Tech adviser Jacob Helberg, who has donated large sums to Democrats, has joined a wave of big money donors rejecting President Joe Biden and supporting former president Donald Trump in 2024.
Helberg has donated $1 million to Trump’s re-election effort, making the tech adviser one of the largest financial backers of Trump’s bid to win back the White House in November. Just four years ago, Helberg was using his money and influence to support Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s doomed campaign for president, according to The Washington Post.
Helberg is one of a cadre of high-powered Silicon Valley businessmen who have warmed to Trump recently.
“The social cost of supporting Trump isn’t as great as it was,” Helberg said of Silicon Valley society, many members of which see that “Trump was right on a lot of make-or-break issues for America.”
After the Post reported Helberg’s contribution to the Trump campaign, Helberg posted on X: “This one’s for Israel.”
This one’s for Israel. 🇮🇱 🇺🇸 https://t.co/YR1lb0aM9Y
— Jacob Helberg (@jacobhelberg) May 15, 2024
Helberg has given $844,600 to the Trump 47 joint fundraising committee, joining a small group of donors who have maxed out their contribution to the Trump group. By March, at least 20 others had given the limit to the group as well, according to FEC filings reviewed by the Post.
Helberg and Trump agree on a number of issues, but mainly China. The tech adviser and the former president bonded recently at Trump’s Florida resort Mar-a-Lago over the need to take an adversarial approach to China on trade, Tiktok, and other issues.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP
Helberg’s drift toward Trump is part of a trend of Democratic supporters who, disenchanted with Biden’s presidency, have taken a second look at Trump and like what they see, given the circumstances.
Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said that he has spoken with many Jewish donors who are skeptical of Trump, but with Biden’s tilt away from Israel, have given the Republican candidate a second look, according to The Free Press.
“There is clearly a change going on, people who are active in politics with big money, people who were never Trumpers or reluctant ‘hold your nose Trumpers’ are telling me that Trump has to win,” Friedman told The Free Press.
Democratic mega-donor Haim Saban wrote an email to two Biden aides last week warning against the president’s increasing antagonism toward Israel amid its war against Hamas. Saban criticized the president for holding up munitions to Israel.
“Even beyond Israel,this [sic] sends a terrible message to our allies in the region ,and [sic] beyond,that, [sic] we can flip from doing the right [thing] to bending to political pressure,” Saban wrote. “Let’s not forget that there are more Jewish voters, who care about Israel,than [sic] [Muslim] voters who care about Hamas.”
Democratic mega-donor Haim Saban wrote an email to Biden’s aides Steve Ricchetti & Anita Dunn about Biden’s decision to put on hold a weapons shipment to Israel: “Let’s not forget there are more Jewish voters who care about Israel than Muslim voters who care about Hamas” pic.twitter.com/HdeI9iOL3W
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 9, 2024
