The Trump administration is threatening Silicon Valley’s most influential figures over their involvement in a $100 million bipartisan political action committee (PAC) backing candidates in the upcoming midterm elections who support federal artificial intelligence (AI) regulations, regardless of party affiliation.
The Leading the Future super PAC, launched in August without consulting the White House, has angered Trump officials because it could help Democrats regain congressional seats.
“Any group run by [Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer acolytes will not have the blessing of the president or his team,” a White House official told NBC News. “Any donors or supporters of this group should think twice about getting on the wrong side of Trump world. We are carefully monitoring who is involved.”
The warning is particularly notable given the prominent figures involved in the PAC. Its initial donors include Marc Andreessen, co-founder of venture capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz and a close Trump adviser; Greg Brockman, co-founder of OpenAI; Joe Lonsdale, Palantir co-founder and vocal Trump supporter; and Ron Conway, founder of SV Angel who backed Kamala Harris in 2024.
The organization is led by Josh Vlasto, former press secretary to Schumer, New York’s senior Democratic Senator. Zac Moffatt, founder of Republican consulting firm Targeted Victory, serves as the other top official.
The super PAC’s goal is electing candidates who support uniform federal AI regulations rather than allowing individual states to create their own rules. The debate recently surfaced during negotiations over Trump’s legislative priority, the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The measure initially included a 10-year ban on state AI regulations, but that provision was removed before passage.
Democrats need only three seats to reclaim the House majority, which would significantly hamper Trump’s agenda and enable investigations into his administration.
The White House feels particularly betrayed by the bipartisan super PAC following a slew of moves by Trump to benefit Big Tech. Since January, the president has released an AI action plan, signed executive orders creating a new AI export program, banned “woke AI” in federal government, and fast-tracked data center expansion. The most ambitious of the data center initiatives is Stargate, a project led by OpenAI, Oracle Corp., and SoftBank Group.
The pro-industry stance contrasts with growing concerns about AI development speed. This week, researchers, former military leaders, and public figures including Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Steve Bannon, signed a statement warning about computer superintelligence as a potential existential threat. They urged development prohibition until scientific consensus emerges.
