White House threatens Silicon Valley donors backing $100M AI super PAC

The White House is threatening Silicon Valley donors behind a new $100 million super PAC called Leading the Future, which plans to support AI-friendly candidates from both political parties in the 2026 midterm elections. The bipartisan approach has particularly angered Trump officials, who view it as a betrayal since the effort could help Democrats regain control of Congress while being led by a former Chuck Schumer staffer.

What you should know: The super PAC launched in August without consulting the White House and aims to back candidates who support uniform federal AI regulations rather than state-by-state laws.

• Initial donors include Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen (a close Trump adviser), OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, and SV Angel founder Ron Conway.
• The group is modeled after Fairshake, the $130 million crypto-focused political effort from 2024, and is led by Josh Vlasto (Chuck Schumer’s former press secretary) and Republican consultant Zac Moffatt.

Why the White House is furious: Trump officials see the bipartisan strategy as working against the president’s interests, especially since Democrats need only three House seats to regain majority control.

• “Any group run by Schumer acolytes will not have the blessing of the president or his team,” a White House official told NBC News.
• “Any donors or supporters of this group should think twice about getting on the wrong side of Trump world.”

What they’re saying: The White House is characterizing the super PAC as a direct affront to Trump’s leadership.

• “AI has no better ally than President Trump, so it’s inexplicable why any company would put money into the midterms behind a Schumer-operative who is working against President Trump to elect Democrats,” said a second White House source.
• “It’s a slap in the face, and the White House has definitely taken notice.”

Trump’s AI record: Since taking office in January, Trump has implemented several industry-friendly policies, including releasing an AI action plan in July and signing executive orders that created a new AI export program, prevented “woke AI” in federal government, and fast-tracked data center expansion.

The broader context: The political maneuvering comes as AI regulation remains contentious, with recent debates over whether to ban states from implementing their own AI laws—a provision that was stripped from Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” before passage.

• This week, AI researchers and public figures including Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Steve Bannon signed a statement calling for a “prohibition on the development of superintelligence” until there’s scientific consensus about potential existential threats.