Daniel Wolfram
Here is a story that shows how much elections matter.
The blue tsunami wave that hit America last Tuesday during the midterm elections is already having consequences.
Tech giants who have been cozying up to President Donald Trump and the White House administration are suddenly changing their tune and becoming more progressive by the minute.
That includes the CEO of one of the biggest AI software companies, which has secured a large number of military contracts during the last two years.
It is safe to say he is afraid of what the Democratic Party will uncover.
Breaking with Trump
For the past two years, Palantir thrived as a favorite company of the Trump administration. Palantir landed billions in federal contracts while CEO Alex Karp branded his firm as proudly “anti-woke.”
Now that Democrats are set to retake Congress, Karp is striking a different note. During a sit-down with Politico at his Manhattan office, Karp used the word “progressive” eight times to describe his outlook on the next two years.
Karp once dismissed the Democratic Party as “totally irresponsible.” Now, he argues voters delivered a “referendum” on “economic justice” in the 2026 midterms, while insisting his past campaign donations were never one-sided.
“My giving is equal Democrat, Republican,” Karp said. “[…] And I’ll tell you what, I’m also not the village idiot.” Karp also defended himself by claiming that he has been a “Democrat my whole life. I grew up in a far left environment. I know more about being a progressive than almost anybody on the planet.”
Hiring a Democratic shield
Possible Democratic oversight hearings are looming, and Palantir will no doubt be one of the first companies to be called upon. To prepare for the Capitol Hill grillings, Palantir hired former Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester.
During the interview, Tester urged the tech chief to “be transparent, be forthright, address the question straight up.”
Karp stayed silent on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who survived a House impeachment vote hours later. “I would advise Alex not to say anything,” Tester told Politico, adding that lawmakers should handle the Pentagon drama themselves.
Eyes on 2028
Even though Palantir’s software was an instrumental part of Trump’s immigration crackdown, Karp admitted the White House mishandled immigration enforcement.
Karp, who is registered to vote in New Hampshire, said he could support a Democratic presidential nominee in 2028. Still, he ruled out backing any member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Karp, who is Jewish and half Black, said that “they like to gaslight Jews and segregate Blacks.” Instead, he wants “the most competent, best leader,” arguing that center-left Democrats understand capitalism cannot solve every problem.
