Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast Musk in the Trump 2.0 Era with Kate Conger
38 snips
Jan 21, 2025 
Kate Conger, a New York Times reporter and co-author of "Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter," joins to discuss Elon Musk's unprecedented political influence alongside major tech developments. They explore Musk’s role as a co-president, the SEC lawsuit against him, and how these dynamics are reshaping the tech and political landscape. Conger reveals the consequences of unchecked power, the legal scrutiny faced by Musk, and the evolving norms of content moderation on social media platforms under new leadership.
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Transparent Favor-Trading
- Elon Musk's close alignment with Trump demonstrates a new level of favor-trading.
- Other tech leaders may follow suit, impacting business and transparency.
Musk's Co-Presidency
- Chris Hayes recounts Mike Johnson calling Elon Musk and Trump during a government shutdown.
- This unprecedented move suggests Musk's significant political influence, even a co-presidency.
SEC Lawsuit Against Musk
- The SEC is suing Elon Musk for his undisclosed Twitter stock purchases in early 2022.
- He allegedly saved $150 million by delaying legally required disclosures of exceeding 5% ownership.
