Podcast Summary: The Daily Beast Podcast

Episode Title: I Know the Secret of How to Cripple Trump
Date: February 12, 2026
Host: Hugh Docherty (Executive Editor, filling in for Joanna Coles)
Guest: Professor Scott Galloway

Overview

This episode features a provocative discussion between Hugh Docherty and Professor Scott Galloway about Galloway’s new campaign, “Resist and Unsubscribe.” The episode centers on Galloway's strategy to challenge Donald Trump’s policies by leveraging the economic power of everyday consumers against Big Tech and the corporations he claims embolden Trump. Galloway details the logic, mechanics, and impact of 'unsubscribing' from major tech services and calls for collective economic action as a powerful form of modern protest. The conversation is candid, insightful, and grounded in Galloway’s deep knowledge of markets, activism, and tech industry dynamics.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Birth and Logic of “Resist and Unsubscribe”

• Galloway’s Frustration & the Inciting Incident

  • Galloway shares that his campaign was born from deep frustration and personal distress over U.S. immigration enforcement and political rhetoric, especially after a veteran’s death was politicized by Trump officials.
  • Quote: “There was one moment...I just thought, at some point, depravity has to need some resistance. That was the moment where I said, okay, I need to do something, quote-unquote, for me.” (06:17)

• Impact on Markets & Why Tech Subscriptions Matter

  • Galloway identifies the 'soft tissue' of Trump’s administration—shareholder value—and notes past policy reversals following market downturns.
  • He explains that the largest tech companies (10 of them make up 40% of the S&P 500) are extremely sensitive to shifts in subscription numbers.
  • Quote: “If you unsubscribe from ChatGPT, that's $240. It’s trading at 40 times revenues. That's a $10,000 hit to their market cap.” (04:14)
  • He created a site listing major companies ("ground zero") and those enabling harmful policies ("blast zone") with easy unsubscribe links.
  • The campaign quickly grew from 6,000 to 60–80,000 daily unique visitors, catalyzing 150–200,000 projected unsubs.

2. How “Resist and Unsubscribe” Works

• Practical Stories & Economic Insights (08:11–10:27)

  • Galloway talks through his own unsubscribing process—Apple TV+, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, and services like Uber (citing dramatic personal savings and forgotten contracts).
  • He emphasizes it’s not about depriving anyone of essentials, but finding unnecessary or overlooked subscriptions, making the process “situational” and low-friction.
  • Quote: “You're going to find if you go to resistantunsub.com and you click on these links that you are spending money on a lot of places you didn't realize.” (09:12)

• Effectiveness and CEO Reactions

  • About 20% of CEOs from targeted companies have reached out—charming privately but unwilling to act first due to fiduciary pressure.
  • Galloway highlights the role of traditional and social media in spurring cultural and internal corporate pressure—citing the Jimmy Kimmel/Disney protest as an example where public shaming and economic impact forced change.
  • Quote: “It’s actually the shame of media and the impact it has on the internal culture and the fear of more economic impact that results in action.” (10:40)

3. Why CEOs Stick Close to Trump

• Motivations: Money and Market Influence (15:21–18:37)

  • Galloway bluntly attributes CEOs' loyalty and visibility with Trump to money and regulatory carve-outs.
  • Quote: “Come to the Melania premiere and there’s a chance...I’ll do a carve out for Apple. ... This is a coin-operated president.” (15:55)
  • He criticizes the system as resembling cronyism and even “total socialism”—with regulatory and market favoritism granted in exchange for public support.

• What Galloway Wants from Corporate America:

  • Public pushback against anti-immigrant and anti-democratic policies, matching their private concerns with public statements and action.
  • Quote: “I want them to show some fidelity to the American values that made them so wealthy and built such great companies. ... To speak up and say that demonizing immigrants...is just not going to be good for the economy, not good for my company, and not good for America.” (13:26)

4. The Hypocrisy Charge and Movement Practicality

• Addressing Criticism Over Using Tech Tools (Meta, AI, etc.) (23:26–26:48)

  • Galloway concedes the accusations of hypocrisy (“Am I perfect on this? I'm not giving up my iPhone. Let me be clear.”) but frames the act as “leading by example” while still functioning in the modern world.
  • He’s sold Apple shares—painful as it is—not as financial advice, but as a model of taking a stand.
  • Quote: “Unless you want to move to a cabin and have AM radio, you’re going to have to...And I'm not, I'm not going to lecture people.” (23:58)

• Consumer Power and the Tech “Death Star” Vulnerability

  • Small individual actions, collectively, have outsized impact on the high-multiple tech stock valuations.
  • Quote: “That shaft, or exhaust shaft, if you will, is subscriptions to big tech. ... If you wanted to have that one kill shot, it's taking the subscriptions to Amazon prime or ChatGPT or Anthropic, it's taking them down just a little bit...” (27:26)

• Not Telling People to Sell Stocks or Quit Essentials

  • Galloway is careful not to advise giving up vital services or risking financial well-being.
  • Quote: “I don't want to take risks with other people's well being. I am comfortable saying to them, you probably have too many big tech subscriptions that you can do without.” (29:22)

5. Trump, Crypto, and the Manosphere

• Trump’s “Genius” in Capturing the Crypto/Manosphere Bloc (35:47–37:54)

  • Galloway dissects Trump’s strategy: “He flew right into the manosphere. ... Trump’s genius was he flew right into the manosphere. Rockets, Crypto, Joe Rogan podcasts, World Wrestling Federation. He just said, I'm going full testosterone.” (35:47)
  • He details Trump’s direct profits from his own coin and contrasts this large-scale “grift” to other politicians.
  • Notes the Biden Administration’s lack of clarity and assertiveness towards crypto.

• Labor Market & Economic Reality Check (38:42–41:34)

  • Despite bullish corporate investments, job creation has lagged and tech layoffs are significant, while wage earners feel uncertain about seeking new roles.
  • Underlines the risky concentration of value in a narrow slice of the market: “If any one of those companies sneezes, the global economy is going to catch pneumonia.” (41:34)

6. The Movement’s Momentum and Where Listeners Can Join

• Rapid Community Growth
  • Tens of thousands are participating, with Reddit, social media, and personal testimonials fueling viral momentum.
  • Listeners are encouraged to visit resistandunsub.com for one-click unsubscribes, sharing, and community engagement.
  • Quote: “It feels good to save money and it feels good to do something with other people.” (42:02)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Economic Leverage:
  “The most radical act of activism in a capitalist society is not participation.” (13:26)
• On Corporate America’s Dilemma:
  “What's the point of having all this money? You’re going to be dead soon. You want to be seen as someone who said something or...someone who got your share price up so you could be worth 3 billion instead of 2.8?” (10:40)
• On Protest Longevity:
  “The protest everyone points to in history is the Montgomery bus strike...but actually what moved the needle was Dr. King organized carpools for a year.” (23:58)
• On His Personal Action:
  “I've owned Apple since 2009. I'm selling all of my Apple stock... I want to send a signal with my pocketbook that what's going on here is wrong...” (29:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Call to “Resist and Unsubscribe” explained: 03:53–05:52
• Origins and inciting incident for the campaign: 06:17–07:53
• Practical impact and personal financial anecdotes: 08:11–10:27
• CEO reactions/private texts vs. public actions: 10:40–13:10
• How CEOs are co-opted by Trump: 15:21–18:37
• On hypocrisy and tech dependence: 23:26–26:48
• The “Death Star” analogy: 27:26–28:53
• Why not tell people to sell stocks: 29:22–31:10
• Trump and crypto strategy: 35:47–37:54
• Economic and labor market status: 38:42–41:34
• How to join the movement: 42:02–42:15

Conclusion

Scott Galloway’s “Resist and Unsubscribe” campaign transforms protest by targeting market vulnerabilities connected to Trump’s policy support. The episode is both an economic masterclass and a practical activist toolkit, urging listeners to recognize their own power as consumers and investors—and to use it. The tone is urgent, analytical, and laced with Galloway’s signature candor. All listeners are encouraged to reflect on their subscriptions, consider the ripple effects of their economic choices, and channel their frustrations into tangible collective action.

Learn More/Participate:
Resist & Unsubscribe