Social media giant Meta has donated $1 million to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund as the company tries to mend its relationship with the incoming president.
The donation, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is the latest attempt by tech companies to court the incoming Trump administration, even after Mr. Trump threatened to attack them once in office. Meta is the parent company for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other sites.
Mr. Trump met with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in November, shortly after Mr. Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Mr. Zuckerberg apparently promised to contribute to Mr. Trump’s inaugural fund at that November meeting, which took place at Mar-a-Lago.
Mr. Zuckerberg also gave Mr. Trump a pair of Meta’s Ray-BanSmart Glasses at the meeting.
Meta’s donation is a break from tradition. While Mr. Zuckerberg has supported various political candidates over the years, he has mostly stayed out of presidential politics or donations. Meta also did not donate to Mr. Trump’s first inaugural fund in 2017 or President Joe Biden’s in 2021.
The donations could signal a new era for Mr. Trump’s relationship with tech moguls like Mr. Zuckerberg. Mr. Trump’s opinion of Meta platforms and Mr. Zuckerberg soured in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which saw Mr. Trump banned from Facebook.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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