Palantir CEO Alex Karp said Peter Thiel’s endorsement of Trump didn’t come easy

When asked if Thiel’s support for Trump made life harder or made it easier to get government contracts, Karp told the publication, “I didn’t like it.”

“There are a lot of reasons why I cut a check to Biden. I don’t like being protested every day. It was completely ridiculous and ridiculous. In fact, it was the opposite. Because Peter supported Mr. Trump, it was actually harder to get things done. “, he added.

Palantir did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

After endorsing Trump in 2016, Thiel became one of his top donors that election cycle and eventually joined Trump’s presidential transition team. The company’s ties to the Trump White House and some of its work with the US government have fueled the scrutiny and protests.

Government contracts awarded to Palantir include military work, US Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

When The Times asked Karp if he and Thiel had discussed how he felt about the situation, the CEO said, “Peter and I talk about everything.”

“It’s like, yeah, I definitely informed Peter, ‘This doesn’t make our lives any easier,'” he added.

Karp is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

Thiel did not endorse Trump this time and said he does not plan to donate to either candidate. However, the billionaire told the Times last month that he was joining Trump’s campaign after the former president announced Sen. JD Vance as his running mate.

Thiel was even believed to be partly responsible for Trump attacking Vance, a former venture capitalist who previously worked for Thiel’s investment firm, Mithril Capital.