Vinod Khosla publicly disavows Keith Rabois’ comments about ICE shootings

To understand the position of a steadfast Trump loyalist after U.S. Customs and Enforcement shocked the nation this weekend by shooting another American citizen in Minneapolis, look no further than Khosla Ventures partner Keith Rabois.

Rabois’ public support for ICE’s actions in the killing of Alex Pretti, made via posts on X, was so strong that Khosla Ventures partner Ethan Choi and company founder Vinod Khosla have publicly disavowed it.

Rabois argued that Pretty was wrong, writing that the protester was committing a “felony.” One of Rabois Posts said“(No law enforcement) would ever shoot an innocent person. (I (law enforcement) commit violent crimes every day.” Another He said: “(H) unambiguously tried to draw his weapon. (F) Fuck you.” In another post he discussed the ability of citizens to exercise their First, Second, and Fourth Amendment rights, V.C He responded He weighed in to write: “(Yes) but interference with the law enforcement process is not protected by any of those amendments.”

Among other comments was Rabois He went on to say He doesn’t believe Minneapolis police can be reliable sources in the investigation. “(I) don’t think you should ask any law enforcement in Minnesota. But I’m very open to reading views from any other urban jurisdiction.” It is instead Blame City police to the situation. “Because the Minnesota Police’s refusal to cooperate is exactly what leads to these treacherous conditions (for everyone).”

And so on.

X’s reaction was as you might expect. Other Trump supporters cheered Rabois, while those who condemned ICE’s actions argued with the investor and condemned him.

The situation escalated greatly when… One person suggested After the founders removed Khosla from their tables completely, Khosla’s partner Choi removed himself.

Choi to publish: “I want to be clear that Keith does not represent everyone’s opinions here at @khoslaventures, at least not mine. What happened in Minnesota is just plain wrong. I don’t know how you can really see it any differently. It’s sad to see someone’s life needlessly taken.”

Then company founder Khosla himself sided with Choi. “I agree with @Ethan Choi 7 . “Macho ICE guards are running[corruption]authorized by an unconscious administration,” he said in his book. Share on X.

Under normal circumstances, opposing political views can be a strength for a venture capital firm. Whatever anyone thinks of Rabois’s politics, he has been a very successful investor backing companies like DoorDash, Affirm, Faire, and Stripe, as well as co-founding Opendoor, among other startups.

But sometimes they are internally disturbed.

Sequoia was embroiled in controversy over partner Sean Maguire’s comments attacking New York City mayoral candidate Zahran Mamdani. Maguire (who comments Over the weekend ICE (aligned with Rabois) remains an investor in Sequoia. But its leader at the time of the Mamdani controversy, Roelof Botha, stepped down Senior Supervisor in November. Botha was replaced by Alfred Lin and Pat Grady (neither of whom weighed in over the weekend).

In this case, the dispute between Khosla’s partners spilled into the open. But note that Khosla did not punish Rabois directly. (The company did not respond to our request for comment.)

When Khosla Ventures rehired Rabois in 2024, the company knew it was bringing into its ranks an outspoken, self-proclaimed “contrarian,” the kind of person like him who likes to blame the “woke” and spoilers. Praise for President Trump. For Rabois’s part, he knew he would be working for an outspoken Trump critic (Vinod Khosla has made his views on Trump very clear for years).

Will the repercussions last? Maybe — but only if founders actually start eliminating Khosla Ventures from their capital tables.