Fri Dec 13 06:47:17 UTC 2024: **Tech Giants Shower Trump’s Inauguration with Millions Amidst Improved Relations**
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon and Meta have announced significant donations to President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration, signaling a shift in relations between the tech giants and the incoming administration. Amazon will donate $1 million directly to the inauguration fund and another $1 million in-kind by streaming the event on Prime Video. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has also contributed $1 million.
These donations follow a period of strained relations between Trump and both companies. Trump previously criticized Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos, while Bezos voiced opposition to some of Trump’s policies. A past court case even alleged Trump’s bias against Amazon harmed its chances of winning a major Pentagon contract. However, recently, Bezos has expressed optimism about Trump’s second term.
Meta’s donation comes after CEO Mark Zuckerberg met privately with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. While Zuckerberg refrained from endorsing Trump during the election, he has taken a more positive public stance towards him in recent times, even praising his response to a previous assassination attempt. Trump, however, continued to make public attacks on Zuckerberg throughout the campaign.
The contributions reflect a pattern of corporate donations to presidential inaugurations, with notable exceptions such as President Obama’s first inaugural. Amazon’s contribution represents a substantial increase from its roughly $58,000 donation to Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Other tech companies, including Google and Microsoft, have also donated to past inaugurations, though amounts varied. The article notes that inauguration committees are required to disclose donations but not how the funds are spent.
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