Amazon plans to contribute $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to a source familiar with the decision. The donation includes $1 million in cash and an additional $1 million in in-kind support, with Amazon streaming the event on its platform, Amazon Video.
This move marks a significant development in the relationship between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Trump. Bezos, who has previously been a vocal critic of Trump, is expected to meet with the president-elect in person in the coming days. This meeting aligns with efforts by tech leaders to establish stronger ties with the incoming administration.
Bezos’ public stance on Trump has evolved over time. After an assassination attempt on Trump’s life last summer, Bezos praised the former president’s courage, stating, “Our former President showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight,” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Trump’s attitude toward tech giants has also shifted. Once critical of companies like Amazon, Meta, and others, Trump now seeks to strengthen ties with them. During his presidency, he accused Bezos of using The Washington Post to shield Amazon from scrutiny and avoid fair taxation. In 2015, Trump tweeted, “If @amazon ever had to pay fair taxes, its stock would crash and it would crumble like a paper bag. The @washingtonpost scam is saving it!”
Tensions between Bezos and Trump reignited recently when The Washington Post, owned by Bezos, announced it would no longer issue presidential endorsements. Bezos defended the move, claiming endorsements compromise journalistic independence. In an op-ed, he wrote, “Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election… What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias.” This decision led to resignations from The Post’s editorial board and subscription cancellations from thousands of readers. Critics argued the decision was politically motivated, but Bezos denied any link to Trump, stating he had no knowledge of Trump’s upcoming meeting with Blue Origin executives, another company founded by Bezos.
Amazon’s donation is part of a broader trend of tech companies engaging with Trump’s administration. Meta (formerly Facebook) recently confirmed its own $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund. This action followed a private meeting between Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Mar-a-Lago. The shift in Meta’s stance is significant, given the company’s decision to ban Trump from its platforms after the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Trump’s history with Zuckerberg has been contentious. In his book published this year, Trump appeared to issue a warning to Zuckerberg, stating, “We are watching him closely, and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison — as will others who cheat in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
The Wall Street Journal first reported Amazon’s planned donation. By joining other tech leaders in supporting Trump’s inauguration, Amazon signals a strategic shift in its approach to political engagement. The move highlights the ongoing evolution of relationships between Big Tech and political power, with many companies recalibrating their strategies to align with changing leadership.
