So Why Is Elon Musk Going After Kara Swisher This Time?

Kara and Scott open with Elon Musk’s attack on Kara after she said he could face investigations if the GOP loses Congress, and they argue that the reaction fits a broader pattern of intimidation, especially toward women journalists. Kara says Musk’s threats feel like “toddler behavior,” while Scott says powerful men with cult-like followings need to be more mindful of the harm their words can trigger.

They then turn to earnings and conclude that SpaceX is thriving while Tesla is much more fragile. SpaceX reported record third-quarter revenue of $14.6 billion, up 161% year over year, and $4.4 billion in net income, while Tesla beat revenue expectations at $28 billion but saw automotive revenue fall 3% and net income drop 29% to $787 million. Scott argues Tesla has become a “religion” at a valuation that is detached from fundamentals, and both hosts say the proposed Tesla-SpaceX merger is really Musk’s attempt to create a new narrative and preserve control.

The discussion expands into geopolitical and regulatory risk, especially Musk’s reported slowdown of Ukraine’s Starlink service, which they say could accelerate backlash from governments and customers. Later, they cover Meta’s strong quarter, its massive AI capex, and the company’s legal exposure over social media harms. They also discuss Joel Kaplan’s exit, which they see as part of Meta’s effort to adapt to a more hostile political environment while Zuckerberg keeps control.

Sacha Baron Cohen joins to discuss Ali G: Who Is I?, why he revived the character now, and why he thinks satire still works if it targets what is newly revealing. He argues that social media and Trump are a dangerous combination, saying democracy is not compatible with social media and that tech platforms reward outrageous and false content over truth.