Tech moguls close to President Trump see the midterms as a path to long-term power

There is a battle set to play out across the country as super PACs backed by Trump-supporting tech moguls and the social network giant Meta try to use the 2026 midterms to reengineer Congress and state legislatures in favor of their ambitions for artificial intelligence. The groups aim to wrest control of the public narrative around AI, just as politicians in both parties have started warning that the industry is moving too fast. The largest of the pro-AI super PACs, Leading the Future, has a war chest of more than $100 million from prominent investors and executives. It has an affiliated nonprofit that launched a $10 million campaign pressuring Congress to pass regulation that would unleash American AI companies to innovate faster and challenge China. The Silicon Valley push hopes to dramatically extend the gains the tech industry has reaped from the second term of President Donald Trump. He has struck down AI restrictions introduced by his predecessor Joe Biden and last week signed an executive order threatening to sue states that pass laws on AI. State lawmakers introduced more than 1,000 laws regulating AI in 2025, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. By knocking down candidates who favor regulations and boosting industry sympathizers, the tech-backed groups could signal to incumbents and candidates nationwide that opposing the tech industry can jeopardize their electoral chances.