J.D. Vance has tailored his political image to suit an all-American, blue-collar model. There's just one problem. While the Yale-educated Vice Presidential candidate may be from Appalachia, his journey has also taken him under the patronage of the decidedly elite Peter Thiel, who helped launch Vance's venture capital career. Thiel has been a longtime supporter of Donald Trump, and over the years, other Silicon Valley billionaires have come around to sharing the PayPal founder's outlook. The GOP now counts David Sacks, Elon Musk, the Winklevoss brothers, and possibly even Mark Zuckerberg among their supporters. So why is Big Tech aligning behind the Trump ticket, and what does Vance's inclusion have to do with it? In a special discussion with author and tech critic Paris Marx, we dive into the labyrinth of shady political dealings and patronage relationships undergirding the new covenant between Silicon Valley and the GOP. Studio Production: David Hebden, Cameron Granadino Post-Production: Alina Nehlich Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Donate to support this podcast