POLITICO Tech: "AI, China, and the Fight Over Free Speech – Takeaways from POLITICO’s Tech Summit"

Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Steven Overly
Guests: Brendan Bordelon, Anthony Adragna (POLITICO reporters)

Episode Overview

This special episode recaps major themes and behind-the-scenes insights from POLITICO’s annual AI and Tech Summit, with expert analysis from reporters Brendan Bordelon and Anthony Adragna. Discussions centered on the intensifying battle over online free speech following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, high-profile partisan tensions over social media moderation, calls for tech regulation, the struggle between state and federal AI laws, growing Republican splits regarding tech industry oversight and business, and the looming specter of US-China tech competition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Online Free Speech After the Charlie Kirk Assassination

• Republican response:
  Despite widespread calls from the right for draconian measures targeting speech perceived as disrespectful or inflammatory in the wake of Kirk's assassination, influential Republicans at the summit expressed continued support for First Amendment protections—even while advocating for some limits.

  • Brendan Carr (FCC Chair) clarified:

    “Our First Amendment, our free speech tradition protects, you know, almost all speech. But there are certain categories ... that are unprotected ... like incitement to violence ... fighting words."
    [01:55]

• Political splits within the GOP:

  • Some Trump-aligned figures and right-wing legislators push for aggressive crackdown on perceived hate speech or disrespect ("ban people from social media for life if they belittled Charlie Kirk's death" [Clay Higgins]).

  • Yet, figures like FCC Chair Brendan Carr and Sen. Ted Cruz struck a more measured tone, demonstrating an early "split developing within the Republican Party."
    [02:23–04:37]

  • Brendan Bordelon:

    "It was almost like we were watching some Republicans step back in real time ... from the sort of cliff.”
    [02:23]

• Ted Cruz’s stance:

  • Reaffirmed free speech shouldn’t lead to jail, but defended "naming and shaming":

    "Naming and shaming is a First Amendment consequence ... part of a functioning and vibrant democracy."
    [04:58]

2. Pressures on Social Media Companies

• Political pressure ramping up:
  Companies face heightened demands to moderate content more aggressively, especially with the administration’s direct involvement.

  • Anthony Adragna on industry response:

    "Tech companies have had the opportunity to engage and try to prod lawmakers. They've not so far, certainly not successfully. ... We'll have to wait and see if this time is different."
    [05:27]

• Meta and others scaling back moderation:
  Shifts reflect political calculations about the party in power and evolving expectations from both sides.

  • Adragna notes:

    "Attention in Washington is a really fickle ... thing. ... Whether or not that translates into an actual policy response, I think we have to wait and see."
    [06:57]

3. Democratic Calls for Tech Regulation

• Senator Amy Klobuchar’s position:
  Called for urgent regulation around hate speech, emphasizing the real-world consequences of online toxicity.

  • Klobuchar:

    “I’ve got an obligation ... to find some way to put some rules in place ... If we just keep letting this go, it’s going to get worse and worse."
    [08:22]

• Lack of partisan differentiation:
  While Klobuchar signaled conciliation and bipartisan outreach, reporters noted little practical difference between her position and GOP efforts to moderate online content after high-profile incidents—raising questions about free speech consistency.

  • Bordelon:

    “I was intrigued by the inability of the senator who’s in Democratic leadership to significantly differentiate herself from the Republican ... hysteria.”
    [08:51]

4. Congressional Gridlock & Lawmaking Prospects

• Low expectations for swift policy change:
  Despite elevated rhetoric on both sides, there’s skepticism any major legislation will pass due to ongoing Congressional stalemate and the tendency for attention to shift quickly.

  • Adragna:

    "Lawmakers [are] trying to struggle and reckon with what the public policy response should be and not really having good answers."
    [11:40]

• White House influence outweighs Congress:
  With Biden pronouncing intent to crack down on what’s deemed dangerous speech, Congress is lagging on a coherent legislative response amid changing political winds (especially as elections approach).

5. State vs. Federal Battle Over AI Regulation

• Trump administration acceleration vs. state activism:
  The administration is pushing for industry-friendly, deregulatory federal policies, while states like California attempt to fill the regulatory void.

  • Sriram Krishnan (White House AI advisor):

    "We need to make sure we win ... We don't want California to set the rules for AI across the country."
    [15:57]

• Push for federal preemption stalled:
  Both parties disfavor a patchwork of state laws, but federal preemption is deadlocked without robust federal rules to backstop it.

  • Bordelon:

    “Most people in the tech lobby do not want to see a patchwork of state laws ... preempting state laws might be fine ... but you need to have some sort of federal AI rules."
    [16:23]

• Ted Cruz’s moratorium proposal stalls:
  Even among Republicans, there’s deep division—many opposed the idea, including key figures like Marsha Blackburn and Josh Hawley, leading to uncertainty and intra-party rifts.

  • Adragna:

    "There was a lot of opposition from rank and file Republicans to the idea of a 10 year ... moratorium."
    [18:44]

6. Key Splits Among Republicans on Tech, China, and Competition

• Business-friendly vs. Trump-aligned split:
  With Trump’s moves to take stakes in US tech giants and share revenue from high profile China deals, traditional free-market Republicans are privately "aghast," showing a widening gap between MAGA populists and business-oriented conservatives.

  • Sen. Dave McCormick:

    "It's a slippery slope. ... Whatever the party in power does, the next party is going to ... there's going to be a precedent set. ... You have to live by a set of principles that you'll hold true to regardless of who's in the White House."
    [22:38–23:01]

  • Adragna on GOP discomfort:

    "There are a lot of Republicans that are privately aghast at [Trump's decision to take stakes in Intel, Nvidia]. ... But have been reluctant to weigh in publicly."
    [23:10]

• China tensions and industrial policy:
  Anxiety in Silicon Valley and among traditional conservatives is mounting over increased federal involvement in tech and shifting stances on China, with unclear future direction.

Notable Quotes

• Brendan Carr (FCC):

  “Incitement to violence is not protected.”
  [01:55]

• Ted Cruz:

  “The best response to bad speech is more speech. And naming and shaming is part of a functioning and vibrant democracy.”
  [04:58]

• Senator Amy Klobuchar:

  “It’s very clear if we just keep letting this go, it’s going to get worse and worse.”
  [08:22]

• Brendan Bordelon:

  “It’s strange to me that that conversation is not being had on the Democratic side because it seems like a way to ... differentiate themselves ... from Republicans.”
  [08:51]

• Anthony Adragna:

  “We'll have to wait and see if this time is different.”
  [05:27]
  “Lawmakers [are] trying to struggle and reckon with what the public policy response should be and not really having good answer[s].”
  [11:40]

• Sriram Krishnan (White House AI advisor):

  “We don’t want California to set the rules for AI across the country.”
  [15:57]

• Sen. Dave McCormick:

  “Whatever the party in power does, the next party is going to ... there’s going to be a precedent set.”
  [22:44]

• Adragna on internal GOP splits:

  “There are a lot of Republicans that are privately aghast at this decision to take part of Nvidia’s chips ... but have been reluctant to weigh in publicly.”
  [23:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:55: FCC Chair Brendan Carr outlines First Amendment/online speech boundaries
• 04:58: Ted Cruz defends “naming and shaming” as protected speech
• 08:22: Sen. Klobuchar on urgency for social media hate speech regulation
• 15:57: White House AI Advisor on federal vs. state AI regulation
• 18:44: Ted Cruz’s state law moratorium faces intra-GOP opposition
• 22:38–23:10: Sen. McCormick discusses Trump’s tech company stakes and GOP discomfort

Memorable Moments

• Republicans publicly wrestling with prior free speech values versus present pressures after a high-profile political assassination
• Rare intra-party rifts among Republicans around tech industry alignment, China policy, and industrial strategy
• Democrats signaling urgency on regulation but struggling to offer clear alternatives or differentiate themselves on free speech and tech policy
• Tech industry facing a fractured regulatory environment, with both parties and states vying for influence amidst uncertainty
• Insiders noting “quiet splits” and tense, shifting alliances behind the scenes as new tech and global competition drive previously unimaginable policy shifts

Bottom Line:
For listeners, this episode provides a revealing look at how high-profile political violence, the 2024 election outcome, and rapid tech disruption have upended traditional party lines, produced unexpected alliances and divisions, and left the state of US tech regulation in a state of flux. The conversation highlights both the enormity of the digital policy moment and the persistent limits of Congressional action, with much still to play for on issues of speech, AI, and global competition.