_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
Several major tech leaders have begun publicly or privately pushing back against the Trump administration following ICE operations in Minneapolis that left two dead.
After weeks of near-total silence and visible efforts to stay aligned with President Trump, a small but notable group of executives has signaled concern over the scale and tactics of federal immigration enforcement. The shift marks a break from Big Tech’s early second-term strategy of cozying up to President Trump through donations and flattery to avoid tariffs and regulation from his administration.
_THE FACTS_
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in an internal Slack message that "what's happening with ICE is going too far," while still calling Trump "a very strong leader."
Anthropic president Daniela Amodei posted on LinkedIn that she was "horrified and sad," adding that "freedom of speech, civil liberties, the rule of law, and human decency are cornerstones of American democracy."
Apple CEO Tim Cook attended a White House VIP screening of the Melania Trump documentary on January 24, the same day Pretti was killed; he later sent an internal memo calling for "de-escalation" and claiming he spoke to Trump about the issue.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella have said nothing publicly about the Minneapolis killings as of this writing.
X CEO Elon Musk, on the other hand, posted that Renee Good had "almost killed" the ICE agent before he shot her.
CEOs of roughly 60 Minnesota-based companies, including 3M and Target, released a joint letter calling for federal and local officials to de-escalate.
Tech leaders are credited with persuading the Trump administration to cancel plans to move ICE agents into San Francisco last October.
_INSIGHTS_
Early in Trump’s second term, tech executives believed their loyalty to the president would buy them protection. They made copious donations, including to Trump’s inauguration fund and the new White House ballroom, and are contributing to major new AI infrastructure projects.
Outside Washington, Big Tech depends on highly ideological left-leaning workforces in major cities, and when their employees demand statements on contentious issues, the leaders’ silence risks walkouts, resignations, and leaks. Trump has already extracted much of what he wanted from Big Tech, so although Silicon Valley executives may have to placate their employees by pushing back against the president from time to time, Trump likely knows he still will have allies when he needs them.
