Silicon Valley billionaires lined the front rows of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, creating a striking image of the tech industry’s shift toward MAGA and authoritarian-style politics. In this episode, Kara sits down with author and neuroscientist Sam Harris to unpack how tech leaders embraced Trump, why they’ve benefited from his presidency, and what it means for democracy, AI, and the future of information.

Harris, the host of Making Sense, has become one of the most outspoken critics of the tech elite — including people he was once close to. He and Kara discuss:

• Why major tech CEOs shifted to the right
  
• How “the left” helped fuel that backlash
  
• Elon Musk, authoritarianism, and political power
  
• Why conspiracy thinking is exploding online
  
• The dangers of AI
  
• What meaningful tech regulation could look like
  

Note: This interview was recorded before President Trump signed an executive order blocking states from passing their own AI regulations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:40 How tech billionaires started embracing the far right
4:30 Why Sam Harris changed broke off his friendship with Elon Musk
7:08 How the far left turned silicon valley toward authoritarianism
21:48 Conspiracy culture, social media algorithms, and misinformation
25:21 RFK Jr., anti-vax narratives, and the collapse of public trust
30:41 Why tech leaders stay silent, and what real accountability requires
34:50 AI risks, job loss, inequality and tech regulation
42:31 Can America have a post-MAGA future?

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