This is one thing I'll tell you about the Trump administration, which is totally different. Okay. I was a lifelong Democrat, okay. I was a mega donor to the Democrats. You know, like dinner with Obama level donor. Okay. [00:00:15] I couldn't get a phone call returned from the white House to save my life. The only thing that happened to me was I made an off color comment about, like, something in China. And I had the Biden administration, like, basically say something like essentially [00:00:31] put out a press release basically saying I was like, you know, mean the Trump administration is totally different. There's not a single person there. You can't get on the phone and talk to. As I think you would exactly expect, venture capitalists. That is venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya right there. [00:00:49] One of the hosts of the All In podcast made that stunning admission on Andrew Schultz's Flagrant podcast this week. When he got pushed back, Polypetala doubled down even harder. We will get back to that shortly. But Genk right off the top. Your thoughts? [00:01:07] Yeah. So two things can be true at the same time. This is an amazing admission. He's going to go on and on as you're going to see here. And one of the hosts even challenges him on this. And so and all Democrats appreciate this admission that the Republicans are a lot more, you know, attuned to the needs of donors. [00:01:26] But there is something that he's saying that is a legitimate critique of the Democratic Party. So I want to talk about that as well. Two things can be true at the same time. First, let's see the basically the confession. Yeah. So let's give a little bit of a brief context. [00:01:42] First on, he's the CEO and founder of Social Capital. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.2 billion. He was also an early senior executive at Facebook. Palpatine is highly involved in politics, as he mentioned in The Cold Open. You heard him say that he donated to Obama and Biden. [00:01:58] He also donated to RFK Jr and Trump. He brought up a mean comment about China in that same clip. Well, he was actually referring to the persecution of the Uyghurs in China. Here's what he said in 2022 about that quote. Let's be honest. Nobody cares about what's happening to the Uyghurs. [00:02:14] You bring it up because you really care. And I think that's nice that you care. The rest of us don't care. I'm telling you a hard, ugly truth. Of all the things I care about, it is below my line. Context aside, let's now watch more of his appearance on flagrant. Here's how he described his communication with the Trump administration. [00:02:33] I'll give you an example of this. A friend of mine's company was really impacted with these tariffs in a bad way. Okay. This is like a really amazing, legitimate American business, 150 year old business, family owned all this stuff. And I was able to call the deputy chief of staff. [00:02:49] And I said, hey, can you talk to the CEO and just say, here on the ground? He's like, instantly put me on the phone. You know, my wife runs a pharmaceutical business And, you know, we wanted to make sure that the administration understood, [00:03:05] like all the implications for rare diseases and orphan drugs, what happens if these tariffs, like, cripple the R&D budgets? We were able to talk to all of them. They were like, explain the issue. I want to understand it. So this is what's also totally different, which I really give them a lot of respect. [00:03:21] They are willing to debate it with you. You can pick up the phone call phone and talk to these people. I've never had that experience, guys. I mean, look, I was like a senior person at Facebook. Could never get a meeting. I only met Obama once when he came to the thing. Then when I was running an investment fund, successful, I had dinner with Obama. [00:03:40] But it was, you know, under the purposes of should I donate to the foundation? So he did have access, just not constant. Any moment you want pay to play access under Obama. So he just wants to be able to be part of the administration, basically, because that's what the Uber rich get now under the Trump administration [00:03:57] is a free pass to be kind of like a cosplaying member of the government. Flagrant co-host Akash Singh had a compelling counterpoint to that argument, which Paula Pasha did not take kindly to. So our devil's advocate should being a mega-donor. I mean, I guess I get your point of view, but couldn't it also just be like, [00:04:16] no, we're not going to be biased just because a person donated money? We're not going to just answer the phone whenever he calls. You think? You think I was like, you know, stupid five years ago and all of a sudden tried to, like, start to build national champions, like, now. Dude, man, I've been in the grind for 25 years here paying my taxes. [00:04:33] I've paid, you know, more than most people. Yeah. So irrespective of the donation. I've been I've been trying to do the right thing. - Yeah. - I wasn't trying to favor myself. It's like even just to explain, like, here's what's happening on the ground. Do you want to know? Here's what's happening on the ground with the ultra wealthy. [00:04:51] Do you want to know. Do you even care. My yacht broke down last week. It's almost like it doesn't bother you. That's where that is. Drink? Yeah. He got touchy there. On a very normal question. I mean, that brother asked that question on behalf of America, right? [00:05:07] And he's like, do you think I'm stupid? But nobody said you were stupid. I've been working really hard. Well, God bless your heart. Nobody disputed that. We're just saying, you really think that if you're a donor, you should be able to call them any time? Do you think that an average American is able to call the president [00:05:23] or his staffers at any time? Do you think it's a good idea that if you donate millions of dollars, that you be able to get access that no one else can get, and that you'd be able to push your agenda and your businesses? And you're saying, I'm telling you what's on the ground, and it might be helpful, you know, for it to hear from a small business owner [00:05:39] or something to get their perspective. But are you small business owners because you have over $1 billion, right? So your three examples were I wanted to talk to the president, and so did another guy that I know that owns this giant business that around for 150 years. [00:05:57] And so did my wife, who also owns her business. Well, good for you guys. Bless your hearts. I look, that's mainly a confession tape. And so. And Obama looks better in that description than he's ever looked to me. [00:06:13] But having said that, now, I'll I'll add the second layer to it. So it's not, but it's and all of that is 100% true. And I think what he got, what he was trying to say in the worst imaginable way, is there's a certain arrogance to the Democratic politicians, [00:06:32] and they really believe they don't need to hear from anyone else. They're already geniuses. They are doing four dimensional chess. And, and there's and everyone is beneath them. So like whereas okay, so Trump being open to the billionaire donors [00:06:48] I hate it I heard it I mean, Jesus. He put Elon Musk in charge of domestic policy. Miriam Adelson in charge of foreign policy I loathe it. It's the thing that I can't stand the most. Okay. But they're not just open to those donors, they're also open to all the online hosts [00:07:03] and anyone that they think is relevant in any political context. And it and like, I mean, Tim Pool's skating buddy can get a call in to the white House, right? Whereas with the Democrats, unless you have massive status, unless [00:07:18] you're one of the elites, the idea that they'd listen to you is just laughable. They would never listen to you because they already think that they're, you know, that they walk on water. So and by the way, it's not like Democrats never used media. I mean, they they use MSNBC to push out their marketing, etc. [00:07:38] And some now online influencers that near the end of the Biden term, sometimes they'll invite to the white House, etc., but the deal is always crystal clear. Anyone who objects to the administration in any way, shape or form is persona non grata. [00:07:53] We won't listen to you and the ones that don't object and have come to the white House. We're not actually going to listen to you. You're going to listen to us. We're going to give you a message and you're going to say it. Period. This is not a conversation. We're the elites. [00:08:08] We're geniuses, and you aren't. And that attitude is so toxic. And it's absolutely true. The only people I don't want him talking to is the donor class, but they should talk to everyone else. And unfortunately for Democrats, they don't. Jackson I mean, other than the fact that, you know, they can and they're [00:08:29] having more and more influence over the laws written in the country. I don't really know why people like this bother being seen by the public. I mean, because even before this clip now where he was talking about the access that he has, like, I don't care about the Uyghurs, like nobody cares about that. [00:08:45] Like, oh, so says you like, speak for yourself. And even here, you know, this guy just sounded and he's a great representation of, you know, all the people, all these billionaires, all these 100 millionaires who, particularly the ones who donate to federal politicians [00:09:02] and the PACs and stuff like he he just sounded completely self-absorbed, like what happens in the country should be about making him comfortable. I don't like, you know, I spend all this time at these dinners, I donate, and they don't even pick up the phone for me. But Trump, yeah, they pick up the phone for me. [00:09:17] And it's just like, that's about you. That's not about the country, you know what I mean? Like, that's not about the people at large, but that's how this country operates. And that's why the corruption and the money and politics is the biggest issue because these people are comfortable up there. He was talking as if he knows the type of power he has. [00:09:35] Look at Elon Musk, look at all the stuff that he's doing and he feels like he's untouchable. These people know the type of influence and power that they really have over what goes down here. But again, I don't really know why they bother being seen by the public because they don't look good. They look like they what to me, that was f all of y'all. [00:09:52] That's what it felt like to me. - Yeah. - Watching that. No, no Jackson two great points there. Just build on it for one second here. It's the entitlement, right? And so they feel entitled to be able to tell the president what to do. And it's and so yeah, it's generally true for a lot [00:10:09] of the rich and or the mega rich. Right. But especially Silicon Valley like those guys think that they walk on water and they're like, what do you mean, I worked hard? I already have over $1 billion. I'm one of the demigods. You listen to me and you shut up about it. I'm entitled to have the president. [00:10:27] No, brother. Nobody's entitled. There's 330 million people in the country. Nobody's entitled to talk to the president. And then, And that attitude, that arrogant attitude of, like, you should hear from me. Why do they, like, basically what Jackson is saying is, look, guys, [00:10:43] you already did whatever you did. Take the money and run. Right. Like, what? Are you rubbing it in people's face and getting yourself in trouble for? Almost. Right. And the reason, Jackson is because they can't help it. Because their egos are gigantic and they think and look honestly like I've [00:11:00] read a bunch of stuff about Silicon Valley in there was such a gold rush there. I mean, so appropriate for that location that like, white shop owners were stumbling over half $1 billion. Right. And like, everybody was starting businesses and all the businesses [00:11:18] were getting to monster valuations. And so what all of the geniuses in the world were in Silicon Valley know, there are sometimes locations where there's enormous opportunity, like bankers in New York or even in an earlier generation, bankers in London and [00:11:35] now in tech executives in Silicon Valley. But they don't think, hey, I was at the right place at the right time. They think I'm a demigod, I'm a genius, and everyone should listen to me and do what I tell them to do. And and so they're not really familiar with the rest of the world. [00:11:54] And so this is a bit of a rude awakening for him as he found out Others don't. Don't agree. Bother. No. And to the point you made earlier, Jake. Somehow that still makes the Trump administration come off as more accessible to actual people and relatable, [00:12:10] because at least they're giving access to some people who happen in the sort of in the cases he's talking about will call attention to the effects of their tariffs on people's businesses, on the effects of cutting R&D budgets of certain drugs that they might not be aware of when they're haphazardly cutting, and somehow make the Democrats look [00:12:27] even more out of touch instead of being, you know, one of the good things Obama used to do or claim he did was read ten letters every night from regular Americans. But we don't have that ethos. The Democratic Party rather doesn't have that ethos anymore. They have the vibe of we know what's best, we don't need to hear from anybody. [00:12:44] And so Trump somehow sounds more relatable. And that's how he wins these elections. He seems like he's a man of the people, even if those people are the ultra wealthy. 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