Meta donates $1 million to Trump inauguration as Zuckerberg mends fences

WASHINGTON – Meta, the social media giant that owns Facebook and Instagram, donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, as the company tries to mend fences ahead of a second administration that could oversee major social media regulations.

The donation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday and confirmed by USA TODAY, is the latest move by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicating that he would like to work closely with Trump.

Meta isn't the only major company planning such a donation to Trump's inauguration. Amazon will also give $1 million, according to multiple reports.

Zuckerberg has sought to repair his relationship with Trump and other Republican leaders over the last few months after he received blowback in 2021 for banning the former president on Meta’s platforms following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump has since lashed out against Meta and in one interview earlier this year described its site Facebook as “the enemy of the people.”

More: Meta shares hit record high after US appeals court upholds TikTok ban

But, in the past few months, Zuckerberg has appeared to try and curry favor with the Republican leader. The CEO praised Trump’s response to being shot in the ear at a Butler, Pa. campaign rally as “badass” in the run-up to the 2024 election.

He later congratulated Trump on his “decisive victory,” in a post on the Meta platform Threads and met with the President-elect in the weeks following his win.

Casey Burgat, director of the legislative affairs program at the George Washington University Graduate School of Management, said Meta and Zuckergberg’s actions are similar to those of other tech giants who have previously criticized Trum and now are trying to get in his good graces.

“We've seen this with Trump and people who have been formally critical, all of a sudden they turn willing to praise the former president and he welcomes them back in the fold,” Burgat said. “Zuckerberg and Meta are making the calculation that that can be true for them as well.”

More: Trump and the GOP weaponized Mark Zuckerberg's donations; what it means for the 2024 election

Meta could have a lot riding on Trump’s presidency.

Lawmakers in Congress have sought in recent months to crack down on how social media companies operate – from proposing a ban on TikTok to legislation requiring sites to enhance protections for children. Republican senators, in particular, have also expressed interest in investigating the role Big Tech companies play in American society.

Not to mention the fact that Trump and his close adviser, Elon Musk, both own two of Meta's competitor social media platforms. Trump owns Truth Social and Musk owns X, formerly known as Twitter.

Burgat suggested that, while the $1 million donation might seem like a pay-to-play scheme, it’s more of a “signal” of a willingness to cooperate.

“It doesn't buy you a way into the room. But the calculus on a lot of these companies, is that it is a necessary precondition to be invited,” into policy discussions, Burgat said.

Meta’s donation marks a sharp departure from its past actions. The company notably did not donate to Trump’s inaugural fund in 2016 or to President Joe Biden’s in 2020.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meta donates $1 million to Trump inaugural fund