Silicon Valley insiders were impressed on Thursday night at the Trump presidential fundraiser by the “eloquent and articulate” Donald Trump. The event took place in the posh San Francisco neighborhood of Pacific Heights from Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s mansion.

One source who attended the event told the NY Post that “He wasn’t the guy I see on TV. He was very thoughtful and self-deprecating.”

More than 100 people paid between $250,000 and $300,000 a head to attend the fundraiser hosted by venture capitalist David Sacks at his multimillion-dollar home. Over 12 million was reportedly raised at the event.

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Trump Presidential Fundraiser

The event attracted notable guests including Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commissioner Jacob Helberg, venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, CEO Tom Siebel of C3.ai, and Joe Voboril, a partner at 1789 Capital. 

Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, a member of the well-known podcast “All In” with Sacks and tech insiders Jason Calacanis and David Friedberg, also hosted.

Palihapitiya claims to be an “apolitical” person who makes tough decisions every four years when the presidential election rolls around.

Many of the attendees had similar attitudes. And are concerned about that Biden’s presidency has been a disaster.

Trump spoke for 45-minutes. He talked about his late uncle John G. Trump an MIT professor, joking that he should’ve followed in his uncle’s footsteps in order to connect with the largely techie crowd.

 He pivoted to serious topics like the importance of unleashing artificial intelligence innovation. He reinforced that the US needs to be energy independent.

Sources said Trump, who was introduced to the crowd by Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio, also discussed foreign policy and highlighted the threat that both North Korea and Russia pose.

 He noted that, since he left office, Russia has gotten richer, and more aggressive.

California Seeing Red

“Last night, there was energy and excitement for a Republican presidential candidate unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Silicon Valley,” Helberg, told The Post.

Helberg, who previously supported Democrats added: “This event was proof that President Trump’s campaign is creating a generational realignment among technology founders, Millennials, gays, and Jewish Americans that transcends party lines and makes him more competitive in even the most traditionally blue communities.”

“Crypto radicalized and politicized people,” one Trump advisor suggested to The Post.

Trump called the Winklevoss twins “the guys who created Facebook” and joked “the gene pool” did them “so many favors.” The brothers sued Mark Zuckerberg and recognition some money claiming Facebook was their idea. More recently they started Gemini, a crypto exchange. 

Trump is making inroads appealing to voters who don’t usually vote Republican. Some of the millionaires and billionaires are switching parties because “progressive policies” are making America weaker.

Fundraising

The Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign say they raised $141 million in May, a massive haul that includes over $50 million raised in the aftermath of his guilty verdict in his New York criminal trial.

His campaign reported raising $34.8 million in a single day, setting a new record for online donations for a Republican candidate. This surge in fundraising highlights strong support from his base, with nearly 30% of the donors being new to the party’s online platform.

The millionaires and billionaires are flocking to the former president. There is another high-profile Trump presidential fundraiser set for Sunday in Las Vegas.