Are we witnessing the end of tech’s domination by California — and the Left? Elon Musk announced yesterday that he’s moving the SpaceX and X headquarters from the Golden State to Texas. At almost the same moment, investors Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz announced on their podcast that they’re endorsing Donald Trump, citing Trumpian policies on cutting-edge tech that are far more aligned with their aspirations for America’s future.
This crystallises a trend that’s been visible for some time, and which was explored in depth earlier this year by the always-prescient N.S. Lyons. I predicted in April that this “Progressive Right” would emerge victorious among the assorted agendas currently wrestling for control of the conservative movement. And lo and behold, America’s most cutting-edge technologists are coalescing behind Trump — providing heavyweight endorsements and new funding sources that will, they hope, translate into more friendly relations with the White House after November.
Musk, of course, has been a bête noir for the Biden administration for some time, having prised a major consensus-formation tool from progressive fingers in the name of “free speech” and been subjected, perhaps coincidentally, to lawsuits from all quarters. When Musk announced the Tesla HQ move, he declared that “the final straw” was new state rules on how and when schools must disclose pupils’ gender wishes to parents, which included a ban on schools requiring disclosure.