STAVROULA PABST, stavroula@quincyinst.org, @stavroulapabst
Available for a limited number of interviews, Pabst is a reporter for Responsible Statecraft. She just wrote the piece “Thiel pal and venture capitalist eyed for 2nd highest post in Pentagon.”
She notes: “Trae Stephens literally profits and invests in military tech and weapons and as Trump’s deputy defense secretary would be in charge of the DOD budget.” The article traces relationships between him, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and JD Vance.
Pabst’s pieces from last month include “Is Israel expanding territorial control toward Syria?” “Under the radar: U.S. troops attacked, launch airstrikes on Syria,” and “Lame duck Biden goes for broke on Ukraine aid.”
The piece on Stephens notes that he is a “longtime partner” at venture capitalist and Pentagon contractor Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund “and co-founder and executive chairman at Anduril,” a company “with myriad government contracts … Stephens is an influential player at the intersection of venture capital and defense tech. To say that being in charge of the defense budget could pose a potential conflict of interest, would be an understatement.
“Previously, he worked for Thiel’s Palantir Technologies, which for years has received contracts from across the federal spectrum, including the Department of Defense, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security.
“Striving for political influence in a perpetual quest for business-sustaining government contracts, Anduril has become a prominent Washington lobbyist, especially regarding AI regulations. Palantir has likewise secured positions in high places like the U.S.-China Economic Security and Review Commission, which advises lawmakers on the U.S.-China relationship. And now, the possible Stephens appointment represents the undeniable influence of defense tech, and especially venture capital-backed defense tech in Washington politics after years of work getting a seat at the table.
“Zooming out, Peter Thiel, a serial funder of congressional campaigns, bankrolled fellow venture capitalist and now-VP elect J.D. Vance’s successful 2022 Senate Campaign in Ohio to the tune of $15 million — the most anyone has given to a Senate candidate. Thiel and Vance are in fact long term associates, where Thiel previously assisted Vance’s own venture capital career. Not to miss an opportunity, powerful members of tech’s inner core jumped into action via Elon Musk’s Super PAC, America PAC, upon Vance’s VP-nomination, giving $200 million to the Trump campaign overall.
“Through ventures like SpaceX, Elon Musk has himself become a prominent government contractor. Concerns mount that his emerging status as a ‘close confidant’ of Trump and his own appointment as co-head of the newly-minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may materialize into major conflicts of interest.”