Meta Donates $1M to Trump Inaugural Fund
Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms on Wednesday confirmed it has donated $1M to US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Facts
- Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms on Wednesday confirmed it has donated $1M to US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence.[1]
- Zuckerberg and Trump have had a fraught relationship, with Facebook kicking Trump off the platform following the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the US Capitol. Trump's account was restored in 2023.[2][3]
- In August, Zuckerberg presented a letter to Congress claiming the Biden administration "pressured" Meta to censor certain content related to the COVID, in line with what many Republicans have claimed for years.[4][5]
- The inaugural fund is used to pay for events and activities surrounding the swearing in of the president. Trump's inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 20. Meta reportedly didn't make similar contributions for Trump's previous inauguration in 2016 or for Pres. Joe Biden's fund in 2020.[6][7]
- After Zuckerberg's Mar-a-Lago visit, Trump adviser Stephen Miller said in an interview that the Meta CEO "made clear that he wants to support the national renewal of America under Trump's leadership." Previously, Trump once said that Zuckerberg should be jailed.[4][8]
- In early December, Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg said Zuckerberg is "very keen" to be involved in any decision-making in the Trump administration related to "America's leadership in the technological space."[9]
Sources: [1]The Wall Street Journal, [2]Associated Press, [3]FOX News, [4]CBS, [5]USA Today, [6]BBC News, [7]Yahoo Finance, [8]The New York Times and [9]The Hill.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by Daily Caller and New York Post. It's about time that Zuckerberg and his fellow Silicon Valley power brokers recognize the value of aligning with Trump and his vision for a stronger America. A warmer relationship between the Trump administration and Big Tech holds the potential to improve both the social and economic landscape of the US.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic and Huffington Post. Zuckerberg is shamelessly prioritizing his own financial interests by kowtowing to Trump, now that the former president will be returning to power. This move mirrors the actions of other tech moguls who have taken to praising and contributing financially to Trump in the hopes that they'll be able to curry favor with the leader of the free world.
