explains her fight and what comes next.
- 6 (50:47) **Wins and Fails** - Kara and Jennifer share their weekly wins and fails.
- 7 (64:09) **Had It or Hit It Game** - Jennifer and Kara play a rapid-fire game where they decide if they’re tired of (“had it”) or interested in (“hit it”) various topics.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
It's the last week of Scott-Free August, and Kara is joined by Jennifer Welch, co-host of the "I've Had It" podcast. They unpack Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario, Milo Yiannopoulos' deportation, and Gwyneth Paltrow's postponed soiree for Sam Altman. Plus, journalist Karen Attiah stops by to discuss winning her job back at The Washington Post, after getting fired in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
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