Congressman Ro Khanna. (Photo: Ro Khanna for Congress)
Rep. Khanna Under Fire Over Fundraiser By GOP Backer
Khanna under increased scrutiny due to possible Senate run
By Evan Symon, March 22, 2023 2:30 am
Congressman and possible 2024 U.S. Senate candidate Ro Khanna (D-CA) received increased scrutiny this week following revelations that he is to host a fundraiser at the home of a venture capitalist who sought government intervention in recent banking collapses, including that of Silicon Valley Bank.
Khanna, who represents part of Silicon Valley in Congress, has long been considered the likely successor to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) once she retires. However, preemptive candidacy announcements by Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) to run before her retirement announcement, as well as an announcement to run shortly after by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) largely took the wind out of a possible candidacy by Khanna. While Khanna is still mentioned as a major candidate, he would need to shore up base support and get more voters to back him soon in order to have a chance in next year’s primary.
However, the chances of that dwindled this week following news that Khanna is to be at a fundraiser at the home of VC David Sacks, who was also the first Chief Operating Officer of PayPal under Peter Thiel. While Sacks is largely a supporter of GOP candidates, such as back Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) in recent elections, he has also been a supporter of government intervention in the latest banking crisis.
“Where is Powell? Where is Yellen? Stop this crisis NOW,” tweeted Sacks earlier this month. “Announce that all depositors will be safe. Place SVB with a Top 4 bank. Do this before Monday open or there will be contagion and the crisis will spread.”
Where is Powell? Where is Yellen? Stop this crisis NOW. Announce that all depositors will be safe. Place SVB with a Top 4 bank. Do this before Monday open or there will be contagion and the crisis will spread.
— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) March 10, 2023
While Republican candidates have successfully worked with government intervention calls from supporters before, most notably during the Great Recession, Democratic candidates generally have a harder time tying in support from large GOP funders. And with the three Senatorial candidates so far getting support from mainly left and Democratic organizations an individuals, ranging from trade unions to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Khanna entering the race after being on the same level as large GOP backers could cost him big if he decides to run.
Khanna defended himself on Tuesday, saying that the fundraiser was planned last month before the SVB crisis and that their views come together on certain issues.
“David Sacks knows what my agenda is. He knows I’m a supporter of Bernie Sanders, and of higher taxes on people like him,” noted Khanna on Tuesday. “I can be proud of getting support from tech leaders and yet be independent of them. The tech community explicitly lobbied me on deregulation in 2018, and I stood up to them and voted against it.”
However, political experts noted that, despite his insistence, Khanna will likely face an even more uphill battle now if he decides to run for the Senate.
“You’re choosing to go with a guy who back a lot of Republicans and you’re a Democrat, you better have one hell of a strategy,” explained Malik Griffin, a Los Angeles polling analyst, to the Globe on Tuesday. “Khanna isn’t going to get conservatives to vote for him based on his record, and Southern California already has support going to Schiff and Porter largely. He has some ins with Asian voters as well as many voters around his home district in the Bay Area, but Lee is also drawing from them there now, as are Schiff and Porter increasingly. This is not a good look.”
“There’s nothing wrong with bipartisanship of course. In fact, most voters respect it. But there is a difference in compromising on a bill and working together to choosing to take money from or have a fundraiser hosted by someone who is ideologically far away from you except on a few issues. And that’s what is happening here.”
An announcement by Khanna if he is going to run next year is expected soon.
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Marxist Democrat Khanna groveling for campaign money from RINO venture capitalist Sachs. Typical deep-state shenanigans? None of it really matters come election time? The Democrat cabal will install their preferred puppet with their usual voter fraud and rigged voting machines?
Word on the street is that Ro Khanna is viewed by sensible voters as the least insane of all potential U.S. Senate Dem/Marxist candidates; thus it looks like his own party is gunning for him so they can install the most insane Dem/Marxist candidate to the position. As you know… 🙂
Showandtell, that is the most likely reason for this attack on Khanna. If another JFK-type Dem runs, the progs will do the same to that person.
No kidding, Fed Up. Look for it!