Why New York City could become the next Silicon Valley

As Google prepares to close a $2.4 billion deal to expand its New York City campus to include a landmark Meatpacking District building, some are speculating that it could solidify New York’s position to usurp Silicon Valley as the new major tech hub.

Google’s East Coast expansion comes at the same time as a reported conservative exodus from California. Republicans claim the liberal culture – particularly in places like San Francisco and Silicon Valley – has made it difficult to succeed in the technology sector.

“And now San Francisco is the number one city in America losing population, because it’s become a kind of South American plantation with the wealthy elite, with 90% of the people serving the wealthy elite,” Shawn Steel, a member of the Republican National Committee from California, told FOX Business’ Ashley Webster. “It’s not middle class at all.”

Although Hillary Clinton won California with more than 60% of the vote during the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump still received nearly 4.5 million votes. Since then, the Golden State has positioned itself as an opponent to the Trump administration, particularly when it comes to the White House’s position on immigration.

For instance, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf alerted undocumented immigrants living in the San Francisco Bay area earlier this week about an impending sweep by federal immigration officials. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials derided Schaaf, but she defended her decision. “I do not regret sharing this information,” she wrote in a tweet. “It is Oakland’s legal right to be a sanctuary city and we have not broken any laws. We believe our community is safer when families stay together.”

But Steel said what Schaaf did constitutes a criminal obstruction charge. “This is something the U.S. attorney should look at. It all kind of fits in nicely. San Francisco is literally a diseased town with diseased politics,” he said.