Trump’s Tech Posse in China, Who’s Winning in Musk v. Altman, and Hantavirus Conspiracy Theories

Brian Barrett: Our best and brightest.

Leah Feiger: Yeah. And so I’m just like, no, no, no, this is clearly not just about tech. This is about showing very specifically who Trump’s allies are and being able to position himself in front of a country and leader that he hasn’t spent a lot of time with recently.

Zoë Schiffer: Since we’re still talking about the people that he is going to China with, what do we know about why Jensen Huang was left off the list and then re-added last minute? Because my though when I saw it was, oh, this is about export controls and they think it’s going to be kind of weird and complicated to have him on the trip. But then obviously he is now on the trip.

Leah Feiger: So someone I cannot name, someone said to me, “Oh, I think the President may have just forgotten him,” to which I laughed.

Zoë Schiffer: Oh, you remembered Brett Ratner and you forgot?

Leah Feiger: No, I was like, “This is not true.” It’s just not even sort of true to the point where I was like, “I’m sorry, you’re expecting me to entertain this right now?”

Zoë Schiffer: I would absolutely buy that Trump forgot this man, but I’m like, “Trump has other people around him.”

Leah Feiger: This team didn’t forget this man.

Zoë Schiffer: Yes, please.

Leah Feiger: No, there’s no way on earth. I was very much just like, “Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep it moving.” And obviously guys, we have to talk about the Musk of it all. I know that Elon has been making his appearances back at a variety of White House or White House adjacent events, but this does feel like such a big moment for him to be on the international stage again by Trump’s side.

Zoë Schiffer: Did you know that Elon Musk’s mother is like low-key a celebrity in China?

Brian Barrett: Maye Musk, international model, Maye Musk.

Leah Feiger: Wait, new information. Say more.

Zoë Schiffer: People are obsessed with her there.

Leah Feiger: What?

Zoë Schiffer: Just a little fun fact.

Brian Barrett: I want to take a moment too not to get away from Maye Musk. We can talk and talk about Maye Musk all day long. About a year ago when the Pentagon set up Musk for a war briefing about what would happen if the US went to war. Do we remember this?

Leah Feiger: I do.

Zoë Schiffer: Oh, my gosh, I fully forgot about this. Yes.

Brian Barrett: The Pentagon invited Musk over to check out what the war plans would be if we went to fight China over Taiwan and that got scuttled apparently before he went. This was a New York Times report, but it is how far we’ve come and how not far. I don’t know. If I’m China, I don’t think I want to see Musk anywhere near this coalition. And if I’m Musk, I’m feeling pretty great about the level of influence I now have. Again, and then maybe I get a chance to look at those war plans again. Maybe I can sweet talk Pete Hegseth.