GOP megadonor Peter Thiel reportedly plans to not back anyone in 2024

Apr 28, 2023

Mahmoud Bennett Social Media Reporter/Producer

By Mahmoud Bennett (Social Media Reporter/Producer )

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

Republican megadonor Peter Thiel will reportedly hold out from funding political candidates in 2024, according to two sources close to Thiel. The Silicon Valley tech billionaire believes Republicans are making a mistake by focusing on cultural flashpoints and should be more concerned with spurring U.S. innovation, the sources said according to Reuters.

Thiel’s business associate cited recent abortion bans and restrictions on which bathrooms transgender students can use in schools as two examples of why he is unhappy with the Republican Party’s focus.

The German-born entrepreneur has a fortune estimated at around $4.2 billion after co-founding PayPal, Palantir and investing early in Facebook, per Reuters. He has contributed around $50 million to state and federal political candidates and campaigns since 2000, according to OpenSecrets.

In the past, Thiel has called the debate around transgender bathroom access a “distraction.” Thiel’s reported withdrawal from funding U.S. politics comes as the issues of abortion and LGBTQ rights loom at the center of hundreds of bills across the country, according to the ACLU.

Pew Research analyzed the topics that Democrat and Republican candidates tweeted about in 2022 and found that Republicans primarily spoke about the issues of immigration, foreign policy, and taxation, while Democrats focused more on LGBTQ issues, climate and environment, and abortion.

However, the data also revealed that Republicans were more likely to use negative language on major topics compared to Democrats.

Thiel’s reported backing out of U.S. politics comes as social issues move more front and center, which has alienated some other prominent donors, according to Reuters.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch a White House run, recently signed a bill banning most abortions after six weeks in Florida. At least 18 other states have also put up new restrictions, per Axios.

Meanwhile, leading GOP candidate Donald Trump has pledged to go after attempted sex reassignment surgeries for minors if elected in 2024.

Tags: 2024 Elections, Abortion, Donald Trump, Immigration, PayPal, Ron DeSantis, Transgender

PETER THIEL: “I’M PETER THIEL – I BUILD COMPANIES AND I SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE BUILDING NEW THINGS”

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

GOP MEGADONOR PETER THIEL WHO’S DONATED TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BACK REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN PAST US ELECTIONS SAYS HE’S HOLDING OUT IN 2024

THE SILICON VALLEY TECH BILLIONAIRE BELIEVES REPUBLICANS ARE MAKING A MISTAKE IN FOCUSING ON CULTURAL FLASHPOINTS AND SHOULD BE MORE CONCERNED WITH SPURRING U.S. INNOVATION – THAT’S ACCORDING TO AT LEAST TWO SOURCES CLOSE TO HIM

THEY CITED THIELS DISCONTENT WITH SOME REPUBLICANS PRIORITIZING ISSUES LIKE BANNING ABORTION AND RESTRICTING SINGLE-SEX BATHROOMS FOR TRANS-IDENTIFYING STUDENTS

PETEER THIEL: THIS IS A DISTRACTION FROM OUR REAL PROBLEMS WHO CARES?

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

PEW RESEARCH ANALYZED THE TOPICS DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES TWEETED ABOUT IN 2022 –
IT FOUND THAT REPUBLICANS PRIMARILY SPOKE AROUND THE ISSUES OF IMMIGRATION, FOREIGN POLICY AND TAXATION, WHILE DEMOCRATS FOCUSED MORE ON LGBTQ ISSUES, CLIMATE AND ABORTION

BUT THE RESEARCH FOUND THAT REPUBLICANS WERE MORE LIKELY TO USE NEGATIVE LANGUAGE ON MAJOR TOPICS COMPARED TO DEMOCRATS

PETER THIEL’S REPORTED BACKING OUT OF US POLITICS COMES AS SOCIAL ISSUES MOVE MORE FRONT AND CENTER, WHICH HAS ALIENATED SOME OTHER PROMINENT DONORS

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS, WHO’S EXPECTED TO LAUNCH A WHITE HOUSE RUN, RECENTLY SIGNED A BILL BANNING MOST ABORTIONS AFTER SIX WEEKS IN FLORIDA. AT LEAST 18 OTHER STATES HAVE ALSO PUT UP NEW RESTRICTIONS

MEANWHILE LEADING GOP CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP HAS PLEDGED TO GO AFTER ATTEMPTED SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERIES FOR MINORS IF ELECTED IN 2024

TWO ISSUES NOW AT THE CENTER OF HUNDREDS OF BILLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY