Amazon to Donate $1 Million to Trump’s Inauguration
Amazon is planning to donate $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. The company will also make a $1 million in-kind donation by streaming the event on Amazon Video.
The donation comes as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is expected to visit with Trump in person in the coming days, as he and other tech founders seek closer relationships with the incoming president. Bezos has publicly praised Trump in the past, saying “Our former President showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight” after the first assassination attempt.
Trump has been warming up to tech giants, flaunting his private conversations with them in interviews and appearances and now heaps praise on companies he once blamed in part for his 2020 electoral defeat. Bezos joins other tech leaders in looking to foster a closer relationship with the president-elect, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who donated $1 million to the inaugural fund.
Amazon’s donation comes despite Trump’s previous criticism of Bezos and his ownership of The Washington Post, which Trump has called a “scam.” Bezos has also faced backlash for withholding the newspaper’s endorsement in the 2024 presidential race, a decision that led to resignations and cancellations.