Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia has shared his reasons for leaving the Democratic Party and supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 election. During a podcast interview, he cited border security as the main issue that led to his decision. Gebbia expressed frustration with the open-border policies and the perceived lack of enforcement, stating that it is not in line with national security. He reached out to various individuals, including Jared Kushner, to better understand the situation and was shocked by the findings.
While at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Gebbia was tapped by Trump to spearhead a new federal design overhaul aimed at making government websites both usable and beautiful. He is also working on modernizing government systems, including the retirement process for federal employees, which he believes is an injustice to civil servants. Gebbia’s role at DOGE includes digitizing processes with the goal of making them more efficient and user-friendly. His support for Trump is based on his belief that the current approach to border security is not adequate and that a stronger stance is needed.
Gebbia’s concerns about the border were sparked in 2021, and he felt that the Democratic Party’s approach was not aligned with national security. He reached out to experts and even consulted with Jared Kushner to fill in the gaps of his understanding. The co-founder’s frustration led him to support Trump, whom he believes is better equipped to handle border security issues. Additionally, Gebbia’s involvement in the Trump administration’s digital transformation efforts highlights his belief in the importance of modernizing government systems to meet the needs of citizens.