Overview
- Politico published audio on Oct. 22 of a private lecture Thiel gave on Oct. 12 in Nashville in which he said the United States "should not have done" the war with Iran and that "a lot of mistakes" were made.
- In the recording Thiel warned the U.S. may be losing the "soft power war," criticized neoconservative influence and raised the prospect that the International Criminal Court poses legal risks to U.S. officials.
- Thiel also told the audience he remains a backer of President Trump, showing that his critique focuses on the decision to go to war rather than a full break with the president.
- Neither Thiel's representatives nor the White House responded to requests for comment, and multiple outlets amplified Politico's reporting in the run-up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
- Thiel is a long‑time Trump supporter and major GOP donor with business ties to firms like Palantir, and his private rebuke lands against a broader backdrop of the Iran conflict's economic effects, including disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and higher fuel prices.