Decoded by POLITICO

What’s Washington without Elon Musk? That’s a question many Republicans are hoping to answer in the weeks ahead after President Donald Trump told allies that Musk’s time in the White House is soon coming to an end. But getting the world’s richest man and designated  small-government crusader to move on will be complicated, even if Musk does have a slumping business empire to run. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly is joined by POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade and POLITICO contributor Issie Lapowsky to break down the political and business pressure Musk is under, and why he’ll stick around as a political power player long after leaving D.C.

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“Liberation Day” arrived at the White House and President Donald Trump, as promised, slapped sweeping tariffs on the world. But what comes next may be less predictable — especially for tech. From the TikTok sale to digital services taxes, tech issues are now a bargaining chip as countries negotiate with the Trump administration to ease tariffs. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly chats with Michael Froman, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. trade representative, about what Liberation Day could mean for Silicon Valley.

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Greenland’s “Great Race” isn’t just a dog sled competition. It’s increasingly a hunt for critical minerals and AI data centers — two national security priorities for President Donald Trump and a business opportunity being pursued by some in his orbit. On POLITICO Tech, E&E News reporter Hannah Northey joins host Steven Overly in the wake of Vice President JD Vance’s controversial visit to explain why Greenland could help address major tech challenges facing the U.S. 

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Were the messages “war plans” or “attack plans”? Was the information classified, sensitive or something in between? If you put aside the spin around Signalgate, security experts warn secret military operations shouldn’t be shared on commercial messaging apps like Signal in the first place. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly discusses the tech implications of this week’s White House fiasco with Graham Brookie, the Atlantic Council’s vice president of technology programs and a former National Security Council adviser.

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President Donald Trump has many  U.S. allies on edge, but you wouldn’t know it from talking to Peter Kyle, the UK’s secretary of state for science, innovation and technology. He’s a relentless believer that the UK and U.S. will join forces on artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies. But his rosy vision faces real obstacles, like the Trump administration’s criticism of the UK’s digital taxes, and its free speech record. Plus, Elon Musk's very vocal disdain for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly called up Secretary Kyle at the end of his recent West Coast visit to discuss.

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Silicon Valley’s bet that a Trump administration would be friendly to tech has a big payoff: Vice President JD Vance. At the American Dynamism Summit this week, Vance spoke at length about bolstering U.S. innovation and manufacturing, and bridging the divide between so-called “populists” and “techno-optimists.” The summit was hosted by venture capital firm Andreesen Horowitz, which became the tech-for-Trump poster child during the election. On POLITICO Tech, host Steven Overly sits down with Katherine Boyle, the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism practice.

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This Elon Musk-made moment of government upheaval has some business executives seeing dollar signs, and that includes Matt Calkins, the CEO of software company Appian. Calkins contends there are billions of dollars to be saved in how the government buys stuff, but reforming that process requires “the most powerful digital worker ever invented” — artificial intelligence. On POLITICO Tech, Calkins tells host Steven Overly how he thinks AI can tackle the government’s waste problem, and why Musk and Washington must find a way to get along.

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François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, says America’s northern neighbor is “not like some small country that you can push around.” That’s why Champagne is in Washington today with other Canadian officials seeking an economic reset after a week of tariff-fueled tensions with the U.S. On POLITICO Tech, Champagne joins host Steven Overly to discuss President Donald Trump’s trade war and the potential impact of Canada’s new prime minister.

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Nick Viall became famous after appearing on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — but used podcasting to turn reality TV stardom into lasting relevance. So last week, YouTube brought The Viall Files host to Washington to teach political staffers how to tap online creators to spread their message. Coming off of last year’s “podcast election,” Viall says the medium has gained new levels of media credibility and that candidates need to win over listeners like his in order to win votes. On POLITICO Tech, Viall joins host Steven Overly to discuss podcasting’s breakout moment and why not every politician is cut out for it. 

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This week, President Donald Trump put tariffs in place — again. He then walked most of them back — again. The administration’s erratic trade policy is also causing a great deal of anxiety in California, where the state budget depends on ample tax revenue from the tech industry. On POLITICO Tech, California tech reporter Chase DiFeliciantonio joins host Steven Overly to explain why lawmakers and economists from Sacramento to Silicon Valley are so nervous.

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