In a recent conversation, Vice President J. Vance turned to Roger Stone, a longtime ally of Donald Trump, with a question about the greatest threat facing the country. Stone later recalled on his radio show that the answer concerned the technology company Palantir.
For many years Vance’s opponents have focused attention on his ties to Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel – a well-known tech leader who gave Vance one of his first jobs and later invested $15 million in his 2022 Ohio Senate victory.
But pressure is now also coming from the Trump coalition: as the government channels billions into new contracts with Palantir, some leaders and activists express concerns that deep data analytics tools could give the state broad surveillance capabilities. The MAGA architect Steve Bannon compared Palantir to a character from science-fiction films, and comedian Joe Rogan called the company “terrifying” on his popular podcast.
Since then Vance has found himself on the defensive. When topics were highlighted in October at a gathering of young conservatives at the University of Mississippi, he responded to an “internet meme” claiming that he was “too close to Palantir.”
“Palantir is a private company,” he noted. “They sometimes provide useful services, but sometimes do things we don’t like.”
Context and Prospects
Since then Vance has acted as a bridge between the populist wing of the Republican Party and the tech world, where he once worked as a venture capitalist and biotech executive. He joined the slate of Republican candidates last year with support from Bannon and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, but also hopes to persuade Silicon Valley to back the campaign with dollars.
The growing presence of Palantir in the public sector is raising concerns about whether the company’s tools could become a catalyst for expanded surveillance. It is a crucial test for Vance, who must back the Trump coalition and preserve his own political ambitions.
Palantir representatives declined to comment, and the company’s press office sent CNN a lengthy statement in June denying “recurring inaccuracies” about the company’s activity.
“We are not a company that engages in citizen surveillance,” reads the statement. “We do not sell personal data of any kind. We do not provide data-mining services as a service.”
– Palantir
“We are not a surveillance company” – Palantir denies claims about the government’s role, stating that their software is designed to enhance national security and efficiency, not infringe on citizens’ privacy.
“The main evidence of a spying state in the West lies not in the government over the consumer; it’s a company that knows every one of your actions at any moment,” – he said in an Axios interview with Mike Allen.
– Mike Allen, Axios
Meanwhile, as a politician, Vance will strive to strike a balance between a critical stance toward big tech and commitments to allies in Silicon Valley – given Palantir’s influence on the campaign and his own political ambitions.
