Program and guests
A CNBC Squawk Pod conversation featuring IBM vice chairman and former National Economic Council director Gary Cohn and former New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu. Original English title: Squawk Pod: Gary Cohn & Chris Sununu: The Fed, AI, & the midterms - 10/29/26 | Audio Only. The subtitles cover the full program (approximately 41:09); this article covers the Cohn segment (starting at approximately 13:53) and the Sununu segment (starting at approximately 31:42). Other segments are not covered.
Key points
(The following paraphrases reflect the guests’ intended meaning; the timestamp links point to the corresponding locations in the original video.)
- On the Fed’s timing: Time is on the Fed’s side because, with each passing day, new data helps it make its decision. 15:09
- On AI trade risks: Amid the AI building boom, debt issues need to be considered separately from the disruption of existing businesses; companies cannot all be grouped under a single AI label. 14:17
- On airline costs: As head of an airline industry association, Sununu discusses how rising jet fuel prices are squeezing airlines; fuel and labor together account for more than half of airline costs. 31:42
Background and notes
The subtitles cover the full program (approximately 41:09); this article covers the Cohn segment (starting at approximately 13:53) and the Sununu segment (starting at approximately 31:42). Other segments are not covered, including discussions of interest rate decisions and the European Central Bank. The views and timestamps are paraphrased from the original subtitles; each timestamp marks the start of the corresponding passage. Guest names follow the program description: Gary Cohn and Chris Sununu.