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Trump's New Tech Friends Can't Stop Embarrassing Themselves
On Saturday evening, as millions of Americans turned out for a nationwide spate of anti–Trump administration “No Kings” protests, the unpopular president arrived at the National Mall to stage his long-planned military parade for the Army’s 250th birthday (and Donald Trump’s 79th, and also Flag Day). It was a low-energy display: The audience numbers were underwhelming, and the planning was so shoddy that many attendees left even before the festivities had officially wrapped. The telecast of the party looked so wimpy that its corporate sponsors stood out all the more, and not in a good way: The branding for Trump-connected tech companies like crypto exchange Coinbase and data firm Palantir regularly juxtaposed with the piddling crowds and oversize tank processions that cost tens of millions of dollars to set up.
“Special thanks to our sponsor: Coinbase” pic.twitter.com/wtcZbHLIt2
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 14, 2025
Coinbase and Palantir weren’t the only Big Tech companies involved; defense contractors Oracle and Lockheed Martin were also prominent partners, along with combat-sports empire UFC, which is headed by Meta board member Dana White. But the presence of those first two firms made for a particularly in-your-face and cynical exercise, beyond the surreal optics of a supposedly distinguished government ceremony that featured blatant advertisements for private-sector firms. More pointedly, it was a sign of the extent to which Silicon Valley players are appeasing the Trump administration for favorable contracts and regulations—and how willing they are to debase and humiliate themselves in the process.
Just five summers ago, when the mass protests responding to George Floyd’s murder spurred even crypto companies to declare support for Black Lives Matter, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong dismissed his employees’ requests to such a public stance, insisting that the crypto exchange would remain “apolitical.” Later, it would become clear how selective his rationale was: In 2024 he ramped up fundraising efforts for political candidates who showed sufficient fealty toward the cryptocurrency industry—and spent ample amounts to take out elected officials who had been more skeptical of digital assets.
After Trump won the 2024 election, Armstrong advised the incoming administration and influenced the corrupt, deregulatory, and alarmingly risky approach that Trump’s second term has taken toward crypto. Now it has culminated in this hollow pro-military facade that has left even Coinbase fans upset by Armstrong’s self-serving hypocrisy. (Not to mention the many, many former politicos Coinbase has taken on as advisers, including widely disliked ex-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and former Barack Obama aide David Plouffe.)
“Special thanks to our sponsor: Coinbase” pic.twitter.com/wtcZbHLIt2
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 14, 2025
Coinbase and Palantir weren’t the only Big Tech companies involved; defense contractors Oracle and Lockheed Martin were also prominent partners, along with combat-sports empire UFC, which is headed by Meta board member Dana White. But the presence of those first two firms made for a particularly in-your-face and cynical exercise, beyond the surreal optics of a supposedly distinguished government ceremony that featured blatant advertisements for private-sector firms. More pointedly, it was a sign of the extent to which Silicon Valley players are appeasing the Trump administration for favorable contracts and regulations—and how willing they are to debase and humiliate themselves in the process.
Just five summers ago, when the mass protests responding to George Floyd’s murder spurred even crypto companies to declare support for Black Lives Matter, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong dismissed his employees’ requests to such a public stance, insisting that the crypto exchange would remain “apolitical.” Later, it would become clear how selective his rationale was: In 2024 he ramped up fundraising efforts for political candidates who showed sufficient fealty toward the cryptocurrency industry—and spent ample amounts to take out elected officials who had been more skeptical of digital assets.
After Trump won the 2024 election, Armstrong advised the incoming administration and influenced the corrupt, deregulatory, and alarmingly risky approach that Trump’s second term has taken toward crypto. Now it has culminated in this hollow pro-military facade that has left even Coinbase fans upset by Armstrong’s self-serving hypocrisy. (Not to mention the many, many former politicos Coinbase has taken on as advisers, including widely disliked ex-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and former Barack Obama aide David Plouffe.)
https://archive.is/MSbDN#selection-1243.0-1549.2