Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has made a $1 million donation to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund, a move that has raised eyebrows given the history of tensions between the two sides, as Trump is known to be a friend of Elon Musk, who is even part of his government.
This contribution, confirmed by the company to US media outlets such as CBS and initially reported by the Wall Street Journal, will be used to fund events and activities related to Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the United States, scheduled for January 20.
Meta's gesture has sparked speculation about its intentions, as such donations are often interpreted as an attempt to build bridges with new istrations. It is worth noting that the company did not make similar donations to Joe Biden's inaugural fund in 2020 or Trump's in 2016, making this contribution an unusual move.
What is the relationship between Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg?
The relationship between Trump and Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has been marked by conflict. In 2021, Facebook and Instagram suspended Trump's s following the January 6 incidents at the Capitol, leading the former president to label the company an "enemy of the people". In addition, Trump accused Zuckerberg of unfairly favoring his competitor TikTok by backing certain legislation.
However, in recent months, tensions appear to have eased. Zuckerberg dined with Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in November, which was interpreted as an attempt to repair relations.
Despite this rapprochement, Zuckerberg maintains a distant relationship compared to other tech leaders such as Elon Musk, who has been a significant donor to Trump and runs a new government department under his istration.