Fiercely against the social media platform TikTok, the cryptocurrency bitcoin and electric cars during his presidency, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has recently taken issue with many issues dear to Silicon Valley.
The presidential candidate remained firm, however, on some areas that are likely to concern major US tech companies.
Here’s a rundown of Trump’s latest policy stance on five big tech issues.
Electric vehicles
“I love Elon Musk, I love him,” Trump shouted Saturday during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a state that is home to many American automakers.
That statement came after reports that Musk had pledged to donate $45 million a month to the Republican after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt — reports that Musk later denied.
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But Trump has spent years ridiculing electric cars, calling them too expensive and impractical and denying the climate change concerns that have driven demand for them.
“I talk about electric vehicles all the time, but I don’t mean that I’m against them; I’m all for them,” he said, adding that cars are not for everyone.
If elected, however, Trump has said he wants to end federal subsidies that encourage the purchase of electric cars.
The move isn’t likely to hurt Tesla, some of whose models are ineligible for the rebates, but it would hurt its U.S. competitors.
Tik Tok
Trump unsuccessfully tried to ban the Chinese-owned video app TikTok on national security grounds during his presidency and spoke out against China during his failed 2020 re-election bid.
Trump has voiced concerns — echoed by political opponents — that the Chinese government can tap into US TikTok users’ data or manipulate what they see on the platform.
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He even invited an American company to buy TikTok, with the government participating in the sale price.
Now that US President Joe Biden’s administration has signed a law banning the app on the same grounds unless it is sold, Trump has reversed course.
“Now (that) I think about it, I’m for TikTok, because you need competition,” he recently told Bloomberg.
“If you don’t have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram — and that’s, you know, that’s Zuckerberg.”
Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg and part of the Meta tech empire, was among the social networks that banned Trump after the attacks on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, over concerns that he would use the platform to promote more violence.
Crypto
Trump’s sudden support for cryptocurrencies appears to stem from a belief, expressed to Bloomberg, that “if we don’t, China will figure it out — or someone else.”
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He’s gone from calling bitcoin a “fraud” and a disaster waiting to happen, saying in a post on his Truth Social platform that cryptocurrencies should be “MADE IN THE USA!!!”
The relatable persona, and his choice of crypto industry backer JD Vance as his running mate, have endeared Trump to an industry he believes has been roughed up by the Biden administration.
“A Trump presidency is the only way to help the US cryptocurrency regulatory regime,” said Digital Future founder Michelle Bond.
Trump has not explained how he plans to support the crypto sector.
Imported talent and technology
Trump has taken numerous steps that have undercut Silicon Valley during his time in the White House.
Among them was the signing of executive orders restricting visas for foreign workers whose skills are essential to US-based technology companies.
Trump also imposed steep tariffs that penalized companies like Apple that depend on China for their supply chain.
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That policy, which has largely continued under Biden, is likely to remain in place if Trump regains office.
On the campaign trail, Trump suggested he would expand his protectionist policies to include countries other than China.
On Tuesday, Musk said Tesla had suspended plans to build a factory in Mexico because of concerns about potential tariffs under Trump.
Taxes
During his presidency, Trump’s tax cuts have mostly benefited the wealthy, including tech titans.
On the campaign trail, Biden — and his successor as Democratic nominee Kamala Harris — said they wanted the wealthy to pay more in taxes.
Trump, however, says he wants to cut corporate taxes, even as tech giants rake in billions in profits.
The Trump administration has targeted tech giants Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook through antitrust actions, but his focus on enforcing such regulations is not expected to remain as strict if he is elected to a second term.
Source: AFP