JD Vance views Big Tech companies with significant skepticism and opposition, particularly concerning their role in the political process and information dissemination.
He has asserted that major technology platforms engage in censorship targeting conservatives and has directly accused them of rigging the 2020 presidential election through these actions. Vance connects this perceived bias to his broader critique of powerful, centralized institutions in America.
His past professional experience as a venture capitalist, including work with figures like Peter Thiel, has given him direct insight into the technology industry, which he now channels into policy criticism as Vice President.
Context
JD Vance's critique of Big Tech is central to his national conservative platform, which posits that large institutions are united against the political right. His concerns often focus on the perceived bias in content moderation and censorship.
This perspective is reinforced by his background, having worked in venture capital in Silicon Valley before becoming a vocal critic, providing a personal dimension to his claims of elite misalignment.
Timeline
- Vance began his career in the tech industry as a venture capitalist, working for Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital.
- After moving back to Ohio, Vance complained about Silicon Valley elites, citing their perceived political-financial power and condescension.
- Vance co-founded the venture capital firm Narya Capital with investment backing from figures like Eric Schmidt and Marc Andreessen.
- Vance invested in Rumble, an online video platform popular on the political right, alongside Peter Thiel.
- Vance stated his belief that Big Tech rigged the election through censorship during the 2020 presidential race.
Key Quotes
I believe Big Tech rigged the election
Sources4
- In October 2024, Vance said he did not believe Trump lost the 2020 presidential election and that he believed "Big Tech rigged the election" through censorship.
- Vance co-founded venture capital firm Narya Capital in Cincinnati with financial backing from Thiel, Eric Schmidt, and Marc Andreessen. In 2020, he raised $93 million for the firm. With Thiel and former Trump adviser Darren Blanton, Vance invested in Rumble, a Canadian online video platform popular with the political right.
- He later moved to San Francisco to work in the technology industry as a venture capitalist. Between 2016 and 2017, he was a principal at Peter Thiel's firm, Mithril Capital.
- In another interview, he said elite tech crowds wielded "political-financial power in combination with a certain condescension".
* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.