Last summer Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal and an initial Facebook investor, took the stage of the Republican National Convention to champion Donald Trump. Thiel was the first openly gay Republican to speak at the convention, and proudly supported the GOP nominee. Here’s a snippet of his convention speech:
I build companies and I’m supporting people who are building new things, from social networks to rocket ships. I’m not a politician. But neither is Donald Trump. He is a builder, and it’s time to rebuild America.
Thiel even worked with Trump to convene a “technology summit” between then- President-elect Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and other Silicon Valley giants like Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and Safra Catz, co-president and CFO of Oracle. Like everything Donald Trump, that event was a made-for-camera show that has produced nothing for the American people.
And according to Buzzfeed, Peter Thiel is privately (for now) slamming Trump:
Donald Trump’s most prominent Silicon Valley supporter has distanced himself from the president in multiple private conversations, describing at different points this year an “incompetent” administration, and one that may well end in “disaster.”
Peter Thiel’s unguarded remarks have surprised associates, some of whom are still reeling from his full-throated endorsement of Trump at the Republican National Convention. And while the investor stands by the president in public — “I support President Trump in his ongoing fight," he said in a statement to BuzzFeed News — his private doubts underscore the fragility of the president's backing from even his most public allies. Thiel’s comments may sting in particular in the White House as they come amid a series of hasty and embarrassed departures from the Trump train, as conservative voices from the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page to the floor of the US Senate have begun to distance themselves from the administration.
Thiel’s views remain private — but various disparaging comments were recounted to BuzzFeed News by three separate sources, and others who subsequently confirmed those accounts. These people requested anonymity for fear of damaging personal relationships and possible retribution.
Thiel might be publicly saying one thing, but according to Buzzfeed, he did not deny making the “incompetent” and “disaster” statements to friends and/or colleagues. Maybe he’ll find the courage to publicly say the same in the near future, but don’t hold your breath. Like most hardcore Trump supporters, they seem intent on going down with the ship. That wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t taking us all with them.