President Trump announced this week that the U.S. government, in a highly unusual deal, had agreed to take a 10 percent stake in the chip maker Intel, and that he was considering similar investments in other companies. We discuss why Trump cares so much about Intel, what the government is trying to accomplish with this deal, and how people in Silicon Valley and elsewhere are reacting. Then Waymo’s co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana joins us in the studio to discuss the company’s strategy for expanding its driverless car service to Miami, D.C. and the snowy Northeast. And finally, we introduce a new segment where we run through the most surprising technology projects the Trump family is getting involved in.Guests:<ul><li><a href="https://waymo.com/company/tekedra-mawakana/">Tekedra Mawakana</a>, co-chief executive of Waymo.</li></ul>Additional Reading: <ul><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/technology/trump-intel-stake.html">Intel Agrees to Sell U.S. a 10% Stake in Its Business</a></li><li><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/08/first-lady-melania-trump-launches-nationwide-presidential-ai-challenge/">First Lady Melania Trump Launches Nationwide Presidential AI Challenge</a></li></ul> We want to hear from you. Email us at <a href="mailto:hardfork@nytimes.com">hardfork@nytimes.com</a>. Find “Hard Fork” on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hardfork">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hardfork">TikTok</a>.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

Intel’s New Deal + Waymo C.E.O. Tekedra Mawakana on Scaling Driverless Cars + Trumps in Tech

Hard Fork

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews