Group Chats: The Dark Matter of American Politics
May 23, 2025•27 min
Listen to this episode in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Summary
This episode dives into the world of powerful, private group chats used by tech moguls and political elites. Journalist Ben Smith discusses how networks like those assembled by Marc Andreessen operate on platforms like Signal and WhatsApp, serving as a "dark matter" shaping American politics. The conversation explores their origins, internal dynamics, and how ideas discussed privately can influence public discourse and events, including the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.Episode description
The thing about social media when it was created was that it was public. Ideas shared were debated for all to see. Today much of that is happening behind closed doors—in group chats.
Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of the media outlet Semafor and co-host of the podcast Mixed Signals, speaks with Endless Thread about the elite group chats on Signal and WhatsApp that are shaping American politics.
*****
Credits: This episode was produced by Dean Russell. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. The co-hosts are Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson.
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android