David Marcus is a successful Big Tech entrepreneur (you can read his bio at his current company, Lightspark, here). It's an industry that hasn't typically been supportive of conservative values, and certainly not friendly to Donald Trump in previous election cycles.
Which is why it's so surprising that he made the following announcement today:
I am crossing the Rubicon and backing the Republican Party and President Trump.
— David Marcus (@davidmarcus) July 31, 2024
Many — including a former version of myself — get trapped in a mental framework that becomes their identity and prevents them from radically evolving their thinking with new facts and information. I…
The whole thing is a bit of a read, so we're just going to share some highlights.
I am crossing the Rubicon and backing the Republican Party and President Trump. Many — including a former version of myself — get trapped in a mental framework that becomes their identity and prevents them from radically evolving their thinking with new facts and information. I finally broke free from it.
My journey has been a gradual political 180 from where I stood in every previous election. It has been an eye-opening process of disenchantment, zero-basing lifelong beliefs, and rebuilding from there.
He touches on so many issues in the post (foreign policy, domestic policy, COVID vaccines, you name it) that it's hard to know which ones to include here.
The next series of realizations began in 2019 while I was at Meta, right after we announced the Libra white paper. I testified before the Senate and the House and subsequently spent significant time in DC, engaging with lawmakers, cabinet members, regulators, and two White House administrations. At the time, I still believed the mainstream idea that Democrats were all about serving the People. However, I was shocked to learn that, for the most part, Republicans cared more deeply about their constituents, while Democrats, in my experience, cared more about government power and control. This is my observation on balance, with many stories to back it up. I also found that more Republicans wanted to understand our project’s goals and took the time to learn about the risks of censoring payments and controlling the network. I found myself remarkably aligned with them.
He's also very clear that this endorsement does not mean he agrees with Trump on everything, but in keeping with the entirely reasonable tone of the whole post, presents a thoughtful analysis:
Naturally, I disagree with President Trump and the GOP on some issues, particularly women’s reproductive rights. While I’ve come to learn that extreme views exist in both parties, I firmly believe that women should have the unalienable right to make their own decisions on this polarizing topic. President Trump confirmed he was against a national abortion ban and supported the Supreme Court’s decision on maintaining access to mifepristone, which was reassuring and a sign that the party was moving closer to the center.
Addressing the 'Trump is a threat to democracy claim', he had this to say:
Some claim that reelecting President Trump will bring our democracy to its knees. However, the alternative — having unelected individuals with this much power and no accountability run our government coupled with four more years of bad policies at home and abroad — might present a more significant threat. Neither will likely change in a Harris administration and could potentially worsen.
We think the whole thing is an amazing statement, and we're not alone:
Well said. Thank you for your intellectual courage.
— Joe Lonsdale (@JTLonsdale) July 31, 2024
Really respect your ability to rethink your beliefs. Especially as time goes on, that's really challenging.
— ░SourPatchLyds░ (@sourpatchlyds) July 31, 2024
Great thread, even where I disagree.
— Jeremy Boreing (@JeremyDBoreing) July 31, 2024
That's part of the beauty of it.
Welcome to the party, no choice is perfect but I admire your thoughtfulness and open minded approach. Many of us feel the same way.
— FlowerAuntie🛑⛔️⭕️ ULTRA-FJB (@flower_auntie) July 31, 2024
Indeed, no choice is perfect, but Marcus lays out a well-reasoned case for liberals to vote for Trump, and we hope his message resonates far and wide.
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