Former PayPal Pres. Switches Parties, Backs GOP, Trump

David Marcus, former president of PayPal and VP of Messaging Products at Facebook, announced his transition from the Democratic Party to backing the Republican Party and former President Donald Trump.

David Marcus, a former Democrat known for his leadership roles at PayPal and Facebook Messenger and for co-founding the cryptocurrency startup Lightspark, has made a significant political shift, declaring his support for the Republican Party and Trump.

Marcus explained his reasoning in a Wednesday post on X, "Many — including a former version of myself — get trapped in a mental framework that becomes their identity and prevents them from radically evolving their thinking with new facts and information. I finally broke free from it."

Consequently, he said, "I am crossing the Rubicon and backing the Republican Party and President Trump."

The turning point came in 2019, during his tenure at Meta, where he engaged with lawmakers and regulators about the Libra project.

Marcus revealed, "I was shocked to learn that, for the most part, Republicans cared more deeply about their constituents, while Democrats, in my experience, cared more about government power and control."

He said he found Republicans more willing to understand the project's goals and discuss the risks of censoring payments and controlling the network.

The COVID-19 pandemic further influenced Marcus' views.

He criticized the "censorship machine" that suppressed information about the virus' origin and dissenting opinions on vaccinations and lockdowns.

"I fully appreciated why Republicans value freedom of speech and preventing censorship," he said.

Marcus's disillusionment with the Democratic Party was cemented by the handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story, the vilification of Trump, and President Joe Biden's cognitive decline.

"These examples displayed the hubris of the current Dem leadership," he said. "You must think the American people are fools to believe the spin on these issues. I despise this elite vs. general population ideology viscerally."

On domestic issues, Marcus opposes the Democratic Party's "departure from the core American value system of meritocracy, an extreme and weaponized DEI agenda, an open door to massive illegal immigration, and a once-fringe narrative, now mainstream within the party, of vilifying success."

He also criticized the Biden administration's foreign policy, including its approach to Russia and Iran and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"Most importantly to me, concerning Israel, the administration is enabling Iran to fund Hamas and Hezbollah, restraining Israel in its fight against its enemies, thus prolonging another conflict, which is costing more lives on both sides and allowing unprecedented levels of antisemitism to rise at home," he said.

Marcus emphasized the need for a president who supports American values, business, innovation, free speech, and common sense.

Despite his new alignment with the GOP, Marcus disagrees with some of its stances, particularly on women's reproductive rights.

"I firmly believe that women should have the unalienable right to make their own decisions on this polarizing topic," he asserted.

Reflecting on President Trump's resilience after an assassination attempt, Marcus said, "The courage and resolve he displayed seconds after being hit by a bullet was awe-inspiring for his followers and detractors alike. This was a man, however imperfect, who, at that moment, incarnated the American spirit in the most vivid way, starting to bring a split nation together."

Marcus added, "In this pivotal moment, confronted with the choices we have, I am endorsing and supporting a return to a Republican administration in 2025."