Meta donated $1,000,000 to Trump’s campaign

Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram, has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, marking a significant shift in its previously strained relationship with the former president.

The donation, first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by CBS, comes after years of tension between Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Back in 2021, Facebook and Instagram suspended Trump’s accounts after the January 6 Capitol riot, leading to a public fallout. Trump fired back, calling Facebook an “enemy of the people” and accusing the platform of anti-Trump bias, explains the BBC.

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Fast forward to now, and the dynamic seems to be changing. Zuckerberg dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in November in what many view as an attempt to repair their fractured relationship. Trump, who once said Zuckerberg would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he interfered in the 2024 election, recently softened his stance. Speaking on a podcast in October, Trump said it was “nice” Zuckerberg was “staying out of the election” and even thanked him for a personal phone call after Trump survived an assassination attempt.

Image Courtesy of The Times

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While inauguration funds are meant to cover events and activities for a new president, they often raise eyebrows for appearing to curry favor with incoming administrations. Meta’s million-dollar donation is notable not just for its size but because the company made no such contribution to Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2020 or to Trump’s first inauguration in 2016.

The move also comes as Meta navigates a changing political landscape. The company faced backlash for its handling of misinformation during the pandemic, which Zuckerberg addressed in a letter to Republican lawmakers, admitting he regretted bowing to pressure from the Biden administration to “censor” some content.

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Still, Meta’s relationship with Trump remains far less cozy than the former president’s growing alliance with Elon Musk. Musk, dubbed Trump’s “First Buddy,” has made significant donations to Trump’s campaign and has been tapped to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

Zuckerberg and Musk, who once teased a cage fight to settle their tech rivalry, are unlikely to find common ground anytime soon.

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Meta’s donation marks a shift for Zuckerberg, who now seems intent on mending fences with Trump as his influence grows once more. With Trump set to be sworn in as the 47th president on January 20, the donation signals that Meta isn’t staying out of politics after all—it’s just choosing its battles.

The BBC has approached Meta for further comment, but for now, the move speaks volumes about tech titans trying to align with power in a shifting political era.