Big Tech lost big in the 2026 election

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On The Vergecast: blue waves, the confusing business of AI search, and the many thoughts of RAM Altman.

On The Vergecast: blue waves, the confusing business of AI search, and the many thoughts of RAM Altman.

by David Pierce

Nov 6, 2026, 4:38 PM UTC

David Pierce

is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.

On Tuesday, millions of American voters went to the polls and voted overwhelmingly for Democrats and against AI. The fight against Big Tech is about to come roaring back, and the fight over data centers is looking even harder for the folks trying to build them.

On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay and David discuss what the 2026 midterms mean for the tech industry going forward. They dig into the self-quarantining echo chamber that is X, the congressional energy likely to be pointed at tech CEOs and AI regulation, and whether anything is actually likely to get done in the next two years.

After that, the hosts turn to AI. Specifically, whether anyone has figured out how to make money on AI. Specifically, whether OpenAI’s explosive growth in web search means much, when even Google can’t figure out how to make money on AI web search. Businesses are scaling back; agents don’t appear to be taking over. There’s a lot of money flowing around the AI world, but is there enough flowing into it to keep everything going? That’s the hard part.

Finally, it’s time for a somewhat abridged Brendan Carr Is a Dummy, the latest on SpaceX’s mobile ambitions, the touchscreen MacBook, RAM Altman, and much more.

In case you missed it this week: We also talked about the challenges of cloud gaming, the data center election, Rian Johnson’s new iPhone app, and the future of reading. And we want to hear all your thoughts about all of it! Call the Vergecast Hotline at 866-VERGE11, send us an email at vergecast@theverge.com, and tell us everything that’s on your mind. And make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!

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• David Pierce