Chuck Darwin<p>Elon Musk and Donald Trump have reportedly been speaking together frequently in recent months, <br>and their bitterly reactionary politics obviously align. </p><p>Within days, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk was committing a remarkable <br>$45 million per month to "America PAC", <br>a new pro-Trump super PAC that would <br>also be supported by Palantir cofounder Joe <a href="https://c.im/tags/Lonsdale" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Lonsdale</span></a>, Mark <a href="https://c.im/tags/Zuckerberg" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Zuckerberg</span></a> castoffs Tyler and Cameron <a href="https://c.im/tags/Winklevoss" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Winklevoss</span></a>, <br>and several members of what’s sometimes called the Paypal mafia, <br>a right-wing network of tech industry leaders with Peter <a href="https://c.im/tags/Thiel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Thiel</span></a> as its presiding majordomo.</p><p>If, two years ago The New York Times could make the dubious claim that tech giants like Musk were hard to pin down politically, there is no room now for even that level of credulousness. </p><p>It’s official: <br>Silicon Valley has been fully MAGA-pilled, and the tech authoritarians are bringing their money with them.</p><p>Trump unveiled as his VP pick Ohio Senator J.D. <a href="https://c.im/tags/Vance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Vance</span></a>, a former Thiel employee and venture capitalist who owes his election to the Senate to a $15 million campaign cash infusion from Thiel. </p><p>For the tech industry, whose rightward swerve has been hard to ignore this campaign cycle, the Vance selection was sensational. </p><p>“We have a former tech VC in the White House,” crowed Delian <a href="https://c.im/tags/Asparouhov" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Asparouhov</span></a>, a partner at Thiel’s Founders Fund who once drew notice for sharing a comic by the neo-Nazi cartoonist known as StoneToss. “Greatest country on Earth baby.” </p><p>Musk, who had reportedly been agitating privately for Trump to choose Vance, celebrated the pick on X. </p><p>“Resounds with victory,” he wrote. <br>Vivek <a href="https://c.im/tags/Ramaswamy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Ramaswamy</span></a> posted wistful, supportive remarks about being drinking buddies with Vance at Yale Law School. </p><p>Using the term of endearment favored by his fellow mega-rich “All-In” podcast hosts, <br>Chamath <a href="https://c.im/tags/Palihapitiya" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Palihapitiya</span></a> celebrated the news: “A Bestie adjacent as the VP?!?!?!”</p><p>Thiel, who is infamous for his stated aversion to democracy, has claimed that he is sitting out this election, <br>but his baton has been passed to a gaggle of ornery venture capitalists and tech CEOs whom you may recognize from their grievance-laden X posts: <a href="https://c.im/tags/Lonsdale" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Lonsdale</span></a>, David <a href="https://c.im/tags/Sacks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Sacks</span></a>, Shaun <a href="https://c.im/tags/Maguire" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Maguire</span></a>, Marc <a href="https://c.im/tags/Andreessen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Andreessen</span></a>, et al. </p><p>They are all very rich and control a lot of capital beyond their own. </p><p>They are also wielding increasing influence over the Trump campaign: Sacks spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee<br><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/silicon-valley-trump-support-donations/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">thenation.com/article/politics</span><span class="invisible">/silicon-valley-trump-support-donations/</span></a></p>