After Democrats' midterm wins, Palantir CEO Alex Karp says he's a 'progressive'

Palantir chief executive Alex Karp has recast himself as a committed progressive, saying the company’s products are fundamentally progressive as well. The declaration comes after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, raising the prospect of increased scrutiny of companies tied to the Trump administration. It contrasts sharply with Karp’s earlier public posture: during Trump’s second term, he called Palantir “completely anti-woke,” while the firm played a significant role in the administration’s mass deportation campaign.

Karp’s political record is mixed. Although he once said he respected nothing about Trump, he backed the president’s immigration agenda, arguing that unrestricted immigration had harmed Europe, where he had lived for years. He now says he welcomed Trump’s acknowledgment that the immigration crackdown went too far, a concern Karp says he had expressed privately. The account also highlights the backlash over former Democratic senator Jon Tester taking an advisory role at Palantir. Tester, known for defending rural communities and criticizing the Patriot Act, has said the company has a positive case to make. Together, these contrasts show how Karp’s new progressive self-description sits uneasily alongside Palantir’s work and his recent political alliances.