Alex Karp, the co-founder and CEO of Palantir, didn’t hold back during his remarks at the Reagan National Defense Forum.
He laid down a bold assessment of why he believes Democrats lost the 2024 election: their failure to grasp the fundamental human desire for safety. Karp’s critique was sharp, centering on what he sees as the disconnect between the priorities of everyday Americans and the policies championed by the Democratic establishment.
Speaking to an audience concerned with defense and national security, Karp praised the American people as inherently fair, moral, and just—qualities he argues are often overlooked in broader political debates. “Americans want to know that if someone is thinking about harming them, their families, or their country, the consequences will be swift and severe,” Karp stated. His blunt rhetoric underscored his view that safety isn’t just a policy—it’s a primal expectation that citizens have of their government.
Dr. Alex Karp came out white-hot at the Reagan National Defense Forum today and it just kept getting better and better. Every time he spoke was a mic-drop moment.
Alex Karp is one of the most important people in the entire world. pic.twitter.com/zMvDU2G7HU
— Jack Prescott (@JackPrescottX) December 7, 2024
Karp didn’t mince words about what he believes needs to happen to ensure that safety. Whether addressing threats like foreign adversaries or the opioid crisis, his message was clear: the U.S. needs to project power that makes its enemies think twice. “They need to wake up scared, and go to bed scared,” he declared, arguing that this sense of dominance is key to securing peace for Americans.
He took aim at what he described as “intellectually captured institutions,” accusing them of promoting ideologies disconnected from what ordinary Americans value. To Karp, the contrast couldn’t be starker. On one side, there are Americans who prioritize family, community, and peace; on the other, there’s an elite class pushing “woke pagan ideology” that he claims alienates voters.
Karp also linked this failure to broader issues of national strength, emphasizing the need for America to maintain a technological and military edge over its adversaries. He called for leadership that doesn’t settle for parity, insisting that America’s moral and economic dominance depends on being the unchallenged leader. “If it is even,” he warned, “our adversaries will exploit our niceness.”
Ultimately, Karp painted a picture of what he believes the American people want: a government that delivers safety, ensures dominance, and allows them to focus on living their lives in peace.
His closing remarks tied this vision to the mission of Palantir and other leaders in the defense space, vowing to create a future where “the soldiers are happier, the enemies are scared, and Americans go back to enjoying the fact that we’re the only ones with a real tech scene in this country.”