Fri Dec 13 04:17:23 UTC 2024: ## Meta Donates $1 Million to Trump’s Inaugural Fund in Apparent Olive Branch

**Washington D.C.** – In a surprising move, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund. The donation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, marks a significant shift in the relationship between the tech giant and the former president, who has previously labeled Meta a “true Enemy of the People.”

Meta confirmed the donation to several news outlets but offered no further comment. However, sources told the Wall Street Journal that Meta informed Trump aides of the planned donation prior to a recent dinner between Mark Zuckerberg and Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

The donation comes after years of tension between Zuckerberg and Trump. A $400 million donation from Zuckerberg and his wife to local and state governments in 2020 to support election infrastructure during the pandemic drew accusations from Trump that the funds were used to bolster Democratic turnout. Following the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot, Meta suspended Trump from its platforms for two years, a move that further strained the relationship.

Despite Trump’s past criticisms, Zuckerberg has recently expressed admiration for Trump, and openly criticized the Biden administration’s pressure on Meta to censor COVID-19 content. This apparent shift in tone coincides with an ongoing Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing Meta of maintaining an illegal monopoly over social media. Trump’s recent appointment of Andrew Ferguson, who has promised a tough stance on Big Tech, to chair the FTC adds another layer to the complex dynamics.

Zuckerberg is not alone in attempting to cultivate a positive relationship with the incoming Trump administration. Other tech CEOs, including Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Elon Musk, have also publicly expressed support for Trump.

The $1 million donation signals a potential thawing of relations between Meta and Trump, though the underlying reasons remain unclear. The move raises questions about the future of regulation of Big Tech under a second Trump presidency and the extent to which financial contributions might influence political and regulatory decisions.

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