Silicon Valley Investor Naval Ravikant Endorses Donald Trump Amid Concerns of ‘Lawfare’
Former President Donald Trump continues to build a growing list of endorsements, many of which come from figures not traditionally aligned with him. Among these are high-profile names like Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, former Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, with whom Trump had a well-known feud. Now, another unexpected name has been added to this roster: Silicon Valley investor Naval Ravikant.
In a recent appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show” on Sirius XM, Ravikant explained that it was the legal attacks against Trump—what he referred to as “lawfare”—that pushed him to support the former president. “It was the lawfare that kind of brought me off the sidelines. It’s really disgusting behavior because this is how you descend into a complete banana republic,” Ravikant stated, citing concerns that weaponizing the legal system could lead to political instability.
Ravikant expressed his alarm over the selective use of laws against political opponents, calling it a dangerous precedent. He referenced a well-known quote by former Peru President Óscar R. Benavides, saying, “For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.” This, he argued, captures the essence of how justice can be twisted to serve political agendas.
The investor was particularly critical of the legal charges brought against Trump, describing them as exaggerated and politically motivated. “If you were to actually look at the charges that were brought against Trump — and I actually read them quite carefully — these were really trumped up. They were really made up,” Ravikant said. He pointed to instances where statute limitations were ignored, and minor infractions were inflated into felonies, all under the guise of selective prosecution.
Ravikant went on to criticize progressive district attorneys, notably those linked to philanthropist George Soros, accusing them of using their offices to selectively prosecute individuals based on political motives. He highlighted the example of San Francisco and its former District Attorney, Kamala Harris, linking her tenure to the city’s legal troubles and chaos.
In a broader warning, Ravikant compared the current political environment to past regimes that abused legal systems for control. He referenced Lavrentiy Beria, a police chief under Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union, who famously said, “You find me the man and I’ll find you the crime.” For Ravikant, this kind of selective legal targeting signals a dangerous shift in the U.S. political landscape.
Ravikant warned that such legal tactics threaten the foundation of democracy, potentially leading to violence and political dissolution. He expressed particular disdain for those in Silicon Valley who are supporting the legal actions against Trump, stating that their actions are destructive to the nation’s core principles.
In closing, Ravikant’s endorsement of Trump is rooted not in traditional political alignment but in a deep concern over the erosion of justice. His words reflect a broader anxiety among many Americans who fear that the justice system is being weaponized for political gain, a path he believes could ultimately lead the U.S. toward dictatorship or civil conflict.
As Trump continues to amass these unexpected endorsements, the political dynamics heading into the 2024 election are becoming increasingly unpredictable.