Below is a lightly edited transcript of an episode of “Matter of Opinion.” We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect.

How Democrats Drove Silicon Valley Into Trump’s Arms

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2025-01-19 10:00:04

Below is a lightly edited transcript of an episode of “Matter of Opinion.” We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYT Audio App, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ross Douthat: I’m someone who follows politics primarily and Silicon Valley secondarily. And the alliance between the tech industry and the Democratic Party has always seemed like a solid fact of American politics. I could see the leaders of the tech industry souring on certain aspects of progressive politics, especially the parts that cast them as special villains. But I didn’t expect so many figures in Silicon Valley, starting with Elon Musk, to throw their support, money and social media clout behind Donald Trump in 2024.

My guest is one of those tech leaders, the venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. For decades he was, in his words, a “good” Democrat. But now he’s been spending time at Mar-a-Lago and advising on Trump’s transition.