Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers ...
Elon Musk's polarizing ascent in the MAGA movement
This is Alex Heath, deputy editor of The Verge. I’m guest hosting today’s episode while Nilay is still away for a much-needed vacation. He’ll be back next week. But today, we’re diving into the bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and more specifically, how it’s impacting the changing right-wing political movement here in the United States.
There’s no better place to get that temperature check than CPAC. Musk showed up there this year for a wild interview — you may have seen clips of him waving around a literal chainsaw. Thankfully, Verge policy Gaby del Valle was on the ground this year, and as you’ll hear her say, she barely slept. But she got a front-row look at how the world of MAGA really feels about Elon, DOGE, and regulating Big Tech.
Links:
I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was | Verge
At CPAC, the world’s populists parrot the leader who inspired them | Politico
Government still threatening to ‘semi-fire’ workers who don’t answer Musk email | Verge
Saying ‘no’ to Musk | NYT
What that chainsaw was really about | NYT
Sequins, merch, chainsaws: Trump’s return to CPAC | NYT
Bannon calls Musk a ‘parasitic illegal immigrant’ | NYT
New York got $80 Million for migrants. The White House took it back | NYT
Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE | AP
National Park Service layoffs, hiring delays impact visitors | NPR
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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39:55
Vimeo CEO Philip Moyer is betting on the human touch — and AI
Vimeo started many years ago as something of an artsier, more creative competitor to YouTube. Its last CEO, Anjali Sud, took the company through a pretty huge transformation into an enterprise software company, and we had her on the show to talk about that transformation a couple years ago.
Now, her successor, new CEO Philip Moyer, not only has to decide what parts of that strategy are working, but also how to navigate the addition of AI to the mix, and deal with the basic math of the creator economy: The amount of video in the world is exploding, but the total amount of time a person can spend watching any of it is pretty fixed. So with AI adding to the volume, how is anyone going to be able to make any money at all?
Links:
How Anjali Sud reinvented Vimeo | Decoder (2021)
How Dropout is taking control with Vimeo OTT | Vimeo
Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena on making a website in 2023 | Decoder
Wix CEO Avishai Abrahami on why the web isn’t dying | Decoder
NBCU’s streaming chief isn’t worried about you canceling cable | Decoder
Vimeo names new CMO as it focuses on business video | WSJ
The truth about Vimeo and YouTube SEO | Vimeo
Google’s counteroffer to a breakup is unbundling Android apps | Verge
China opens Google antitrust probe in retaliation to tariffs | Verge
Vimeo’s position on AI | Vimeo
Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/616820
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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1:17:16
Why gaming never had its Netflix moment
This is David Pierce, editor-at-large at The Verge. Nilay is off this week for a much-deserved break. So I’m filling in for him, and the Decoder team thought this would be a good opportunity to switch gears a little bit from the political apocalypse beat and talk about something completely different. So today we’re diving into the video game industry and discussing a particular set of very thorny problems facing Microsoft and its Xbox division.
I invited Ash Parrish, The Verge’s video game reporter, to discuss the issues facing Xbox, Microsoft’s big ambitions with its Game Pass subscription service, and why the game industry hasn’t had its Netflix or Spotify moment yet.
Links:
Xbox continues its push beyond consoles with new ad campaign | Verge
The next Xbox is going to be very different | Verge
2025 looks like a great year for Xbox | Verge
Microsoft prepares to take Xbox everywhere | Verge
Microsoft and Google are fighting over the future of Xbox | Verge
Microsoft was the No.1 games publisher in the world last month | VGC
Xbox games in Game Pass ‘can lose 80% of premium sales’ | VGC
Phil Spencer: No ‘red lines’ over Xbox games coming to Switch, PlayStation | Eurogamer
Microsoft’s Xbox turmoil isn’t slowing down | Verge
Microsoft says Game Pass is profitable as subscription growth slows | Verge
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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58:55
The FCC is a now a weapon in Trump’s war on free speech
The First Amendment, protecting free speech and free media, is a pillar of US law. It is, famously, the first one. We don’t usually tolerate government interference with speech.
So it’s been disconcerting these first few weeks of the second Trump administration to realize suddenly, there’s a nonzero chance the government will punish our work. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is absolutely determined to turn all that talk about the media being the enemy of the people into concrete legal action — incredibly serious, unprecedented attacks on free speech.
Links:
Carr’s emerging agenda and its dangerous effects | Tech Policy Press
Trump’s MAGA enforcer is having ‘the time of his life’ | The Daily Beast
FCC to investigate Comcast for having DEI programs | The Verge
Trump amends CBS ’60 Minutes’ lawsuit & demands $20 billion | LA Times
No Apology Over Trump Lawsuit, ‘60 Minutes’ Top Producer Says | New York Times
The FCC is investigating NPR and PBS | The Verge
ABC News to pay $15 million to settle Trump defamation suit | Wall Street Journal
Top Trump donor wants SCOTUS to reverse press protection | The New Republic
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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51:01
Sen. Ron Wyden is here to stop Elon Musk
Today, I’m talking with Senator Ron Wyden, a democrat and the senior senator from Oregon. He’s been in the Senate for almost 30 years, which makes him one of longest serving members of the institution. We scheduled this interview with Senator Wyden a while ago — he’s got a new book out called “It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change.”
But recent events made it vastly more important to talk about the state of our federal government – and specifically, what Elon Musk and DOGE are doing as they seize power in various federal agencies. So right up front and very bluntly, I wanted to ask Wyden: What is even going on? And can even he and his fellow senators keep up with it?
Links:
It Takes Chutzpah | Hachette Book Group
DOGE wreaked havoc on the government in just one week | Verge
“For all practical purposes, I’d call that a coup.” | Verge
Elon Musk’s presidency is just getting started | Decoder
Elon Musk’s computer coup | Vergecast
Can anyone stop President Musk? | Verge
Demand for GAO to investigate what Elon is doing at Treasury [PDF]
Senator Has Dire Warning About Letting Elon Musk Run Wild | New Republic
“Trump and Bessent are asking you not to believe what’s playing out right in front of your eyes.” | Wyden (Bluesky)
“My message to Musk is simple: get your hands off our money and get the hell out.” Wyden (Bluesky)
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.
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