As the dust settles on the 2024 US election, political attention is already turning to 2028, with Vice President JD Vance emerging as the frontrunner to succeed Donald Trump. However, his close association with controversial data analytics firm Palantir and its billionaire co-founder Peter Thiel could present significant obstacles to his presidential ambitions.
The Shape-Shifting Politician
JD Vance, who spoke at the Marine Ball at the Washington Hilton on 8 November, has demonstrated remarkable political flexibility throughout his career. The former atheist converted to Catholicism in 2019, shortly before entering politics, and famously transformed from calling Donald Trump "America's Hitler" to becoming his vice president and potential successor.
Trump himself has endorsed Vance's future prospects, suggesting a presidential ticket with Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be "unstoppable". Meanwhile, Rubio has reportedly told his inner circle he would support Vance for president, cementing the Ohio senator's position as heir apparent.
The Palantir Connection
Vance's most persistent challenge may be his deep ties to Palantir, the $450 billion technology company co-founded by Peter Thiel. Thiel's patronage has been instrumental in Vance's political rise, beginning with encouraging his hiring at investment firm Mithril Capital in 2016 and culminating in a $15 million investment in Vance's Senate campaign.
Many observers see Vance as Thiel's political avatar in the White House, a concerning prospect given Thiel's stated belief that "freedom and democracy are incompatible". The relationship is generating increasing scrutiny as Vance positions himself for higher office.
Growing Public Concern
Palantir's work has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. The company holds multimillion-dollar contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to improve "deportation logistics" and develop an "ImmigrationOS" that tracks instances of "self-deportation".
More controversially, Palantir provides technology to Israel's military, with a June UN report citing "reasonable grounds to believe" the company supplied predictive policing tools and core defence infrastructure. When confronted by pro-Palestine protesters in May, co-founder Alex Karp dismissed concerns by stating: "Mostly terrorists, that's true."
Even prominent conservative voices have expressed alarm about Palantir's influence. Joe Rogan described the Trump administration's use of Palantir to gather "personal data of American citizens" as "kinda creepy", while Tucker Carlson and over a dozen other right-wing influencers have questioned the company's objectives.
Vance himself acknowledged the issue while speaking to university students, noting: "I get asked about Palantir a lot because there's this internet meme out there that somehow I am super in bed with Palantir." As the 2028 election approaches, this meme could become a significant political liability that even this seasoned shape-shifter may struggle to overcome.
