Today’s read: 6 min 29 sec

Good morning. In February, we wrote about a swirl of rumors in the Democrat party: Joe Biden could be replaced, and a better candidate could be chosen if he was struggling.

The hardest part would be getting a resignation out of him. But after weeks of unrelenting media pressure, along with a weaponized withdrawal of support from Biden’s top donors and political allies, Biden had no options.

Yesterday, the nation was again thrown into disarray. The sitting president’s social media accounts announced that he would not seek reelection, and then his accounts endorsed Kamala. All the while, the president himself has not been seen or heard from in days.

We’ll be writing more on this in the days to come, but one thing is becoming clear: November will be a race between a party centralized and shepherded by Donald Trump and a headless Democrat system conducted by its donors, the media, and specific power brokers.

Does it feel like we’re living through a mini-revolution?

First time here? I’m Ari, and this is Upward News. Every day, we scour 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won’t see in the MSM. Sign up here.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

✌️ President Biden dropped out of the presidential race. On Sunday afternoon, the president officially stepped aside from seeking a second term after the mounting pressure campaign from within his own party, the media, and donors. In a brief message, he subsequently gave his “full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”

🏆 Kamala Harris says she will “earn and win” the nomination. Vice President Harris has already earned the backing of Democrat mega-donor Alex Soros, and is dialoging with key groups on Capitol Hill to shore up her support for the presidential nomination. Democrats subsequently had their most significant fundraising day of the 2024 cycle just hours after President Biden’s announcement.

🚨 Secret Service denied Donald Trump’s request for more security. A bombshell report revealed that top U.S. Secret Service (USSS) officials repeatedly denied requests for more resources and manpower from Donald Trump’s security team in the past two years. USSS and Homeland Security initially denied having turned down such requests.

💣 Israel retaliated against the Houthis. In response to an “upgraded” Houthi missile killing a civilian in Tel Aviv, the Israeli Air Force unloaded on Yemen’s Hodeida Port, known to be a Houthi terrorist stronghold. Despite the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships for months, Israel had refrained from striking them until now, marking the first time it has targeted military sites inside Yemen.

WHAT WE’RE HEARING

• Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) believes an open convention would be a “dangerous fantasy” and that Democrats need to unify around Kamala Harris.

• Rep. Elise Stafanik (R-NY) will submit “a resolution condemning Kamala Harris’ role as Joe Biden’s ‘Border czar.’”

• RFK Jr. said that Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) is “a salute to the CIA … and to the military-industrial complex.”

INSIDE AMERICA

The “angel” at Trump’s near-fatal rally

In the aftermath of the assassination attempt on President Trump, it's now known that he came within milliseconds and millimeters of death.

One rally attendee and reader of Upward News, Gary Latuszewski Jr., recounted an extraordinary event to us:

• "Before any speakers took the stage, Trump’s campaign videos were shown on the screens, followed by the National Anthem. The flag, caught in the wind, twisted into the shape of an angel and remained that way until after the first set of speakers finished."

Gary wasn’t alone in noticing this; other attendees were also struck by the flag's unusual shape and took photos.

As we know now, the President himself was deeply moved by the incident, attributing his survival to divine providence. Republicans have also strongly embraced that framing. “I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he told the crowd at the Republican National Convention.

“There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” Trump said. “I stand before you by the grace of almighty God.”

IN THE LOOP

• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called on President Biden to resign the presidency.

• Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) passed away at age 74 after battling pancreatic cancer.

• Barack Obama and other Democrat leaders have not yet endorsed Kamala Harris.

• The Clintons endorsed Kamala Harris.

• Should Christians support Israel? Read a fact-based and religious argument for Israel’s war against Hamas.

• The most clicked link in our last newsletter was RFK Jr.’s leaked phone call with Trump.

WASHINGTON

The tech billionaire elite defects to Trump

• Billionaires in Silicon Valley funded J.D. Vance for years and are now strongly supporting Trump

• Tech leaders believe Vance, who is deeply knowledgeable on tech policy, will be a strategic ally in Washington

• His anti-corporate reputation may be challenged amid promises to protect Big Tech freedoms

The story

Silicon Valley leaders are ramping up their support for Donald Trump to retake the White House. Just last month, Trump went to Silicon Valley for a fundraiser hosted by billionaire David Sacks, joined by many other wealthy tech entrepreneurs who are now eager to get him back into office.

Despite the Bay Area technology hub's “woke” tendencies, Silicon Valley billionaires have formed an alliance with Washington’s right wing. Much is this alliance is thanks to the relationship between Trump’s V.P. pick, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), and billionaire PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.

Vance worked in venture capital before running for Senate, but before that, he was a student at Yale Law School, where he met Thiel for the first time, describing him as “possibly the smartest person I’d ever met.” In 2016, Vance began working for Mithril Capital, which Thiel co-founded. Thiel eventually became Vance’s largest donor during his 2022 Senate run.

Now, Big Tech leaders like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk have a direct ally and friend who could potentially become the next vice president.

The donors vs. the tech bros

Vance's support for higher taxes on big businesses and his hardline stance against tech monopolies indicate that he’s far from being an ally to Big Tech. In fact, major corporate donors within the GOP are outraged that he was chosen to run alongside Trump.

Republican donors preferred Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who they described as safer options, as opposed to the highly ideological Vance, who bucks many of the trends traditionally associated with the Republican Party.

Allies in Silicon Valley are ecstatic about having one of their own so high up in Washington, with one venture capital partner saying,"[Vance] has a direct line to some important influencers as he's evaluating or thinking through some of the policy around tech.”

Vance, who owns up to $250,000 in Bitcoin, has deep knowledge of Big Tech and is expected to champion policies that expand its freedoms, as evidenced by his strong backing from players like Thiel and Musk.

The founders of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, who don’t usually delve into politics, explained their support for Trump and Vance. Ben Horowitz emphasized the necessity for supporting them because of the critical impact on their business, technology, and America's future. They criticized the Biden administration's heavy-handed regulations on cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, arguing that another Biden term would severely hinder American innovation.

Beyond the headlines

Despite forging an alliance with Big Tech billionaires, Vance remains a staunch advocate of anti-monopoly policies. In fact, he often finds himself partnering with progressive Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on applying antitrust law to America’s biggest corporations like Google and Microsoft.

Two duo have teamed up on multiple pieces of legislation, from the “Stop Subsidizing Giant Mergers Act” to another bill that would break up giant firms.

Vance’s anti-tech credentials have also led him to support Biden-appointed FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan, an anti-Big Tech crusader. While his economic populism drives his commitment to challenging corporate market dominance, Vance's deep understanding of Silicon Valley and venture capital could make him overly lenient with his allies.

J.D. Vance’s policy positions embody a strong populist-conservative stance, advocating for Big Tech’s growth while confronting corporate excesses. Peter Thiel and Elon Musk's support for Vance underscores their shared belief in safeguarding market integrity from Big Tech’s overreach. It shows that advocating for antitrust measures aligns with the GOP’s new, more working-class-oriented values and supports the tech industry's long-term health.

Why it matters

As the Republican Party rebrands itself as the party of the forgotten man, J.D. Vance was chosen as Trump’s running mate in part because he is seen as the natural successor to carry forward that new GOP image. However, his years spent in venture capital and making friends with Silicon Valley billionaires like Peter Thiel raise questions about how Vance will operate if elevated to vice president in January 2025.

He has proven credentials as an anti-monopoly advocate, though the tech leaders who funded his Senate run and now Trump’s campaign will expect Vance to take a nuanced approach when advocating for certain policies. Endorsing anti-corporate legislation while promising freedoms for Big Tech may prove to be a challenge for the MAGA movement’s heir.

Interview: Auron MacIntyre on the Biden Disaster and the “Cathedral”

Auron MacIntyre is a columnist, author, and host of “The Auron MacIntyre Show” on Blaze Media. His new book “The Total State: How Liberal Democracies Become Tyrannies” can be found here. He is also on X.

“The Total State: How Liberal Democracies Become Tyrannies”: In his new book, MacIntyre lays out what most Americans believe, what actually governs the U.S. (hint: it’s not the Constitution or democratic governance), and how we can create change.

According to MacIntyre, Americans mistakenly believe that our Constitution facilitates a self-perpetuating government and that we will always have freedom because the system handles it. That's not what the founders created.

What should enrage everyone? MacIntyre believes the Office of the President has never been run by Joe Biden. “If we're not governed by Article II of the Constitution, what are we governed by?,” he asks.

Addressing how his understanding of politics has changed, MacIntyre notes, “I didn't understand the fundamental idea that power matters... I used to have a very mainstream conservative understanding of politics. What happened in 2020 shook my understanding. The book outlines the intellectual journey of how I got where I am.”

OUR QUESTION TO YOU

POLL RESULTS FROM THURSDAY

Is DEI to blame for the Secret Service’s failure?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 Yes (730)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👎 No (114)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (214)