Intel says CEO is not endorsing Trump after dinner falls through

Intel is stressing that the technology giant’s CEO, Brian Krzanich, is not endorsing Donald Trump after a dinner with the presumptive GOP presidential nominee was reportedly canceled. 

The Hill obtained an invitation to a Thursday dinner hosted by Krzanich and his wife for the Trump campaign that was sent to some Republicans in Silicon Valley. Trump, his finance chairman, Steve Mnuchin, and his vice chairman, Elliott Broidy, planned to attend the dinner, according to the invitation. 

{mosads}When confronted with the invitation Wednesday night, Intel Director of Government Relations Lisa Malloy said, “Brian is not hosting an event,” without further explanation. 

The New York Times reported the event was canceled.  

Malloy on Thursday directed additional questions to the Trump campaign, but clarified that Krzanich is not endorsing Trump. 

“Brian Krzanich is not endorsing any Presidential candidate,” she said in a statement. “We are interested in engaging both campaigns in open dialogue on issues important to the technology industry.”

Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) did not respond to a request for comment. 

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus sent the email obtained by The Hill, which promised “an exciting dinner with our Republican presidential nominee.” 

Ahead of California’s primary next week, Trump will be in San Jose for a rally Thursday night. 

Krzanich has made about $27,400 in political contributions going back to 2009. But those donations have almost exclusively gone to the company’s political action committee. 

The Intel CEO was compared to Trump in April when a reality-based TV show was announced that will have tech startups compete for $1 million. Krzanich will be one of the judges on “America’s Greatest Makers.”

One news story at the time called the announcement a “Trump-ian” move. 

A dinner held by Krzanich would have been significant, because Trump has received a fair amount of criticism from the tech industry. The chief executives of Amazon and Facebook have both taken shots at the candidate.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman, a prominent Republican, is also part of a group of people vowing never to support Trump. In a statement earlier this year, Whitman called Trump a “demagogue” who is unfit to be president.