Source: Transformer
Alexandr Wang's Washington Post ad the day after Trump's inauguration was a direct play for AI regulation framing. By positioning Scale AI near Trump and invoking China competition, Wang sought to shape federal policy before competitors could establish their own narratives. The mechanism reveals how Silicon Valley influence operates in 2025: converting real-time political access into media amplification that sets the terms for how policymakers understand an entire technology category. The move exposes a shift in venture capital's policy influence—from behind-the-scenes arm-twisting to visible performance of alignment with executive authority, betting that Trump's receptiveness to "America wins" narratives produces favorable regulatory conditions faster than traditional channels.