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New Univision Op-Ed Nails Donald Trump, Dings Peter Thiel
The hits just keep coming for prominent Donald Trump supporter and Facebook board member Peter Thiel. On Monday, Thiel penned an op-ed for The New York Times that earned him a quick, brutal smackdown from a sitting Congresswoman. On Tuesday, Spanish media titan Univision acquired Gawker Media -- Thiel's longtime nemesis -- which could guarantee a far bigger audience for any future critiques the Gawker crew levels at the Silicon Valley tycoon.
On Wednesday, coincidentally -- or not -- Univision published a scathing op-ed by a Republican activist. The target was Trump, but the subject matter could just as easily apply to Peter Thiel and any other prominent Trump supporter.
The Univision op-ed by Rosario Marín
The new op-ed appeared on August 17 under the title, "Why this Republican is endorsing Hillary Clinton." It was written by Republican insider Rosario Marín.
Marín's life story embraces many hallmarks of the immigrant experience, including being labeled a slow learner in high school before gaining fluency in English. She went on to become the first Mexican-born U.S. Treasury Secretary, a position she achieved under Republican President George Bush.
Marín never mentions Donald Trump by name in the op-ed, but there is no mistaking who she means by this:
"... But since July 2015, when a certain candidate, upon entering the political arena, showed his contempt for Mexican immigrants by stating they were drug dealers, rapists and murderers, I have voiced my disgust and have warned one and all of the perilous threat he was to our party, our nation and the world."
Many other influential Republicans have denounced Trump. This op-ed is significant, though, because Marín is among the very few Republicans who have gone the next step beyond merely issuing a proclamation against Trump. She publicly and unequivocally pledged to vote for Hillary Clinton this fall:
"My party and its standard bearer leave me no choice; On November 8, I will vote for Hillary Clinton."
So, what does this have to do with Peter Thiel?
The trickle of Republicans against Trump has swelled into a flood, but so far Peter Thiel has declined to comment.
That's not particularly odd, considering the apparently important position that Thiel arranged for himself in the Trump campaign.
Thiel emerged as a California delegate for Trump without fanfare during the primary season. Within a few short months, he managed to secure a high-profile speaking role at the Republican National Convention.
Those of you who follow tech news may be a bit surprised to see Thiel's name linked so publicly to the Trump campaign. Virtually no other Silicon Valley A-lister has publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president.
However, the two men do share a healthy antipathy toward the media.
Thiel's affinity for Trump is also consistent with the last presidential candidate he endorsed, Ron Paul, whose career has been marked by anti-immigrant and outright racist positions.
The main difference is that Paul pivoted during his ill-fated runs for the presidency, and by the 2008 campaign he softened his nativist stance to the point of disappearance.
Nevertheless, it's a bit of a stretch to believe that Thiel had no idea about Paul's well-documented past when he became the candidate's most important financial backer during the 2012 election cycle.
Back in 2008, Thiel also reportedly donated $1 million to the anti-immigrant group Numbers USA.
Peter Thiel's support for Trump is also consistent with his apparent affection for Ezra Pound, the influential American poet and fascist sympathizer who became Mussolini's mouthpiece during World War II.
Also of interest is Thiel's planned speaking engagement this September at a conference held by the white nationalist Property and Freedom Society. The organization's founder, Hans Hoppe, has this to say about border control:
“… to post signs regarding entrance requirements to the town, and once in town for entering specific pieces of property (no beggars or bums or homeless, but also no Moslems, Hindus, Jews, Catholics, etc.) …”
So, when Rosario Marín says this about Trump...
"... I will stand up for my community against the menace of a tyrannical presidency that does not value the countless contributions of immigrants across its beautiful and bountiful history."
...she also appears to have Trump supporters like Peter Thiel in mind.
Photo (cropped and altered): via Sportsfile Web Summit on flickr.com, creative commons license.
Tina writes frequently for TriplePundit and other websites, with a focus on military, government and corporate sustainability, clean tech research and emerging energy technologies. She is a former Deputy Director of Public Affairs of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and author of books and articles on recycling and other conservation themes.
