Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a $1 million donation to US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund.
The donation follows a recent meeting between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump at Mar-a-Lago. During that meeting last month, the two men exchanged pleasantries and Zuckerberg congratulated Trump on winning the presidency.
Stephen Miller, who is set to become Trump’s deputy chief of staff in his second term, said that Zuckerberg, like other business leaders, supports Trump’s economic plans, news agency AP reported. Zuckerberg has been working to improve his company’s image among conservatives after past tensions with Trump.
Inauguration funds cover the costs of events and activities associated with a new president taking office. Some view these contributions as efforts to gain favour with the incoming administration.
Trump was removed from Facebook after the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack but was reinstated in early 2023. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse any candidate but expressed more favorable views of Trump. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg praised Trump’s response to the July 13 assassination attempt as “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life”.
Despite this, Trump continued to criticize Zuckerberg during his campaign. In July, Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “Zuckerbucks, be careful!” while threatening to take action against election fraud.
Corporate donations are a common source of funding for presidential inaugurations, except in 2009 when then-President-elect Barack Obama declined corporate contributions. He later accepted such donations for his second inauguration in 2013.
Facebook had not donated to either Biden’s 2021 inauguration or Trump’s 2017 inauguration. In contrast, Google contributed $285,000 to both events, according to Federal Election Commission records. Microsoft donated $1 million to Obama’s 2013 inauguration but gave $500,000 each to Trump’s 2017 event and Biden’s 2021 event. Inaugural committees must disclose their fundraising sources but are not required to detail spending.
