TRYGVE HAMMER
Since Saturday, a strange lull has settled over the political landscape, an eerie calm before the storm—reports from the GOP’s National Convention hint at unusual harmony. In a call with RFK Jr., Donald Trump’s voice carried a confident pitch as he declared, “And we’re gonna win. We’re gonna win, we’re way ahead of the guy.”
This newfound confidence on the right brings unease, a collective holding of breath. Saturday night, Elon Musk, the world’s richest and perhaps loudest billionaire, endorsed Trump. The convention commenced with Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance, splashed across headlines.
Under ordinary circumstances, I’d be thrilled to see a fellow Marine and Midwesterner ascend to such heights. But this is no ordinary circumstance. Reports suggest Musk, Thiel, and others lobbied Trump to select Vance. Musk has pledged $45 million a month to a Super PAC backing the Trump-Vance ticket. Billionaire Peter Thiel, who introduced Vance to Trump in 2021, is also throwing his weight behind them.
Big tech billionaires are not just backing Trump and Vance but buying them. Elon Musk, for instance, bought Twitter to “free” speech, eradicate a perceived liberal bias, and halt supposed government censorship. Yet, under his reign, he manipulated algorithms to amplify his own tweets and censored more speech at the behest of foreign governments. After a tweet he sent during the Super Bowl garnered fewer impressions than a tweet from President Biden, Musk directed engineers to tweak the platform’s algorithm to ensure more users would see his tweets. This wasn’t a minor adjustment; it was a wholesale reconfiguration to artificially boost Musk’s visibility.
HELP STOP THE KLEPTOCRACY
The implications are chilling. Imagine the sway Musk holds when JD Vance, his top beneficiary, is a heartbeat away from the presidency. It’s a frightening prospect for any American who values a government by the people, for the people.
And what of JD Vance? A man who once called Trump “America’s Hitler” now finds himself bound to the man he vehemently opposed. This isn’t leadership; it’s opportunism at its most blatant.
Vance’s metamorphosis was no personal revelation. It was orchestrated by tech billionaires like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, who lobbied Trump to select Vance and poured their fortunes into a SuperPAC to fund his campaign. These are not men of the people; they manipulate the levers of power to amplify their voices, often at the expense of the many.
The parallels between Vance and my opponent, Julie Fedorchak, and even our governor, Doug Burgum, are stark; instead of Musk and Thiel, the billionaire propping up my opponent is energy magnate Harold Hamm. Fedorchak, who once distanced herself from Trump, is now cozying up to his camp, much like Vance. Burgum, who swore he wouldn’t do business with Trump, found his principles malleable when it suited his ambitions. This is our reality: leaders who bend with the political wind rather than stand firm on their convictions.
Support Integrity
I am running not with the backing of billionaires but with the support of small donors who believe in principle over profit. The Marine Corps taught us that officers eat last and that leadership is about serving those you lead, not exploiting them for personal gain. It’s a lesson lost on Vance and his ilk.
Frederick Douglass once said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” We must demand better leadership, integrity, and a better future for our children. This is our moment to prove our mettle, to stand against the tide of money and influence, and to reclaim our country for the people it’s supposed to serve.
Yes, there’s a lot to be startled about. There was a near-successful assassination attempt on a former President that claimed a life. Trump-Vance are armed with coffers from a coterie of big tech billionaires planning to funnel hundreds of millions into their campaign. One of those billionaires controls the platform most often used for political speech and can certainly provide it as a benefit.
But do not lose hope. America is still a great nation. We have time for unexpected turns and disruptions. We must hold fast to our principles and demand integrity, honor, courage, and commitment from our leaders. This is our moment to stand up and demand better. We can fix broken systems if we don’t surrender to despair.
We are not powerless. Your support, engagement, and donations are crucial. We are in the fight of our lives, but all is not lost. We can make a difference and stand against the kleptocratic hold threatening our democracy.
Donate to Trygve
With the U.S. House seat open, the race for North Dakota’s sole congressional district has never been more competitive.
Trygve Hammer is a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, a former public school teacher, and a freight rail conductor. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from the fleet and served as a Marine helicopter pilot, forward air controller, and infantry officer.
From bunking down in oilfield camps to engaging uninterested teenagers in the classroom, Trygve’s career has been a tour of duty in the trenches of American life. Trygve’s commitment to public service is unwavering. He lives by the ethos “Officers Eat Last” and is ready to serve as North Dakota’s next Congressman, putting the people’s needs first.-Paid content
