Meta Donates $1M to Trump's Fund, Sparks Backlash
Meta Donates $1M to Trump's Fund, Sparks Backlash.
Meta, the parent organization of Facebook and Instagram, has contributed $1 million (£786,000) to the inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of the technology company, had dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in November, aiming to mend the relationship between himself and his company with Trump following the election.
Previously, Trump had been vocally critical of Zuckerberg and Facebook, labeling the platform as "anti-Trump" in 2017.
It is reported that Meta did not make comparable contributions to President Joe Biden's inaugural fund in 2020 or to Trump's inaugural fund in 2016.
The company confirmed its donation to the inaugural fund to multiple media outlets on Wednesday.
Inauguration funds are utilized to finance events and activities associated with the transition of a new president, and some view them as a means to gain favor with the incoming administration.
The donation was verified by CBS, the BBC's US media partner, on Wednesday, and was initially reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20.
The History Between Trump & Mark Zuckerberg
Historically, the relationship between Trump and Mr. Zuckerberg has been characterized by a lack of cordiality.
Tensions escalated significantly when Facebook and Instagram suspended the former president's accounts in 2021, citing his endorsement of individuals involved in the violent events at the Capitol on January 6.
Since that time, Trump has engaged in a verbal campaign against Meta, labeling Facebook as an "enemy of the people" in March.
He also asserted that a proposed law to ban TikTok in the United States, unless divested from its parent company, ByteDance, would disproportionately advantage Facebook.
In August, Mr. Zuckerberg communicated to Republican lawmakers in a letter expressing his regret for yielding to pressure from the Biden administration to "censor" certain content on Facebook and Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a book released in September, Trump stated that Mr. Zuckerberg would "spend the rest of his life in prison" if he attempted to interfere in the 2024 election.
However, it seems that the president-elect has since moderated his stance.
In an October podcast, he remarked that it was "nice" for Mr. Zuckerberg to be "staying out of the election" and expressed gratitude for a personal phone call he received following an assassination attempt.
Nevertheless, Mr. Zuckerberg does not share the same closeness with Trump as tech entrepreneur Elon Musk does.
Musk, the owner of Tesla and X, has been referred to as Trump's "First Buddy" due to his significant contributions to Trump's election campaign.
This relationship has resulted in Musk being appointed to lead a newly established Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).
Despite this, there has been no reconciliation between Musk and Zuckerberg, and the previously suggested cage fight between them now seems unlikely to occur.
Meta's $1 million donation to Donald Trump's inauguration fund raises concerns about corporate influence in politics. Despite years of tension between Mark Zuckerberg and Trump, this contribution could be seen as an attempt to mend fences for future gains, further blurring the lines between business interests and political power. The donation follows years of public criticism from Trump, including accusations of censorship and bias against conservative viewpoints.
This move may alienate Meta's user base, especially those who value transparency and political neutrality, and could lead to accusations of prioritizing corporate interests over ethical considerations.
LATEST: Understanding Presidential Pardons and Their Use in the US.
