Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher believes the slow drip of the Epstein Files could become the scandal that finally ends President Donald Trump’s time in office. She shared her prediction on the latest episode of her Pivot podcast while discussing the political fallout with co-host Scott Galloway.
Galloway acknowledged that he had previously underestimated the potential danger of the Epstein–Trump connection. He pushed Swisher to explain how she sees the crisis unfolding, though he argued that Trump has installed loyalists in powerful positions who could shield him from consequences. Still, he noted Trump’s behavior suggests fear.
“For him to be this panicked, it just looks and smells and feels like there’s something really ugly here. And typically with a crime, it’s not the crime itself that you get in trouble for, it’s the cover-up,” he said. Swisher pointed to shifting political winds. “You are starting to see it in the polling numbers, including especially with Republicans, actually.
Martha Stewart wouldn’t have gone to prison if she said, ‘Yeah, I traded on insider information. I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m really sorry.’
It was her lying and trying to cover up. Americans actually, although I don’t think they’d forgive him for this, but in general, Americans like to forgive. What they hate is people who won’t come clean.
So I don’t—and his body language is so extraordinary. I wonder if this is the event, the kind of singularity or the apex predator, and that is people start fleeing from him. But I have a bad sense of this stuff.
The Republican numbers are down, and then all of a sudden, all his defenders are now trashing him, which is interesting to watch,” she said. Galloway challenged her, asking who she believes is turning against Trump. Swisher replied, “I don’t—Catturd, et cetera, those people.
They’re not mad about pedophiles, they’re mad about American workers, whatever. They’re mad people.
They are, they’re starting to really—the thing they’re most mad about is him insulting American workers over Chinese workers.” Galloway pressed her to define what she meant when she said this scandal could be “it.” Swisher insisted she believes the political consequences will grow.
She suggested Congress may struggle to block legislation related to the files. “I think more will be—I think he can—it may not get—I think if it’s going to pass the House, I have a feeling it might pass the Senate, because you don’t want to be on record as trying to quash this kind of stuff. He’ll get to his desk, and he’s going to have to veto it, right? He’s going to veto it. If he vetoes it, it might not get out, but it will then get out.”
More stuff. To me, what has to happen, these emails—and by the way, I spent all day reading them—these emails are problematic enough.
There’s a photo, and Epstein has referred to it. There’s a video, there is definitely a photo of him in some fashion, and that will get out. And then it’ll—because as you said, visual stuff is what people respond to. People are very upset about the East Wing, because visually, it’s repulsive to look at. So if there’s a photo, I think the pussy-grabbing thing was voice, which was problematic enough, but there’s a photo like what happened to [Prince] Andrew, I think it’s game over, and then we have President f*cking JD Vance.
Galloway raised concerns about selective disclosures. He described the risk of a “soft release,” handled by Trump allies in key roles. Swisher said leaks remain likely. “I’m a big believer, as people know, when I covered Silicon Valley and the leak, and I think there’s going to be people leaking this stuff over, and it’s going to be drip, drip, drip. And this is something I think—it would be super ironic that this guy gets taken down by emails.”
They also spoke about comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s email saga. Swisher said, “The thing that was on her server was that she was trying to help a young girl get out of Afghanistan, which is what got leaked for her. And for him, it’s all this terrible stuff.” Swisher went further, predicting the fallout could cut Trump’s presidency short.
That is, they release stuff and claim it’s a full release, and it just says the names of all these Democrats. But quite frankly, why would we think it’s not above them to engage in the corruption of bastardizing, lying, and altering it here when they have implanted or embedded up and down the supply chain, a group of corrupt people?
“I feel like we’re gonna have President JD Vance by the end of 2026. I get it, but he is the vice president,” she said. When Galloway asked if she believes Trump will fail to finish his term, Swisher answered, “Yes. He’ll be sick, he’ll be—yeah, I do. I think he’s not gonna make it to the end.”
Galloway warned that the alternative may be worse. “Be careful what you wish for. I think JD Vance is scarier,” he said. Swisher agreed, adding her own pointed remark about Vance as their discussion closed.