Thu Dec 12 19:07:42 UTC 2024: **Meta Donates $1 Million to Trump’s Inaugural Fund**
NEW YORK (AP) — Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration fund, the company confirmed Thursday. This follows a private meeting between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump at Mar-a-Lago weeks ago.
The donation, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes despite a history of strained relations between Trump and Zuckerberg. Trump was previously banned from Facebook following the January 6th Capitol attack, but his account was reinstated in 2023. While Zuckerberg remained publicly neutral during the 2024 presidential campaign, he has expressed more positive views towards Trump recently, including praising his response to an assassination attempt. Conversely, Trump continued to publicly criticize Zuckerberg throughout the campaign, even issuing threats on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The donation reflects a broader trend of corporate contributions to presidential inaugurations. However, Meta’s contribution is notable given its past silence on such events – the company did not donate to either Biden’s 2021 or Trump’s 2017 inaugurals. Other tech giants, such as Google and Microsoft, have contributed varying amounts to past inaugural funds. Inaugural committees are required to disclose donations but not how the funds are spent. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller attributed the donation to Zuckerberg’s support of Trump’s economic policies.
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