If Donald Trump were to win the presidential race, he would be a "disaster for innovation," according to 145 of the most powerful decision-makers in the tech industry.
In an open letter published on Medium, industry leaders jointly criticized not just Trump's "ignorance about how technology works" but most especially his hostility toward immigrants and women.
The open letter was penned by Katie Stanton, former VP of Twitter, and signed by influential figures such as Steve Wozniak (Apple), David Karp (Tumblr), Alexis Ohanian (Reddit), and Jeremy Stoppelman (Yelp), only a few days before the Republican party names its presidential nominee.
Trump Campaigns On 'Anger, Bigotry And Fear'
The leaders of Silicon Valley slammed Trump for campaigning on "anger, bigotry, fear of new ideas and new people, and a fundamental belief that America is weak and in decline."
The presidential hopeful has also proposed building a wall to keep immigrants out and "shutting down" parts of the internet for security purposes — a sign of his poor judgment and ignorance, the tech experts say.
"His vision," the group notes, "stands against the open exchange of ideas, free movement of people, and productive engagement with the outside world that is critical to our economy ."
The tech experts believe this free and open exchange of ideas, including over the internet, is the "seed from which innovation springs."
In stark contrast, Trump envisions "making America great again" mainly by calling his critics and opponents "losers" and taking to social media with his firebrand tirades.
Tighter Immigration Laws
Trump has called for stricter immigration laws, a move that would affect an industry that relies on a global talent pool.
"Progressive immigration policies help us attract and retain some of the brightest minds on earth — scientists, entrepreneurs, and creators," the open letter states. "In fact, 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children."
Trump's platform, however, includes proposals of mass deportations and racial profiling, the group points out.
"[Trump] articulates few policies beyond erratic and contradictory pronouncements. His reckless disregard for our legal and political institutions threatens to upend what attracts companies to start and scale in America."
Trump And Silicon Valley
While the signatories to the open letter have vehemently opposed Trump and his brand of politics, Trump has also garnered support from a few notable heavyweights from Silicon Valley.
Foremost of which is Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal who also sits at the board of Facebook. Thiel is scheduled to speak at the GOP national convention.
Intel's CEO Brian Krzanich also opened his home to the presidential candidate to discuss issues, but Krzanich later canceled when Trump's campaign team decided to turn the meeting into a fundraiser.
Krzanich, however, clarified he had no intention to endorse a candidate but simply wanted an open dialogue on issues in technology.
