Republicans, Tech Execs Meet in Secret to Stop Trump (Report)
Republicans have met in secret with top tech executives to talk about the rise of Donald Trump, and plot strategies to stop him, according to a Huffington Post report. The meeting took place at the American Enterprise Institute’s World Forum, which was attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google co-founder and Alphabet CEO Larry Page, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and early Facebook backer Sean Parker.
On the Republican side were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Republican strategist Karl Rove and a number of Senators and House Republicans. Also in the crowd: New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger and GOP donor Philip Anschutz, according to the report.
Rove reportedly held a presentation about Trump’s chances with voters, and discussions focused on how Trump gathered support this quickly.
The American Enterprise Institute’s World Forum is an annual event organized by the conservative think tank that has traditionally been off the record, and shrouded in secrecy. That’s why it’s unclear how many tech execs actually attended the Rove session; Huffington Post reported that Apple’s Tim Cook may have skipped political discussions altogether.
That being said, it’s no secret that Trump’s rise has many in Silicon Valley deeply worried. The current Republican front-runner has clashed with the tech sector in the past, recently suggesting that consumers shouldn’t buy Apple products until the company helps the FBI to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone.
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