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Trump dismisses the AI CEOs at Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI who are calling for a "global slowdown" of AI development, saying the only government regulation the industry needs is a "high IQ" president. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett break down the "sick conspiracy" claim the administration and tech investors have leveled at AI makers, the recent developments that united Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk, and the chances that meaningful AI regulation could pass before the election or in a lame-duck Congress. Then they turn to AI's impact on the 2028 presidential election, a Russian oligarch's unusual involvement in Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding festivities, and the worst Republicans on and off the ballot in Texas. Then, Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, stops by the studio to talk to Jon about her new book, "How to Eat an Elephant."Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends, on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel.You can request a transcript by emailing [email protected]. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.
Duration
1h 33m
Broadcast on
15 Sep 2026
Audio Format
other
Today's presenting sponsor is Simply Safe Home Security. Back to school just turned your house from full to empty for seven hours a day. That's a pattern anyone can spot. Simply saves AI cameras and live agents are watching your perimeter while you're out, not waiting for an alarm to go off inside. Unlike traditional security systems that only alert you after a break-in is already underway, Simply Safe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. Smart AI-powered outdoor cameras detect suspicious activity at the perimeter and alert live U.S.-based agents to step in. Simply Safe's agents assess the threat, intervene through the outdoor camera to scare off trespassers and call for 911 dispatch. Our CEO installed Simply Safe herself. She got it recently and she said it was quick. The system was up and running at no time. The app's super easy to use. All the components have worked smoothly since day one and she's really happy with it. She loved the heated door knobs and then the ornaments on the floor. Oh and you know what she was talking about? The paint can that just kind of comes down the stairs was like really helpful. And then the Michael Jordan got out on the train. That was just fun. That's just fun. Right now you can get 50% off any new Simply Safe system. Go to simplysafe.com/cricut. That's simplysafe.com/cricut for 50% off. And when you order, please write in PodSafe America and how did you hear about a survey to let them know we sent you? Don't forget there's no safe, like Simply Safe. Welcome to PodSafe America. I'm John Befra. I'm John Lennon. I'm Tommy Bichor. On today's show, we're going to talk about the AI overlords who are begging for regulation that could stave off the apocalypse and the president who's saying no way. I love the apocalypse. We'll talk about what Congress could do about our looming AI crisis, why it's bringing Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon together and how the issue will shape 2028. We've also got some pretty serious corrupt dates for you, including the Russia, Russia, Russia, and oligarch, who a bankroll Don Jr.'s wedding. Russia's back. It's so annoying that it had to be a Russian oligarch. I just I don't want to be back in like P-Tape land in 2017, but this story is insane. Go FFA. It's a Go FFA time. It's a Go FFA story. There are also some Republican candidates in Texas who are somehow even worse than Ken Paxton that we'll talk about. Then I sat down with the bulwark Sarah Longwell to talk about what she's hearing in her focus groups about AI, Kamala Harris, and lots more. She's also got a great new book out. But first love it's speaking of books. I think you had an event that you wanted to mention, at least that's what it says here. Yes. On Thursday, I am talking to our very own Alex Wagner about her book The Steel at the Writers Guild Theater here in LA. The Steel is about Ron Reagan's efforts to pack the federal courts with conservative judges. It worked and it's a fascinating story and precursor to where we're at now. We'll talk about everything, what's happening in politics. I'm excited to talk to Alex. It's going to be fun. It's Thursday, 730 at the Writers Guild Theater. You go to Writers Block Presents if you want to come. All right. Let's get to the news. This was the weekend where the leaders of companies building what nearly everyone agrees is the most powerful technology in history said that it's time to slow it down because humans could lose control of AI with catastrophic consequences. And the president along with his rich tech buddies and the MAGA establishment responded by saying, "No thank you, full speed ahead." On Saturday, anthropic CEO Dario Amadeh published an essay calling for a global slowdown in AI development. Based on the argument that AI models are becoming so advanced that AI itself is increasingly being used to build the next generation of AI, a process that could move faster than humans ability to understand or control as evidenced by the recent incident involving open AI where AI agents launched cyber attacks. They hadn't been instructed to carry out and then tried to cover up their tracks so human observers wouldn't find out. Amadeh goes on to say we could be six to 12 months away from a swarm of AI agents capable of taking over the entire internet and he proposes giving outside independent evaluators access inside AI companies including his common safety standards for big AI companies and a political effort to reach some kind of an international agreement especially with China. Open AI's Sam Altman and XAI's Elon Musk then expressed support for Amadeh. Sounds pretty good,

Transcription truncated.

Trump dismisses the AI CEOs at Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI who are calling for a "global slowdown" of AI development, saying the only government regulation the industry needs is a "high IQ" president. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett break down the "sick conspiracy" claim the administration and tech investors have leveled at AI makers, the recent developments that united Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk, and the chances that meaningful AI regulation could pass before the election or in a lame-duck Congress. Then they turn to AI's impact on the 2028 presidential election, a Russian oligarch's unusual involvement in Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding festivities, and the worst Republicans on and off the ballot in Texas. Then, Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, stops by the studio to talk to Jon about her new book, "How to Eat an Elephant."Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends, on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel.You can request a transcript by emailing [email protected]. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.