Silicon Valley Reps Next Up in Trump Transition Meetings

Silicon Valley will soon be weighing in with the Trump transition team.

President-elect Donald Trump's senior advisers have invited executives from Apple, Facebook and Google and other tech firms to Trump Tower next Wednesday to talk about issues affecting their industry, according to Politico.

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who is serving on Trump's transition team, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, will be at the meeting, Politico reported, citing an unnamed source.

Silicon Valley and Trump have been at odds throughout the campaign and Trump has taken particular aim at Apple, as well as the policies that fueled the tech sector's economic success – free trade and globalization.

But with Thiel on the transition team, Silicon Valley has one of its own close to the Oval Office.

Politico reported Thiel is handling many of the tech issues that will face the incoming administration, including internet regulation, surveillance reform, and the government's own use of technology.

"At present, I think [Thiel] is the only person on the transition team with any real tech connections or tech credibility," Garrett Johnson told Politico.

Johnson is the co-founder of SendHub, and also runs the Lincoln Initiative, a Bay Area group that works with Republicans in the industry.

"I would say he is the best gateway at present if anyone in the tech world wants to have a conversation with the transition or, eventually, the administration," Johnson told the outlet.

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