Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel said he’s speaking at the Republican National Convention next week because he thinks Americans should speak “frankly” about the country’s problems.
{mosads}“Many people are uncertain in this election year, but most Americans agree that our country is on the wrong track,” he said in a statement Thursday.
“I don’t think we can fix our problems unless we can talk about them frankly. That is why I am going to speak in Cleveland, and that is why I will support the Republican nominee.”
His comments came as Facebook, where he is a board member, distanced itself from his appearance.
“Peter Thiel is attending and speaking at the RNC in his personal capacity,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. “He is not attending on behalf of Facebook or to represent our views.”
Thiel was announced as a speaker for the convention earlier on Thursday, joining politicians such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and business leaders like Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Thiel, a venture capitalist who was one of Facebook’s earliest investors and who is possibly the most prominent conservative in tech, made news earlier this year when it was revealed that he was a pledged delegate for Trump. He later earned more scrutiny when he confirmed that he was also funding a lawsuit by the wrestler Terry Bollea, known by his stage name Hulk Hogan.
Thiel is one the rare tech titan backing Trump.
The real estate mogul has regularly attacked large tech companies, and on Thursday a group of major figures in the industry said he would be a “disaster for innovation.”