Lina Khan Stays Remarkably on Message on ‘The Adam Friedland Present’

Former Federal Commerce Fee chair Lina Khan says she doesn’t have any need to run for elected workplace, however she certain is aware of the way to keep on message like a politician. Throughout her appearance on “The Adam Friedland Show,” hosted by comic and prime candidate for “Joe Rogan of the Left” Adam Friedland, she was repeatedly examined to maintain the thread of her anti-monopoly, anti-corruption ideology by foolish asides and a sequence of dick jokes. She emerged unshaken.

Early within the interview, Friedland observes that Khan, who’s again within the information because of her position on incoming Mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani’s transition staff, has a tough time mendacity. Shortly after, she gave a fairly excellent instance of her honesty. When Friedland requested if she was a preferred lady in highschool, Khan mentioned, “No, I used to be a newspaper editor.” Relatable.

All through the dialog, Khan stored an extremely even keel. Whereas she’d snigger at Friedland’s jokes, she’d nearly instantly leap again on subject. That’s to not say she pulled her punches, although. For example, she gave a fairly clear-eyed view of how we’re dwelling in an period the place, whereas historical past might not be straight repeating itself, it definitely appears to rhyme.

“There have been plenty of components that facilitated the rise of Nazism. The US, after World Warfare II, really commissioned numerous research to be like ‘What simply occurred and what components contributed to it?’, together with making an attempt to determine what was taking place within the financial system. They did really discover that rising consolidation throughout the German financial system had principally facilitated the rise of Nazism,” she mentioned. “You had extra monopolization in sure varieties of rubber and metal, and usually talking, there’s lengthy been a recognition that concentrated financial energy can go hand-in-hand with concentrated political energy. I believe that’s an perception that has been misplaced extra not too long ago, however we’re sort of being compelled to reckon with once more.”

Friedland adopted that alternate up by asking if, when Paramount completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Bari Weiss will turn into the modern-day Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister of Nazi Germany. Khan laughed however didn’t reply, as a result of she’s a professional.

Friedland did handle to get a handful of insights out of Khan that most likely wouldn’t have come out in another venue. For example, Khan revealed that she doesn’t have an Amazon Prime account and prefers to choose up her items in individual. He additionally received her to call a favourite Supreme Courtroom justice, choosing Louis Brandeis, finest recognized for establishing the idea of the “proper to privateness” and being an architect of what would turn into the Federal Commerce Fee.

Friedland additionally set Khan up for some prolonged solutions on the work that she was doing on the FTC and hopes to proceed doing outdoors of the company. Requested what her greatest “dub” was whereas serving as FTC chair, Khan answered, “We had been very targeted on healthcare markets as a result of individuals rely on healthcare, and one of many initiatives we did was actually strive to determine why are drug costs so excessive. One motive they’re so excessive is as a result of pharma firms use all types of patent tips. So we referred to as out these pharma tips and three of the 4 huge producers of bronchial asthma inhalers dropped the worth from a whole bunch of {dollars} to simply $35. So there are hundreds if not a whole bunch of hundreds of people that depend on inhalers who’re paying much less at present.”

Whereas Khan has a repute as being the cop on the block for Massive Tech, she actually hammered the healthcare business over the course of the interview. Requested what business “fucks individuals essentially the most,” Khan responded, “Healthcare.” When Friendland adopted up by asking, “They’ve essentially the most blood on their hand?” she mentioned, “Sure.” Later, she said plainly, “There are individuals who have died as a result of they’ll’t afford their medicines on this nation.”

She additionally drew a stark distinction between her strategy to addressing corruption and the Trump administration’s tackle it. “In case you had been breaking the regulation, however you had been in a C-Suite, the federal government would go gentle on you. … I assumed that was actually problematic,” she mentioned. “We had been very clear that we had been going to implement the regulation in an even-handed manner, irrespective of, sort of, what your political connections had been. We simply had to take a look at ‘Are you breaking the regulation or not?’ And I believe that strategy to implementing the regulation upset some individuals.”

In the meantime, she mentioned the Trump administration has seen “an actual backsliding” relating to enforcement. “They’ve additionally shifted gears. They allowed this huge merger to undergo between these two advert companies, and one of many circumstances of that was principally that that they had to purchase adverts from Elon Musk, kind of, on his platforms beneath the purview that they couldn’t discriminate on political grounds,” she mentioned. “It does seem to be they’re extra keen to make use of the regulation to advance their political grievances.”

Friedland introduced some concepts to Khan for future strategies to determine corruption and collusion, ought to she ever find yourself again within the company. For example, he pitched her on a plan to indicate as much as Burning Man and query executives whereas they’re rolling on Molly. “We didn’t have that good concept,” she mentioned.

Whereas Khan maintained an expert demeanor all through the interview, she additionally spoke fairly plainly about what she sees taking place in America at present. “I believe individuals are realizing that plenty of issues which might be dangerous of their lives are pushed by firms which might be breaking the regulation.” Requested if these firms are shopping for affect in politics, she responded, “Maybe,” with a smile. She additionally mentioned, “Taking up company energy when they’re breaking the regulation could be very standard,” which certain looks as if she’s making an statement on what would possibly enchantment to the general public relating to these points.

Regardless of that, Khan confirmed no actual curiosity when requested if she had any ambitions for political workplace. She dismissed the concept of operating for the Senate and mentioned the Presidency was out as a result of she wasn’t born within the US, main Friedland to pitch her on turning into Queen of England and overseer of a flock of corgis. Nonetheless, she has concepts for a way the federal government ought to function, stating, “We do want a New Deal-style stage of ambition” to deal with our present age of corruption.