Welcome back to the Rational Policy Podcast for Episode 59! Join your intrepid hosts Mike Coté and Art Vandelay as we break down the news of the past week, touching on stories in the realms of national security, partisan politics, congressional oversight, and media. We start with the biggest news of the day, the rapid fall of NVIDIA co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang after revelations of multiple affairs, including at least one with a subordinate and another with what is most likely a Chinese spy. We delve into this issue, breaking down the plethora of national security, economic, corporate, and technological ramifications that will stem from these stories. We explain why NVIDIA is such a critical company for America’s future, how China is attempting to bypass us in the AI race, and the potential counterintelligence aspects of this whole brouhaha. Next, we talk about the attempted impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussing why it failed (Everyone Hates Thomas Massie), what it might signal about the coming battles inside the Democratic caucus, and the best way to approach investigations and impeachments. We also hold a brief debate over whether Congress should change the name of our core military bureaucracy from the Department of Defense to the Department of War. Finally, we praise Ross Douthat’s incredible 60 Minutes interview of Donald Trump from this past weekend. We touch on how his line of questioning was tough but fair, how he got the most out of a notoriously tough interviewee, and the most important question asked to an American president in years.
Check it out, follow us on Twitter/X (Mike / Art), and share the podcast with anyone you think might appreciate it. Thanks for listening. We’ll be back next week with more news and views. Until then, go watch some hockey; it’s been a great season so far.
