Eric Schmidt, the chairman of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, arriving at Trump Tower in January to meet with Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump’s team is wary of Mr. Schmidt, who has been allied with Democrats and advised the Obama White House. Credit Kevin Hagen for The New York Times.
WASHINGTON — Few companies have been as intimately tied to the Democratic Party in recent years as Google. So now that Donald J. Trump is president, the giant company, in Silicon Valley parlance, is having to pivot.
The shift was evident a day after Congress began its new session this month. That evening, about 70 lawmakers, a majority of them Republicans, were feted at the stately Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building, where they clinked champagne and bourbon glasses and posed for selfies with the 600 guests assembled in their honor.
The event’s main host was not from the Republican establishment. Instead, the party was primarily financed and anchored by Google.
“We’ve partnered with Google on events before, but nothing like this party,” said Alex Skatell, a founder of The Independent Journal Review, a news start-up with a right-leaning millennial audience, which also helped host the event. “I’ve never heard of an event as big.”
The event was emblematic of an about-face by Google. Over the last eight years, the company was closely associated with former President Barack Obama. Google employees overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama’s presidential campaigns and some later took roles in his administration. Eric Schmidt, the chairman of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, advised the Obama White House. And last year, Google employees gave $1.3 million to Hillary Clinton’s campaign to succeed Mr. Obama, compared with $26,000 to the Trump campaign, according to federal filings.
Now, the tech giant is scrambling to forge ties with Mr. Trump’s new administration and to strengthen its relationship with a Republican-dominated Congress. Most important, Google is trying to change the perception that it is a Democratic stronghold.
So terribly reassuring to see everyone rush to suck up. CNN has the full story.
Also Mr. Clean Energy / “let’s send some people to
their deathsMars” Elon Musk.I’d like to take the opportunity to mention how much I hate Silicon Valley techbros. I’m ashamed to share a line of work with them.
I’d like to take the opportunity to mention how much I hate Silicon Valley techbros
It’s more of America’s incessant worship of wealth. The techbros are nothing new -- in 1900 they would be steel magnates.
Maybe Musk can convince The Orange One that taking a trip to Mars would be great. Alone. With no communication. Just give him a mirror.
So much for “don’t be evil”.
Progressive values are all good and nice when they make money. When you get cookies for showing a non-hetero couple. But money will always crave more money. Or to quote good old Charly Marx:
Wait for the Google Doodle on April 20th… Smiling Hitler with his beloved dog.
Corporate oligarchy aligns itself with power. Film at 11.