In a surprise move, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund. This donation comes just weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago.
The donation is seen as an attempt by Zuckerberg to improve his company's relationship with Trump, following a rocky past. Trump was kicked off Facebook after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, but his account was restored in early 2023.
Zuckerberg has been seeking to change his company's perception on the right, and has voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but praised Trump's response to his first assassination attempt.
Corporations have traditionally been major donors to presidential inaugurals. However, Facebook did not donate to either Biden's 2021 inaugural or Trump's 2017 inaugural. Google donated $285,000 to both Trump's and Biden's inaugurals, while Microsoft gave $1 million to Obama's second inaugural and $500,000 to both Trump's and Biden's inaugurals.
