Odd Lots – "The Politics of AI Are About to Explode"

Bloomberg | Hosts: Joe Weisenthal & Tracy Alloway | Guest: Saagar Enjeti (Breaking Points) | Nov 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway dive into the brewing political storm surrounding AI in the United States. Joined by Saagar Enjeti, co-host of the popular political podcast Breaking Points, they explore how AI has shifted from a futuristic promise to a central, contentious issue that cuts across the American political spectrum. The discussion traverses topics including labor and job displacement, energy consumption, data center backlash, the power politics of Big Tech, and the stark lack of forward-looking policy on AI in DC. Enjeti offers on-the-ground insight into how real voters, politicians, and power players are reacting to—and preparing for—AI’s disruptive ascent.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How AI Became a Bipartisan Political Powder Keg

• AI was a niche tech issue in 2024; by 2025-2026, it’s a national political flashpoint ([03:12]–[04:54]).
• Enjeti: "We're the entire spectrum of American politics all agreeing to stand in opposition... to an issue where we do not feel we are in control of this technology. We are not sold yet on the benefits." ([05:43])
• The backlash is real and widespread: Concerns about labor, electricity prices, and social control are bipartisan; even the most opposed political factions now align in skepticism.

2. Local & Grassroots Pushback vs. DC's Slow Catch-Up

• Bottom-up, not top-down: Political backlash to AI and data centers originates locally—especially around zoning, utility costs, and labor ([19:44]).
• Virginia, Georgia, Oregon see fierce organizing against data centers; the issue is now seeping into national campaigns.
• "Staffers are paying attention, right? They're listening to the pods, they're reading the articles, and they're operationalizing that into something at the national level." ([19:44]–[21:09])

3. The Big Tech Power Dynamic Has Changed

• From kingmakers to supplicants: Tech CEOs, once seen as powerbrokers in DC, now appear more "hostage" than host ([17:19]); alliances are more transactional than ever.
• Enjeti: "There is… an alliance of convenience right now… the amount of money they're pumping into the economy, the amount of stock value that they're creating, is extremely beneficial..." ([17:44])
• Both parties are wary: Tech is seen as useful—but not trustworthy—by both left and right.

4. Labor, UBI, and the Elusive Policy Response

• Everyone's talking job loss, but no one's offering concrete solutions.
• UBI? Not really: "Andrew Yang… is doing the biggest victory lap over all of this... I have not seen it [taken seriously in DC]… Even Bernie is against UBI." ([30:41])
• Federal jobs guarantee is more palatable to the left, but most politicians are behind public sentiment.
• Policy is lagging far behind tech’s pace.

5. The AI Promise: Disillusionment & Trust Deficit

• AI as “Instagram for teens,” not cancer-curing savior:
  • Flood of ads (ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot) is about lifestyle, not grand breakthroughs ([11:55]–[12:47]).
  • Enjeti: "You're burning data center… you're increasing my power bills so that people can do Studio Ghibli recreates. Like, I'm out on this." ([12:47])
• Loss of public trust in Big Tech: Roots in social media moderation battles, now amplified by fear around AI’s social and economic impacts.

6. Party and Factional Tensions

• Republican splits: Pro-labor, populist right at odds with billionaire tech wing (notably around H1B visas and data-center economics) ([27:55]).
• Democratic splits: "Abundance" techno-optimists vs. anti-corporate left; the issue circles back to ownership and democratic control ([33:10]).
• Neither party has clear, unified messaging—leaving ample space for surprise shakeups as the backlash matures.

7. Antitrust, the Stock Market, and Power Politics

• Federal antitrust efforts are mixed and undermined by lobbying and financial interests.
• Stock market’s populist turn: The S&P as both a proxy for economic success and a source of frustration for those left out ([41:12]).
• AI spending props up "MAGAnomics" and economic headlines—creating a Faustian bargain for politicians on both sides.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the bipartisan nature of AI backlash:

  "We're the entire spectrum of American politics all agreeing to stand in opposition... to an issue where we do not feel we are in control of this technology."
  — Saagar Enjeti ([05:43])

• On the lack of enticing AI promises:

  "You’re going to lose your job and AI is going to do all the fun stuff in human life, like make pictures and movies."
  — Tracy Alloway ([11:41])

• On the true nature of current AI:

  "You're burning data center... you're increasing my power bills so that people can do Studio Ghibli recreates. Like, I'm out on this."
  — Saagar Enjeti ([12:47])

• On political lag behind public attitudes:

  "To be honest, covering politics now, I've only watched them play catch up." — Saagar Enjeti ([30:41])

• On the changing leverage of Big Tech:

  "Once upon a time in D.C. people did kind of feel like Big Tech was in control, right? ... And now... I saw one person describe it as a hostage situation where the big tech CEOs... seem kind of scared."
  — Tracy Alloway ([17:19])

• On the U.S. ‘number go up’ economy:

  "The numbers got to go up, right? Because all of our futures are in the number. Like we don't have pensions in this country, we don't have a robust social safety net until we turn 65. So in the interim, it's really [not] robust."
  — Saagar Enjeti ([41:42])

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [03:12]–[04:54] – The hosts foresee AI’s coming political centrality; themes of recession and labor displacement are introduced.
• [05:33]–[07:25] – Saagar Enjeti joins; discusses the nonpartisan, grassroots AI backlash.
• [09:19]–[11:41] – Hosts and guest unpack the “doom” rhetoric and why the public simply doesn’t trust current AI or its shepherds.
• [13:46]–[15:30] – Mapping the anti-Facebook backlash onto AI’s fraught social impact; criticism of tech moderation and generational divides.
• [17:19]–[17:44] – “Hostage situation” dynamics between Big Tech CEOs and the Trump White House.
• [19:44]–[21:09] – Example: Data center battles in Virginia and Oregon fuel national attention.
• [24:01]–[26:49] – The J.D. Vance “populism vs. Peter Thiel” conundrum and future right-wing factional battles.
• [32:35]–[33:10] – The left’s “abundance” faction is criticized for missing the issue of control and ownership.
• [35:22]–[37:01] – No sign of forward-thinking, meaningful AI use in D.C., just stagnation and cautious adoption.
• [39:26]–[41:42] – Status of antitrust, populist stock market dynamics, and America’s dependency on asset appreciation.
• [44:13]–[45:09] – Breaking news: $50B AI startup headline drops mid-episode, underscoring the frenzy and market euphoria.

Tone, Language & Style

• Conversational, candid, and slightly irreverent: The hosts and Enjeti blend keen policy analysis with a critical, sometimes skeptical tone.
• Vivid anecdotes and cultural references: Frequent analogies to previous tech cycles, The Wizard of Oz, NFL ads, and generational clashes.
• Accessible explanations: Focused on decoding complex political and economic dynamics for a broad audience.

Conclusions & Forward-Looking Questions

• AI is no longer just a technical or market story—it is now central to America's political identity crisis, with both parties fragmented and reactive.
• The next phases of the backlash will be shaped by economic downturns, real job losses, and more visible impacts on daily life; politicians still lag behind public sentiment.
• Who will seize the initiative: will populists—left or right—craft solutions, or will elite gridlock prevail?
• The need for “democratic input” over runaway tech is clear—but the roadmap to get it is utterly uncertain.

Key Quote to Sum Up the Mood:

"If people are angry with the S&P at 6700, how are they going to feel if it's like below 6,000?"
— Tracy Alloway ([46:04])