Big Tech’s Big Bet on Trump

Summary

Summary of "Big Tech’s Big Bet on Trump" – The Daily, The New York Times

Episode Information:

• Title: Big Tech’s Big Bet on Trump
• Host/Author: The New York Times
• Release Date: January 13, 2025

Introduction In the January 13, 2025 episode of The Daily, hosted by Michael Barbaro and featuring insights from reporter Aaron, the discussion centers on the unexpected and significant shift within Silicon Valley's powerhouse figures as they increasingly back Donald Trump, both as a candidate and now as President-elect. The episode delves deep into Marc Andreessen's transformation from a prominent Democratic donor to a Trump advisor, highlighting what this reveals about the evolving political landscape of Big Tech.

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1. The Emergence of Conservative Voice in Silicon Valley

• Timestamp [01:23]: Marc Andreessen joins the conversation, acknowledging the historical liberal leanings of Silicon Valley. He notes, “By reputation Silicon Valley is seen as a liberal bastion, a place where progressive thinking is nursed and promoted.”

• Changing Dynamics: Andreessen explains that the recent presidential campaign saw prominent tech leaders like David Sachs and Elon Musk publicly supporting Donald Trump, a departure from the industry's traditional support for Democratic candidates. This shift has normalized Republican affiliations within Silicon Valley, breaking longstanding taboos.

• Policy and Personnel Shifts: Post-election, Big Tech companies like Meta (Facebook's parent company) have begun altering their policies and board compositions to align more closely with Trump’s administration. For instance, Meta appointed Dana White, CEO of the UFC and a Trump ally, to its board, signaling a strategic realignment ([02:57]).

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2. Marc Andreessen’s Political Transformation

• From Democrat to Trump Ally ([05:05] – [06:39]): Marc Andreessen, a titan in Silicon Valley and founder of Andreessen Horowitz managing $44 billion, has been a vocal supporter of Democratic figures such as Bill Clinton, Gore, Kerry, Obama, and Hillary Clinton. However, his stance shifted dramatically in 2024 when he endorsed Trump, both financially and as a key advisor in the transition team.

• The Deal Concept ([06:29] – [07:39]): Andreessen introduces the concept of "the deal," where successful entrepreneurs are celebrated and then give back, maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship with society. He articulates that maintaining this deal became strained when philanthropic efforts by figures like Mark Zuckerberg were met with criticism rather than praise, leading him to question the foundational principles of Big Tech’s influence and societal role.

• Philosophical Disillusionment ([08:32] – [11:19]): Andreessen recounts his disillusionment with how tech leaders were vilified despite their philanthropic gestures. He felt that the foundational deal, which previously worked for fostering innovation and societal benefits, was collapsing as tech figures were increasingly seen as "evil" and philanthropy was redefined negatively.

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3. Frustration with Democratic Policies and Regulatory Scrutiny

• Post-2016 Awakening ([11:47] – [14:37]): The 2016 election marked a turning point for Andreessen, who began questioning the prevailing narratives and the direction of the country. He cites the "Russiagate" allegations, where intelligence agencies claimed Russia interfered via social media, as misguided attempts to scapegoat tech companies. Andreessen felt that regulatory scrutiny was escalating without a fair assessment of Big Tech’s contributions.

• Biden Administration’s Antagonistic Stance ([14:13] – [16:46]): With Joe Biden’s election, Andreessen observed a further deterioration in Big Tech's relationship with the Democratic Party. Key appointments like Lean Khan to the FTC and Gary Gensler to the SEC signaled aggressive antitrust actions against tech giants and the crypto industry, directly impacting Andreessen Horowitz’s investments. Andreessen characterized the administration's approach to AI regulation as “a hostile fight,” believing that Democrats aimed to stifle technological innovation ([16:17]).

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4. Courting the Republican Party and Trump’s Appeal

• Endorsing Trump's Vision ([18:21] – [21:25]): Following his growing disillusionment with Democratic policies, Andreessen and his partner Ben Horowitz met with Donald Trump at the Bedminster Golf Club. Trump’s commitment to fostering tech innovation, reducing government interference, and promoting American economic growth resonated with their vision. Andreessen highlighted Trump’s message: “He wants America to win, and he wants tech to win... We should beat China. We should export... Our economy should be growing a lot faster” ([21:08]).

• Public Endorsement and Influencing Silicon Valley ([22:13] – [23:19]): Andreessen and Horowitz publicly endorsed Trump, citing the administration's willingness to reduce content moderation and regulatory constraints. They commended Trump’s straightforwardness and alignment with their "Little Tech Agenda," which aims to support startups and reduce bureaucratic obstacles. This endorsement set a precedent, encouraging other tech leaders to openly support Trump, thus altering Silicon Valley’s political landscape ([23:19]).

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5. Impact and Implications for Silicon Valley and Beyond

• Shifting Power Dynamics ([25:03] – [28:49]): The episode discusses how Silicon Valley's support for Trump signifies a broader disillusionment with the Democratic Party's handling of tech regulation. Andreessen perceives the move towards Trump as a strategic effort to reclaim the "deal" where tech companies can innovate without excessive governmental oversight. However, critics argue that this stance overlooks the immense growth and societal impact of Big Tech, which increasingly necessitates responsible regulation to address issues like privacy, antitrust, and the ethical implications of technologies like AI and cryptocurrency.

• Future Influence on the Trump Administration ([28:49] – [30:32]): With Big Tech leaders actively seeking roles within the Trump administration, there is anticipation about the extent of their influence on policy-making. Andreessen mentions appointments of his partners to the administration and ongoing efforts by tech workers to integrate into governmental advisory boards aiming to reduce spending and deregulate the tech industry. This movement mirrors previous collaborations seen during the Obama administration but shifts in ideological alignment ([26:14]).

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6. Critical Analysis and Conclusion

• Evaluating the "Deal" in a Contemporary Context ([27:22] – [30:15]): The summary presents a nuanced view of Andreessen's belief in restoring a favorable environment for Big Tech under Trump's presidency. However, it challenges the viability of this "deal" given the current scale and influence of tech companies. The transformation demands a reevaluation of how technological power is balanced with societal responsibility and regulatory oversight. The episode underscores the tension between innovation and regulation, questioning whether returning to pre-regulation dynamics is feasible or desirable in today’s complex technological ecosystem.

• Final Thoughts ([30:12] – [30:39]): As the episode concludes, it highlights the anticipation surrounding Trump's presidency and the potential reshaping of Big Tech's role in politics and society. The shift within Silicon Valley represents not just a political realignment but also a critical juncture in defining the future relationship between technology, governance, and public interest.

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Notable Quotes:

• Marc Andreessen on Silicon Valley's Shift:
  “Once Trump won the election, we've seen the industry go even further than merely expressing support for him. They're making changes to their policies and their personnel.” ([02:57])

• Andreessen on the Breakdown of "The Deal":
  “Basically every single thing I just said is, you know, for the last decade, has been now held to be presumptively evil... Philanthropy was being redefined as evil.” ([10:22])

• Andreessen on Biden's Approach to AI Regulation:
  “They said, look, AI is a technology basically that the government is going to completely control... AI is going to be controlled by the government.” ([16:35])

• Andreessen on Elon Musk’s Endorsement Influence:
  “Elon's endorsement was obviously really influential, but within the tech industry, specifically venture capital and startups, Marc Andreessen, his opinion really carries a lot of weight.” ([23:03])

• Andreessen's Perception of Trump's Alignment with Tech:
  “He wants America to win, and he wants tech to win... Our economy should be growing a lot faster. We should be creating a lot more jobs.” ([21:11])

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Conclusion The episode "Big Tech’s Big Bet on Trump" provides an in-depth exploration of the ideological shift within Silicon Valley, spearheaded by influential figures like Marc Andreessen. It underscores a significant realignment where Big Tech's quest for unbridled innovation and minimal regulation finds a new ally in Donald Trump. This pivot not only reshapes the political affiliations within the tech industry but also poses critical questions about the future interplay between technology, governance, and societal welfare.

Transcript

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[Michael Barbaro]

Times, I'm Michael Balbaro. This is the Daily Big tech's biggest names are throwing their weight behind Donald Trump in the biggest possible way. First as candidate and now as President elect. Today, what one tech billionaire's journey from top tier Democratic donor to Trump advisor reveals about the growing moggification of Silicon Valley. It's Monday, January13.

[Aaron]

Aaron, welcome back.

[Marc Andreessen]

Thanks for having me.

[Aaron]

You have been covering startups and Silicon Valley for a long time, and you know as well as anyone that by reputation Silicon Valley is seen as a liberal bastion, a place where progressive thinking is nursed and promoted. But over the past year, especially during the presidential campaign, it really did feel like Silicon Valley's conservative self began to emerge.

[Marc Andreessen]

Absolutely. And it's true that Silicon Valley has historically been very liberal and there were plenty of very well known investors and founders who backed President Biden's campaign and then Vice President Harris. But the thing that was different this time around was that some of the most prominent and influential people in the tech industry came out in support of Donald Trump. And this includes big name venture capitalists like David Sachs, this includes Elon Musk, and this includes a lot of other people that are very famous in the tech industry, but maybe not household names across the country. And that has a little bit of a trickle down effect. Where in the past it may have been taboo or absolutely impossible to say that you supported Trump or even that you are a Republican now, it's kind of a lot more common. You encounter it a lot more frequently. And that's a huge change. And so once Trump won the election, we've seen the industry go even further than merely expressing support for him. They're making changes to their policies and their personnel. Over the past week, Meta, which is Facebook's parent company, said it is pulling back on fact checking and policing disinformation on its platform. The company's also changing its board of directors. They added Dana White, who is the CEO of the USC and a big ally of Trump's to its board. So these are.

[Aaron]

There's a whole episode about him.

[Marc Andreessen]

Yeah, yeah. So these are all moves that align with the incoming president and his base of support. And Mark Zuckerberg even came out and said directly that he was doing this in response to what he saw as a cultural tipping point that the election represented.

[Aaron]

Right. Roughly translated, he's saying we are doing this because of Trump's victory, more or less. And the question that that raises right away is, is this opportunism? Is this Big Tech and Silicon Valley doing what a lot of profitable industries do when there's a new president, which is seek friendly relationships with the new boss? Or is this something deeper? Is this the case of Big tech's true political identity emerging from behind what may have been a cloak of liberalism?

[Marc Andreessen]

It's kind of both. In a way, it's partly a result of Big Tech becoming such a big and powerful industry. They're maturing, they're growing up. They are just like any other industry that needs to get in good with regulators and push back against regulation that they think will hinder their growth. But at the same time, I think it's also kind of a cultural sea change for the tech industry, and it's being pushed forward by some of these really loud and influential voices that have just been kind of fed up with the direction that our broader culture, but also specifically tech culture, has been moving for the last 15 years. And the tech leader who maybe embodies this transformation the most is a venture capital investor named Marc Andreessen.

[Aaron]

Well, tell us about Marc Andreessen and his shift.

[Marc Andreessen]

Yeah, so he's really a titan of Silicon Valley. He is the founder of a venture capital firm called Andreessen Horowitz that manages $44 billion. He has invested in some of the most prominent and successful startups to come out of Silicon Valley. You know, Pinterest, Slack, Airbnb, Coinbase. He's on the board of Facebook. But more than that, he's kind of just like a VC thought leader who states his opinions very passionately and the industry really follows and is influenced by what he says. He's also called himself a quote, unquote, normie Democrat for most of his life. He supported all the way, going back to Bill Clinton. He supported Gore, Kerry, Obama, Hillary Clinton. And so it was, you know, a little bit of a surprise when in 2024, he came out in support of Trump, pretty loudly donated money to the campaign. And now that Trump's about to take office, he's been kind of a key advisor in the transition. He's been spending a lot of time at Mar A Lago. He's been recommending people from the tech industry to work for the new administration.

[Aaron]

So how does Andreessen go from reliable normie Democrat to supporter and now advisor to Donald Trump?

[Marc Andreessen]

For Andreessen, it starts with this concept that he calls the deal. Marc Andreessen, welcome to.

Honestly, it's great to be here.

[Ben Horowitz]

I'm really happy to have you.

[Marc Andreessen]

And he's talked about this on a number of podcasts, including Barry Weiss's and Joe Rogan's.

[Aaron]

And what's the deal?

[Marc Andreessen]

The deal was somebody like me basically could start a company, you could invent a new technology, in this case web browsers and all the other things that Netscape did. Everybody would think that that was great.

The deal is that you could be a successful business person and you get celebrated for your innovations or your business success. You get celebrated for making lots of money, and then at the end, you give it all away, and you are further celebrated for that.

That washes away all of your. All of your sins.

You know, the idea sort of is you will thank us.

You get invited to all the great parties. You get invited to Davos, you get invited to Aspen. You get to come in and, you know, sit with the New York Times.

Editorial board, and you will mostly leave us alone and let us innovate.

And that's the arc. And it's all great and wonderful.

This is kind of the philosophy that his whole career has operated by. He found success at a really young age. He was the co founder of this iconic early Internet company called Netscape. He made a lot of money and went on to be a very successful venture capital investor. After that, he was thinking like, this is great. I'm doing great things for the world, and the world is going to thank me for it. His political views kind of reflected that as well. He was a big fan of Obama. He even wrote an op ed about his choice to support him. And part of it was that he personally liked Obama. He called him smart, normal, curious, not radical, post boomer. He was a fan. But, you know, in his view, the deal kind of started to break down toward the end of the Obama years.

[Ben Horowitz]

There's no doubt the sharing economy is disrupting traditional businesses.

[Marc Andreessen]

A little context that's kind of helpful for understanding this. You know, in the middle of the 2010s, tech as an industry was going from this kind of quirky niche thing that was happening to an extremely powerful and bigger than ever part of our lives and our economy.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Well, it's just hard to compete with the ease of online shopping. I don't even have to leave my cubicle to find great deals all over the Internet. It is a much different experience than actually going to a store.

[Marc Andreessen]

Amazon is disrupting retail. Let's look at Airbnb for one. Startups are disrupting taxis and hotels.

[Ben Horowitz]

Taxi drivers angry and frustrated that Uber and Lyft drivers are taking their business while escaping the expensive regulations taxis face.

[Marc Andreessen]

There are these major changes happening, and the tech industry is kind of ascendant. But when that happens, you know, it brings a lot of criticism, too.

[Michael Barbaro]

More and more, these large companies and their power is a threat to democracy.

[Marc Andreessen]

And the tech industry was not used to being criticized about privacy, about labor practices. They really didn't like it. And so one moment that really encapsulates that for him is something that happened in 2015 with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, when they announced that they were going to donate most of their net worth to charity.

And so they did this thing where they announced and committed that 99% of their ownership in Facebook was going to go to philanthropic causes. And in fact, this is, you know.

Following the classic deal trajectory, right?

And they just got hammered with criticism and attacks on that.

But instead of getting the praise and adoration that they expected, they actually got a lot of criticism for the structure that they chose to give the money away in. The way that they were doing it, people were kind of picking it apart.

And the line of argument was literally, oh, they're just slimy rich people, and they're only doing it for the tax break, which is like a basic mathematical problem, which is you don't give away 99% of your money for a tax break.

To Andreessen, and his telling, this really kind of encapsulated for him the beginning of his shift in perspective on basically everything.

Basically, what I experienced was they, the people in charge of all this basically broke the deal. So basically every single thing I just said is, you know, for the last decade, has been now held to be presumptively evil. Tech people are held to be this evil class. Anybody who's rich is evil. Philanthropy was being redefined as evil. It's like, okay, every single part of that deal no longer works. And so it just, you know, for me, it then raised the question of, like, okay, if none of that is true, then what world am I living in? What role do I play?

[Aaron]

So in his mind, the deal had been honored for much of the history of Silicon Valley and much of his own very successful career, until suddenly, people start to, as you said, pick apart, question, challenge everything about the people who are at the center of the deal, These entrepreneurs, these founders, people like Mark Zuckerberg. And suddenly they can only do wrong.

[Marc Andreessen]

Exactly. He has kind of described this as a little bit of a journey of him asking himself, like, what's happening here? And that was really compounded by the election of Donald Trump in 2016. He talked about how it really took him by surprise and he realized he didn't understand what was happening in the country and he needed to go on his own kind of political awakening and figure out what was driving this.

[Aaron]

And what does that awakening look like and what does he find?

[Marc Andreessen]

Well, you know, after the 2016 election, the tech companies came under a lot of scrutiny from both sides. And so kind of while he's doing this inquiry, he's trying to kind of learn about what's actually going on in America. We have these allegations made by US Intelligence that Russia had basically hijacked platforms like Facebook and used them to meddle in the U.S. election. So Andreessen, you know, has a front row seat to this. He's on Facebook's board.

I went to Hillary's first post election loss speech, which he gave at Stanford, and the Russiagate stuff is in full, full blown display. And Hillary gets up there and she says, Trump is only president today because Vladimir Putin hacked Facebook and made him the president. Right. And I'm sitting in the audience and I'm like, on the Facebook board and I'm like, that's not true. I know for an absolute fact that that's not true.

And he felt like it didn't add up and that people were just scapegoating the tech companies.

Right. And so that got me thinking. And then the Russiagate stuff unspooled and I was like, it was just this litany of basically excuses and complaints, Right. With no sense of responsibility, personal responsibility, responsibility at all.

Ultimately, US Intelligence agencies concluded that Russia did interfere by using social media platforms. And Facebook set up an oversight board to start monitoring this stuff.

They're trying to run a business. They're trying to get to the next quarter. They're trying to keep the employee base and everybody copacetic. They're trying not to get just completely destroyed by the politicians.

Andreessen is still a little bit concerned about the direction that things are going. He views it as a slippery slope that tracking things like hate speech, moderating things, is a road to censorship. And so he kind of concludes that the oversight's going a little bit too far. And then Joe Biden gets elected, which in his mind accelerates all the problems that he saw already unfolding in the tech industry.

[Aaron]

How so?

[Marc Andreessen]

Well, especially during the pandemic, the Biden administration put a lot of pressure on Facebook to suppress things like the lab leak theory of how Covid started. At one point, Biden accused the social media platforms of killing people by allowing disinformation on the vaccines to flourish.

[Aaron]

Right. And I remember Facebook in particular, took that very personally, and they were upset about it.

[Ben Horowitz]

Yeah.

[Marc Andreessen]

And just to add a little bit of context, Democrats have historically had a very tight relationship with the tech industry, and Joe Biden did not. And, you know, among the first things that Biden does is he appoints two people that the tech industry really does not like to key regulatory roles. That's Lean Khan as the head of ftc, Gary Gensler at the sec. And, you know, they're going after big tech for antitrust. That hurts mergers and acquisitions and the ability of some of Andreessen's portfolio companies to get bought. Gary Gensler is going after the crypto industry, and that hurts a lot of the companies that Andreessen Horowitz has invested in. They're one of the biggest crypto investors. And so the Biden administration really takes this kind of antagonistic view toward tech, and a lot of people in the tech industry bristled at that.

[Aaron]

So at first, he's watching with some alarm as tech companies, primarily from the left, are being pushed toward a form of what he regards as censorship. And then he's watching as a new administration comes in that, based on its appointments, seems outright hostile to big tech's business interests.

[Marc Andreessen]

Absolutely. And this all sort of culminates in this meeting that happened last May. Andreessen and a lot of other tech people met with Biden's people to talk about AI, and he basically comes away with the view that the Democrats are not just trying to control speech, but they're trying to control Silicon Valley. They're trying to control technology.

We had meetings in D.C. in May where we talked to them about this, and the meetings were absolutely horrifying.

And we came according to Andreessen. Biden's people basically came in and took a very antagonistic view of AI and how to regulate it.

They said, look, AI is a technology basically that the government is going to completely control. This is not going to be a startup thing. They basically said, AI is going to be a game of two or three big companies working closely with the government.

They essentially said, AI is going to be controlled by the government. Don't fund AI startups. This is his characterization Other people who were there, including Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, disputes that characterization, says maybe it's a little exaggerated.

And then I said, I don't understand how you're going to lock this down so much because, like, the math for, you know, AI is like, out there and it's being taught everywhere.

And, you know, the overall takeaway from Andreessen was that this is going to be a hostile fight between government regulators who want to clamp down on the technology that he and the companies that he invests in want to build.

And you have this, like, incredibly radicalized, you know, set of policies with this young staff that just is like, out for blood on all these different fronts.

And so this is when he basically concludes that Biden is anti tech. He views the administration, and by extension Democrats as radical on tech innovation and tech progress, which is kind of his life's work. So all of this together really primes him to be courted by the other side. When you leave a meeting like that, what do you do?

You go endorse Donald Trump.

[Michael Barbaro]

We'll be right back.

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[Aaron]

Aaron, talk about this courtship from the other side, because so far, what you're describing from Marc Andreessen is really a deepening frustration with the left, with the Biden administration, rather than any kind of deep kinship with Donald Trump.

[Marc Andreessen]

Yeah, and you know, on July 5, he posted this manifesto, which is something that he does from time to time. He's got some really famous ones, including software is eating the world and it's time to build. He posts one that is called the Little Tech Agenda. He basically concludes that, you know, big tech companies have lobbyists that are kind of looking out for them, but no one's sticking up for what he calls little tech. And that includes all the startups and the venture firms that he's working with. And he basically says Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm, is going to support any candidate that supports the little tech agenda. And so that's kind of like opening the door for, like, hey, you know, any presidential candidate, any congressional candidate that wants to, you know, kind of win our vote and our support, like, tell us what you got. And they tried to meet with both Biden and Trump. They never ended up meeting with Biden, but Trump invited them to dinner.

So we met with him at Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, which is, like, breathtaking. Absolutely beautiful.

Marc Andreessen and his partner Ben Horowitz end up at Trump's golf club in New Jersey. Bedminster.

Yeah. I mean, he's just. He's an incredible host. You know, he runs his own private worlds.

And they're super impressed by Trump.

He said, what do you guys want to eat? And I just. I. For some reason, I was just like, I know exactly what to say. And I'm like, meat. I want meat. And it was glorious.

Andreessen talks about how Trump only ordered meat and how he wined and dined them.

It's also one of the really interesting. We'll kind of watch him at work, which is he treats everybody the same, and he talks to everybody. He will happily talk to distinguished visitors about, like, you know, who the vice president should be, and then he'll ask the caddy.

They talk about how Trump talks to everyone. You know, he's really kind of in the mix.

His thing with us basically, was like, look, I just want America to win.

He's telling them kind of exactly what they want to hear.

You know, you guys are in tech. I don't know much about tech, but I don't need to, because you guys know a lot about it. You guys should go build tech companies. The American tech companies should win.

He wants America to win, and he wants tech to win.

We should beat China. We should export. We should make the products the world wants. Our economy should be growing a lot faster. We should be creating a lot more jobs. You know, everybody in America who wants a good job should have one. And that will be the result of, you know, American companies succeeding.

He wants to do what he can to help tech companies thrive, and he wants government to get out of the way, and he wants American innovation to be exported all around the world.

And so, you know, and most of the discussion was just around that.

And so they were really taken with Trump and his message to them.

[Aaron]

Right. It sounds like what he's telling Andreessen, and it sounds like Andreessen wants to hear it, is that Trump is prepared to restore the deal, as Andreessen would call it. You do Your thing. I'm here to cheer you on and celebrate and help.

[Marc Andreessen]

Exactly.

[Aaron]

So what ends up happening after this dinner at Bedminster?

[Marc Andreessen]

Shortly after that, Andreessen and Horowitz post a podcast announcing that they are endorsing Trump for president. They went into a lot of the stuff that we've been talking about. You know, the pressure to moderate content online, the regulation, the fact that Trump is eager to see the tech industry innovate and build and do all the things they want to do. And there was one other reason, I.

Think it was hard for any man to see somebody get shot in the head, bleeding, not knowing how badly he's been injured.

They really talked about how impressed they were by the fact that he, you know, raised his fist after the assassination.

Attempt and put your fist up in the air and say, fight, fight, fight.

Like, how cool they thought that was.

We don't see physical bravery like that.

Like, all of these things combined result in their endorsement. And that's really the start of when a lot of people who were maybe privately supporting Trump in Silicon Valley really started to come out of the woodwork and say so publicly.

[Aaron]

So Andreessen creates something of a permission structure for others in the Valley to say, I, too, support Trump.

[Marc Andreessen]

Absolutely. Andreessen and Elon Musk and a few other leaders combined. I mean, Elon's endorsement was obviously really influential, but within the tech industry, specifically venture capital and startups, you know, Marc Andreessen, his opinion really carries a lot of weight, and I think that did open the door for a lot of people to come out as Trump supporters as well.

[Aaron]

In thinking about the story that you have told here and the journey that Marc Andreessen has gone on, it's pretty clear that there are two major elements here. One is that in his mind, the Democratic Party failed him and failed tech, both culturally and financially. And the second component is that Trump, in his mind, meets the tech industry where it is both culturally and financially. And in that sense, it's just not all that complicated. But what stands out to me at least, is that this ends up being the story of the Democratic Party seeming to forfeit what had been a very long and seemingly fruitful relationship with these innovators and leaders of tech. And when we think about the result of the 2024 election, I think, quite naturally, we think about the fact that the vote went to Trump and that, once again, he made all these gains in various constituencies. I hadn't really thought of it as an election in which he had also made gains in the constituency of Silicon Valley. But that is clearly one of the places that he made very unexpected inroads.

[Marc Andreessen]

Yeah, I think you're right. And there is a little bit of, I think, maybe soul searching in Silicon Valley now thinking about, like, which party some people belong to. I mean, the frustration with the Biden administration wasn't just limited to people who were Trump curious or who have supported Trump. I mean, a lot of people were frustrated with the antitrust policies or with some of the crypto stuff that was happening. So, yeah, there is a little bit of an opportunity, I think, for a reset in Silicon Valley, and we're seeing that happen just as some of the loudest and most influential voices in tech who support Trump are really on this victory lap.

[Aaron]

Well, now that we understand the depth of Silicon Valley support for Trump, and now that Trump is about to take office, how much sway do we think people like Marc Andreessen, because they were out early and publicly for Trump, will have over him as president? Because so far, it feels like it's the tech industry in some of its policy announcements and its donations to Trump's inauguration that have been making the concessions to Trump, rather than Trump necessarily making any concessions to Silicon Valley.

[Marc Andreessen]

I mean, the tech industry right now is jockeying for a lot of influence in the future Trump administration with Andreessen specifically. Two Andreessen Horowitz partners have already been appointed to join the administration. And lots of tech workers are trying to get involved in doge, which is the Department of Government Efficiency. Its goal is to reduce government spending. You see a new post on social media every day of some prominent tech person heading over to Mar a Lago to meet and try and get on one of these advisory boards or involved in the transition team. There is a lot of crossover. It kind of reminds me of the Obama administration a little bit when you had all these people from Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, kind of a rotating door in and out of that administration that's now happening in the Trump transition. And it's been fascinating to see. It's different people, obviously, from different sides of the aisle. But, yeah, there's a lot of enthusiasm among certain groups in the tech industry to seize this opportunity and, you know, potentially get to influence what they see as a whole new regulatory regime.

[Aaron]

You know, it strikes me, Aaron, that Andreessen's animating premise here, and really the heart of his political evolution, is his belief that this deal he articulated makes sense. Still makes sense. But the reality, I think, for many, is that the deal he wants to bring back, the one he felt Biden walked away from, the one he thinks Trump will honor, was from a different era, Right? When tech was small, it was the underdog. You could argue it needed a long leash to grow and thrive, but that's not the story of tech. Now it is huge and hugely powerful. It affects all of us, in many cases for good, in many for bad. Take kids, social media, or the anti competitive behavior of tech giants that's laid out in federal antitrust lawsuits, or take the risks of artificial intelligence or crypto. We watch the biggest crypto exchange explode and billions of dollars just disappear. And therefore, many would argue, tech does require some kind of meaningful government oversight. And so what he's asking for seems to be a world where the government's approach to tech, the deal, no longer really matches what tech is today. And yet what he seems to want from Trump and people like Andreessen seem to want from this administration is a world where the terms of this deal don't change, even though the industry quite obviously has.

[Marc Andreessen]

Yeah, exactly. The tech industry has amassed so much power and influence over the last 10, 20 years, and they love that power. But, you know, there's a lot of accountability, responsibility that comes along with that. And there's been some trust lost along the way. So none of this regulatory stuff, none of this criticism has come out of nowhere. There are plenty of people that believe that big tech power stifling innovation, that's why we need antitrust enforcement. There's strong case to be made that a lot of these emerging technologies like AI and crypto can cause real harms, and that's why they need to be regulated. But right now, that is not the vibe that is coursing around Silicon Valley. The vibe is that this is a time to put our foot on the gas. One thing that Andreessen said that really struck me, he had a quote that it felt like a boot off the throat for the tech industry the day that Trump was elected.

[Aaron]

Wow, that's vivid.

[Marc Andreessen]

Yeah. And so that sentiment, while a little dramatic, is kind of shared amongst the Trump supporting techies. You know, just to be clear, like, nothing has happened yet, and Trump is unpredictable. So. So who knows how this is actually going to shake out, but that's the sentiment in this world, that for years they supported Democrats and what they got in return was criticism and attacks. That's the view.

[Aaron]

They were vilified and regulated.

[Marc Andreessen]

Yes, exactly. And now they feel like they're going to get what they want, which is a lack of regulation, a lack of criticism, and in their minds, free reign. To innovate at will.

[Aaron]

Well, Aaron, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

[Marc Andreessen]

Thanks for having me.

[Michael Barbaro]

On Friday, Silicon Valley's alienation from Biden and growing fondness for Trump continued to be on vivid display at a news conference. Biden denounced the decision by Meta signing CEO Mark Zuckerberg to end the company's system of fact checking, calling it, quote, really shameful. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg traveled to Mar a Lago for his second in person meeting with Trump since the election. We'll be right back.

[Unnamed Speaker]

From Paramount Pictures comes The new film September 5, now nominated for best picture of the Year. Based on a true story, September 5th is a gripping thriller that tells the story of a day that changed our world forever. When gunshots are heard in the Olympic Village, broadcast history is made as a team of sports journalists had to break the story live from the ground. With the whole world watching critics rave, September 5th is masterful and heart pounding. An absolute must see. Starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benish. September 5th now playing in select theaters everywhere. January 17th.

[Julie Turkwitz]

Rated R. This podcast is supported by Thuma, a modern design company. Crafting simple, elevated furniture from premium eco friendly materials designed to enrich your space. Thuma's core collection, the classic bed, nest, dresser and pillar bookshelf, combines Japanese joinery with thoughtful design for timeless style and lasting quality. Assembly is quick and easy, taking just 5ish minutes and no tools required. To explore the full collection and get $100 off your first bed, head to Thuma co. That's t h u m a co I'm Julie Turkwitz.

[Ben Horowitz]

I'm a reporter at the New York Times. To understand changes in migration, I traveled to the Darien Gap. Thousands have been risking their lives to pass through the border of Colombia and Panama in the hopes of making it to the United States. We interviewed hundreds of people to try and grasp what's making them go to these lengths. New York Times journalists spend time in these places to help you understand what's really happening there. You can support this kind of journalism by subscribing to the New York Times.

[Michael Barbaro]

Here's what else you need to know today. Over the weekend, the death toll from the wildfires across greater Los Angeles reached 24 people, with many more still missing. As winds briefly calmed, firefighters made some progress in fighting two of the biggest fires. As of Sunday night, they have contained 11% of the Palisades fire and 27% of the Eaton fire. But forecasters expect another round of strong winds to return today and tomorrow, which may only intensify and spread the fires and force the planes that are fighting them from the sky to be grounded. And Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought two federal prosecutions against President elect Trump, has resigned. Smith was forced to drop both of his cases, one charging Trump with mishandling classified documents, the other of plotting to overturn the 2020 election under a Justice Department policy that bars the pursuit of prosecution against a sitting president. Today's episode was produced by Jessica Chung, Mooj Sethi and Nina Feldman, with help from Eric Krupke and Mary Wilson. It was edited by Lisa Chow, Patricia Wellens and Mark George, and fact checked by Susan Lee. It contains original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsberg of Wonderly. That's it for the Daily I'm Michael Balboro. See you tomorrow.

[Julie Turkwitz]

This podcast is supported by Thuma, a modern design company. Crafting simple, elevated furniture from premium eco friendly materials designed to enrich your space. Thuma's core collection, the classic Bed Nest, dresser and pillar bookshelf, combines Japanese joinery with thoughtful design for timeless style and lasting quality. Assembly is quick and easy, taking just 5ish minutes and no tools required. To explore the full collection and get $100 off your first bed, head to Thuma co. That's Thuma code.