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Thiel was an early and vocal supporter of Donald Trump, backing him in 2016 when many in Silicon Valley shunned the then-candidate. Now, with Trump's decisive victory, Thiel's contrarian vision has been vindicated. The appointment of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur JD Vance to key administration roles signals the ascendance of this new, unorthodox power center.
Thiel's Prescience and the Collapse of Liberalism
Thiel foresaw this moment, arguing that the 2016 election represented a broader "collapse of liberalism" - a failure of the Democratic party and the progressive establishment to connect with the concerns of Middle America. He believed Trump's "Make America Great Again" message tapped into a deep well of economic and cultural stagnation that the political class had ignored.