Top tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who once backed former President Donald Trump, expressed disappointment in the Trump administration, terming it as “crazier” and “more dangerous” than he anticipated.
What Happened: Thiel, the PayPal co-founder, in an interview with The Atlantic, said he will not be donating to Trump or any other candidate for the 2024 presidential race.
Thiel had previously anticipated that Trump’s election would bring about a national reckoning, stating that the country needed a shakeup before rebuilding. However, he admitted that “a lot of things” didn’t go as planned.
"Voting for Trump was like a not very articulate scream for help," he said.
"It was crazier than I thought. It was more dangerous than I thought," Thiel added.
"They couldn't get the most basic pieces of the government to work. So that was — I think that part was maybe worse than even my low expectations."
See Also: Donald Trump Once Called For The Execution Of New York City’s Newest Councilman
The PayPal co-founder also debunked the claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, calling the attempts to overturn the results “not helpful”.
Why It Matters: Thiel, who now runs Palantir, a data analytics firm, has a mixed political track record. He funded Sen. JD Vance‘s (R-Ohio) successful Trump-supported campaign and the unsuccessful Arizona Senate run of Blake Masters.
In 2018, Thiel expressed disappointment in Trump’s first year in office, mentioning it fell short of his expectations. However, he asserted that Trump remained a preferable choice compared to Hillary Clinton or other Republican candidates.
Thiel is said to have distanced himself from Trump’s campaign in the months leading up to Trump’s loss to President Biden in 2020.
Despite his dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, Thiel clarified that he wouldn’t label himself a “Never Trumper”.
Photo by Frederic Legrand – COMEO on Shutterstock
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