Trump finds friends in California — even San Francisco

Presented by Amazon: Inside the Golden State political arena

Jun 07, 2024 View in browser   By Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner Presented by  The former president traveled to San Francisco to court a small but vocal group of sympathetic tech entrepreneurs. | Rick Scuteri/AP Photo THE BUZZ: Donald Trump’s visit to San Francisco highlights a rising power player in California: the nerd right. The former president traveled to San Francisco last night to court a small but vocal group of sympathetic tech entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who, following the likes of Elon Musk, are embracing Trump's bombastic but business-friendly platforms in rebuke of President Joe Biden and Democrats' policies. It’s not surprising that business leaders would favor policies that benefit their bottom lines, but this new faction is brasher than the typical boardroom set. As self-styled iconoclasts, they loudly rebel against California's liberal tradition. Backing Trump helps scratch that contrarian itch. The $300,000-per-person fundraiser, hosted at billionaire venture capitalist David Sacks’ Pacific Heights mansion, included many of the Silicon Valley elite that have bristled at Biden’s approach to antitrust enforcement, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. The event raised $12 million, per California RNC National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, who attended the fundraiser  alongside what she said were many crypto leaders, including the Winklevoss twins. Co-host Chamath Palihapitiya, an early Facebook executive turned tech investor who has long touted the digital currency sector, last week on his podcast spoke positively about the former president. “President Trump in the last few weeks has become incredibly pro-crypto,” he said. A key difference between this newer cohort and the ultra-wealthy Bay Area class that has traditionally tried to shape business regulation is their willingness to freelance on other issues. Sacks has continually criticized the U.S. spending on Ukraine, for example, accusing Biden of prolonging and escalating the conflict with Russia.  The approach to foreign policy was among the reasons that Sacks last night gave his official endorsement to Trump, also citing the economy, the border, and what he sees as Democrats’ use of the justice system for political gain — all issues where “the Biden administration has veered badly off course and where I believe President Trump can lead us back,” he said. The rapid acceleration of AI has meanwhile put Democrats who want to contain it at odds with the most regulation-adverse leaders of the tech sector. Just this week, news broke that the feds are now setting the table for antitrust probes into Nvidia, Microsoft and OpenAI — the largest tech companies developing AI. The push has been led in part by Lina Khan, the Biden-appointed chair of the Federal Trade Commission, who for months has expressed a desire to weed out what she sees as potential anti-competitive practices stewing in Silicon Valley. All this while the industry is shoring up its defenses in Sacramento, looking to fight off Democratic legislators’ attempts to tame AI with new policies on risk assessments, liability and transparency. Trump isn’t always a perfect match for this group either: There’s a divide among tech giants on regulating AI, with some like Musk echoing Democrats’ calls for safeguards as well as aligning against Trump on electric cars. And Silicon Valley is still well stocked with Democratic mega-donors. Biden has regularly fundraised in the area, and just last month was hosted by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla.  One former Trump backer, billionaire Peter Thiel is notably taking a step back from politics this year. Sacks, on his podcast, said Trump has broad support in Silicon Valley — and that he hopes his event emboldens others to speak up. “Maybe it creates a preference cascade and it becomes acceptable to acknowledge the truth,” he said. “Which is that a lot of people support Trump.” GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Speaking in the Bay Area, at an event with LGBTQ+ leaders to announce the rollout of a campaign in support of the Freedom to Marry ballot measure that would repeal the zombie text of Proposition 8.   A message from Amazon: When Fellow was looking to take their products beyond San Francisco, they turned to Amazon to help with shipping products. “Fulfillment by Amazon lets us focus on growth instead of spending all our time shipping products,” said Madeline, Fellow’s senior global manager. Fulfillment by Amazon costs 70% less on average than comparable two-day shipping options. Learn how Amazon tools help sellers grow.   FOR GOOD MEASURE DEMS’ SURPRISE RETAIL THEFT MANEUVER — Democrats in the Legislature plan to fast-track legislation on retail theft and public safety next week and include amendments that would revoke the laws if a ballot measure that would roll back parts of Proposition 47 passes in November, a move aimed at pressuring the measure’s backers to drop it from the ballot. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ spokesperson Nick Miller told POLITICO the amendments “are meant to ensure, no matter what voters decide, that there are no conflicts and inconsistencies in policies that move forward — and that criminals are held accountable and police have the necessary tools to keep California safe.” Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones blasted Democrats’ plan in a letter to Rivas and Senate leader Mike McGuire, obtained by POLITICO. They accused Democratic leaders of “play[ing] politics with public safety” and “forcing our constituents into a false choice between legislative reforms and necessary modifications to Proposition 47.” The move raises tensions in the final weeks before the June 27 deadline to remove measures from the November ballot. The measure’s backers have thus far held firm against pressure to settle for a legislative deal, arguing Prop 47 can only be amended by taking the issue back to voters. At this point, some parts of the coalition supporting the ballot measure seem more open to a deal than others — and the Legislature’s move is an attempt to split that coalition. — Emily Schultheis 2026 WATCH Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has repeatedly sidestepped the question about his plans at public events. | Butch Dill/AP SILENT SIGNALS — U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra responded with cheeky silence when pressed on his plans to run for the California governorship during a Q&A at the CalMatters Ideas Festival in Sacramento on Thursday. “I think we ran out of time,” Becerra said with a smile following an extended pause. The former California attorney general has been quietly signaling his intentions to enter the race to succeed Newsom for months, has reportedly approached political firms about standing up a gubernatorial campaign and has dropped over $130,000 over the last year for campaign consultants. But Becerra has repeatedly sidestepped the question at public events, even as his plans advance in the background. “I am secretary of health and human services. I will stay secretary of health and human services,” Becerra concluded after some follow-up questioning from KQED’s Scott Shafer. “And I can’t contemplate something other than being secretary of health and human services.” — Ariel Gans   A message from Amazon:   ON THE AGENDA SACTOWN PRIDE — The capital city is hosting its annual Pride festival this weekend in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. CLIMATE AND ENERGY GAS PRICE BOOGIE — The California Energy Commission is predicting more stable gas prices this summer than the last two years. If that holds true, it’s good news for Democrats in November. Read more in last night’s California Climate. Top Talkers — The large majority of Americans back same-sex marriage and same-sex couples raising children, but the country has become more divided on questions related to queer youth, a new poll finds. (Los Angeles Times) — A bill that made the process of removing contaminated dirt from building sites more expensive for developers is creating a virtual housing tax for the state’s nonprofits and residential developers. (San Francisco Chronicle) AROUND THE STATE — The City of Fresno could have avoided a more than $650,000 phishing scam had the Finance Department correctly followed its own policies, a new report says. (San Joaquin Valley Sun) — A coalition of California Republicans are urging Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to run for governor in 2026. (San Joaquin Valley Sun) — Get to know a man who has ushered thousands of bills to the Assembly floor, Assembly Reading Clerk David Bowman. (CapRadio) — Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama is under investigation for an ‘inappropriate off-duty relationship’ with a non-city employee. He will remain on duty during the investigation process. (ABC30) — compiled by Ariel Gans   A message from Amazon: Amazon has partnered with small and medium-sized businesses for over 23 years, connecting local businesses with customers across the country. Today, more than 60% of sales in Amazon’s store come from independent sellers, most of which are small to medium-sized businesses. Learn how Amazon breaks down barriers to growth.   PLAYBOOKERS WELCOME TO THE WORLD — POLITICO’s Jeremy B. White and SF Chronicle Food Editor Janelle Bitker welcomed their baby daughter, who’s sure to have strong opinions on restaurants and politics, late Wednesday night. Big congratulations to the happy couple! Our condolences to their former only child, Ziggy Pawdust. PEOPLE MOVES — Sarah Brady has accepted the governor’s appointment as assistant executive director of governmental and international affairs at the California Energy Commission. She is currently interim CEO at the California Council on Science and Technology and will begin her new gig in July. — Julianne McCall has been selected as the next CEO of the California Council on Science and Technology. McCall is currently the director of Precision Medicine in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. She will start her new job in September. — Former POLITICO California intern Sejal Govindarao will be a state government reporter for the Associated Press, covering Arizona politics with a focus on women. BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Thursday): Abby Ginzberg WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form. Disclaimer: All information will be verified. CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@politico.com.   Follow us on Twitter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner Lara Korte @lara_korte   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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