Amazon plans to donate $1 million to Donald Trump‘s upcoming inauguration, the latest sign that tech companies are seeking better relations with the incoming administration.
The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets reported on the donation on Thursday evening. An Amazon spokesperson did not return a request seeking comment.
Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon, was a frequent target of Trump during the first term. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, and Trump, angry at the Post’s coverage, threatened to investigate Amazon for antitrust violations. Trump tweeted in 2018, “In my opinion the Washington Post is nothing more than an expensive (the paper loses a fortune) lobbyist for Amazon. Is it used as protection against antitrust claims which many feel should be brought?” Under the Biden administration, the Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon, alleging that its online monopoly stifled competition.
This time around, things are quite different. At the recent New York Times Dealbook conference, Bezos said that the Post would cover the new administration “aggressively” but also said he was excited about Trump’s term and the potential to cut regulations. Bezos also described Trump as “calmer than he was the first time and more confident, more settled.”
Bezos nixed the Post plans to endorse a presidential candidate this year, as the editorial board was preparing to back Kamala Harris. That set off a subscriber exodus, with NPR reporting that more than 200,000 canceled their digital subscriptions.
Corporations typically fund presidential inaugural committees, which can take unlimited sums. In 2017, Amazon gave $57,746 to the inauguration, joining other companies including Google, AT&T, Comcast and Charter Communications, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
The Journal also reported this week that Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, planned to give $1 million to Trump’s inauguration as well.
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