China now leads the world in auto manufacturing, including the production of electric vehicles. In just a decade, it has completely reshaped global supply chains and rewritten the rules of international competition.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., deep political divides over electric vehicles raise a big question: Can America respond strategically and stay competitive?

On Wednesday, February 25, at 8 am PT, the Pacific Council is hosting an intimate breakfast roundtable featuring eminent political consultant Mike Murphy, Founder of the American EV Jobs Alliance, and Brian Goldsmith, Candidate for U.S. Senator of California and Pacific Council Board Director. This event will examine China’s dominance in electric vehicle manufacturing, its implications for the future of the global auto industry, and how policy, politics, and innovation influence U.S. competitiveness.

Why it’s important:

• Adoption of autonomous, connected, and electric vehicles in the U.S. is limited by consumer preferences, limited choices, and shortfalls in charging infrastructure.
• In early January, Tesla was replaced as the world’s top electric vehicle maker by China’s BYD.
• Chinese auto exports in 2025 totaled nearly 6 million vehicles, causing reactionary tariffs and restrictions from countries including Canada and Mexico. 

Seating is limited, with priority given to Sustaining Members. If you are interested in attending, but you are not a Sustaining Member, please email events@pacificcouncil.org to sign up for the waitlist.

Guest Speaker

Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party’s most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and Senatorial campaigns, including 12 wins in “blue” states that have consistently voted Democratic in Presidential elections, running successful gubernatorial campaigns for Mitt Romney,  Jeb Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christie Whitman (NJ), Tommy Thompson (WI), John Engler (MI), Terry Branstad (IA) along with many other GOP Senators and Members of Congress.

In 2024, Murphy founded the EV Politics Project, an organization focused on breaking down the growing partisan divide over Electric Vehicles.

Murphy has worked on five GOP Presidential campaigns, and in 2000 was a key strategist for Sen John McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” campaign.

He also advises several Fortune 500 corporations, as well as several Hedge Funds and Trade Associations. In 2020, he served as a key strategist for Republican Voters Against Trump.

Murphy is also a widely quoted pundit; he wrote the popular “Murphy’s Law” column for TIME and is a longtime senior analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  He also co-hosts the popular podcast “Hacks on Tap” with his longtime friend David Axelrod.  He also serves as co-director of the Center for the Political Future at USC and was a longtime senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Murphy also works as a writer and producer in the entertainment industry with projects at HBO, CBS, and 20th Century Fox Studios.  In 2021, he wrote and created the CBS network pilot “Ways & Means” starring Patrick Dempsey. 

Murphy was born in Detroit, Michigan, and attended the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  He lives with his wife Tiffany and daughter Audrey in Los Angeles.  He is on Twitter/X at @murphymike.

Presider 

Brian Goldsmith is a 2026 candidate for the California State Senate and media consultant based in Los Angeles. In the 2020 election cycle, he advised political candidates as well as companies and independent groups. From 2016-2018, he helped lead political coverage at Yahoo News. He also co-hosted and executive-produced the Katie Couric podcast. Before that, Goldsmith was co-head of the US division of Seedrs, a leading equity crowdfunding company based in London. He also co-founded and served as president of Junction Investments, a San Francisco-based online investment firm later acquired by Seedrs.

Previously, Goldsmith served in a variety of roles at CBS News, including as political producer at the Evening News. While at CBS, he won a DuPont award for his team’s coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign and was nominated for an Emmy. Earlier in his career, he was an assistant producer for Jeff Greenfield at CNN, an aide to House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, and a project manager at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.

Goldsmith is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School.