Illinois Senatorial hopeful Raja Krishnamoorthi appears to be facing a public relations quagmire after it emerged that he has received substantial contributions from Shyam Sankar, a prominent Republican campaign donor with ties to the Trump administration. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Krishnamoorthi's Senate bid has garnered over $24 million in funding, but nearly $90,000 of this total comes from key Trump and MAGA supporters - including Sankar, who serves as Palantir's chief technology officer.
Palantir has a lucrative contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to provide tools for tracking self-deportation. The company has been a long-time contractor with ICE since 2011. Meanwhile, Sankar has donated an astonishing $260,000 to Republican causes this year alone, including a significant contribution of $250,000 to the Republican National Committee.
Krishnamoorthi has taken umbrage at Palantir's services for ICE, citing concerns that they could be used to racially profile and discriminate against individuals. He described the agency's actions as "disconcerting" but insisted that he is fundamentally opposed to MAGA ideology. When asked if he plans to return or donate the funds received from Sankar, Krishnamoorthi initially refused, stating that "nobody's more anti-MAGA than me." However, in a later response, he acknowledged that the donation might prompt him to reevaluate its acceptance.
Krishnamoorthi's decision to accept contributions from Trump allies has been met with criticism from his opponents, who have urged him to return or donate funds received from individuals and entities connected to ICE enforcement or MAGA-aligned efforts. While Krishnamoorthi maintains that he welcomes support from anyone backing his mission, the controversy surrounding Sankar's contribution raises questions about the senatorial candidate's commitment to social justice and accountability in immigration policy.
Palantir has a lucrative contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to provide tools for tracking self-deportation. The company has been a long-time contractor with ICE since 2011. Meanwhile, Sankar has donated an astonishing $260,000 to Republican causes this year alone, including a significant contribution of $250,000 to the Republican National Committee.
Krishnamoorthi has taken umbrage at Palantir's services for ICE, citing concerns that they could be used to racially profile and discriminate against individuals. He described the agency's actions as "disconcerting" but insisted that he is fundamentally opposed to MAGA ideology. When asked if he plans to return or donate the funds received from Sankar, Krishnamoorthi initially refused, stating that "nobody's more anti-MAGA than me." However, in a later response, he acknowledged that the donation might prompt him to reevaluate its acceptance.
Krishnamoorthi's decision to accept contributions from Trump allies has been met with criticism from his opponents, who have urged him to return or donate funds received from individuals and entities connected to ICE enforcement or MAGA-aligned efforts. While Krishnamoorthi maintains that he welcomes support from anyone backing his mission, the controversy surrounding Sankar's contribution raises questions about the senatorial candidate's commitment to social justice and accountability in immigration policy.
, I'm getting so tired of politicians trying to play both sides. It feels like Raja Krishnamoorthi is just trying to be liked by everyone at once 
. He's all for social justice one minute and then takes money from people who are basically the opposite of that 
. And what's up with Palantir? They're just profiting off ICE's racist policies 
. I don't know how Krishnamoorthi can honestly say he's against MAGA when he's still getting cash from Trump supporters 
. Can't a person just decide to be true to themselves for once? 
... As a student who's been following his Senate bid, I thought he was all about pushing for reform and holding those in power accountable 
But now that he's received donations from someone with ties to the Trump administration, it's like he's just trying to play both sides 
... I mean, I get that everyone needs support, but when it comes down to it, you gotta stand firm on your values 
especially when it comes to issues like immigration 
... I guess we'll just have to wait and see how he rolls with this one 
This is getting interesting... Raja Krishnamoorthi's Senate bid is a mess now - $90k from Trump supporters? Palantir's contract with ICE is sketchy, but he said it could be used for racial profiling? What's going on here? 
. I remember back in 2016 when Trump was first getting elected, people were all about "drain the swamp" and cleaning up government corruption. And now it looks like one of those politicians is accepting funding from a big donor with ties to ICE... it just doesn't sit right with me 
.
. And what really gets me is that Palantir's contract with ICE has been going on since 2011... how many more years is this going to go on? 
.
. Can we get a straight answer from him without all the hemming and hawing? 
. One minute he's all anti-MAGA and stuff, next minute he's accepting donations from people who are basically the definition of MAGA 
. I'm not sure if people are buying his "nobody's more anti-MAGA than me" line anymore... can't help but wonder if this is just a PR stunt to distract from the real issues at hand 
! Raja Krishnamoorthi, as a progressive, should be super clear on where he stands with ICE enforcement and all that MAGA drama 
. The fact that Palantir has a lucrative contract with ICE is like, super concerning, you feel? 
.
. This Raja Krishnamoorthi guy is all about taking money from people who support the exact policies he's supposed to be against... yeah, real cool move. And now he's playing coy when faced with criticism, saying he's "fundamentally opposed" to MAGA ideology while still accepting donations from its supporters 
. It's like, come on, you're trying to shape policy from the inside out? That doesn't sound very democratic to me 
. I mean, have you ever tried that one truck that makes these insane Korean BBQ tacos? 
I wonder if they have a 'crime-tracking' tool for tracking lost socks in the laundry basket. 
I mean, come on dude $90k from Sankar's pockets? That's like, a whole lotta clout for one donation! 
And Palantir's contract with ICE is just so shady 
. Krishnamoorthi needs to get his priorities straight and figure out if he's really anti-MAGA or not 
. Newsflash: if you're getting funded by Trump supporters, your values are gonna get scrutinized 
. I don't think it's too much to ask for some transparency here