Listen Now

This week, we debate whether Elon Musk’s recent stumping and fund-raising for former President Trump could help him get re-elected. Then, former Microsoft’s chief executive, Steve Ballmer, stops by to discuss his effort to depolarize our politics using government data. And finally, This Week in A.I. returns: We run down some of the biggest recent stories that caught our attention.

Guest:

• Steve Ballmer, former chief executive of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts

Additional Reading:

• Inside Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Growing Alliance
• The American Right Is Terminally Online
• The New Home of the L.A. Clippers Is a Hot Ticket for Art
• A California Bill to Regulate A.I. Causes Alarm in Silicon Valley

We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.