David Sacks is stepping back from his official White House post, but make no mistake: the Silicon Valley power broker remains the driving force behind Trump's artificial intelligence strategy.
The move strips away government ethics constraints that limited Sacks' outside business dealings while keeping him firmly embedded in the administration's inner circle. As co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Sacks will continue shaping policy from outside the building, with direct access to the president and no longer bound by the conflict-of-interest restrictions that apply to special government employees.
Sacks' departure is less a clean break than a repositioning. He will no longer attend daily White House meetings or work from the premises, but officials confirm his influence remains decisive. The administration simultaneously tapped Sriram Krishnan, a close Sacks collaborator, for a new National Economic Council role focused on AI and economic policy, effectively embedding the Sacks vision deeper into the machinery of government.
The Political Calculation
Privately, some Trump insiders view the arrangement as strategic distancing. As voter skepticism about AI development grows, including within MAGA circles, placing Sacks outside official channels creates plausible separation between his deregulatory agenda and White House policy.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon told Axios that Sacks' vision has become a liability.
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