Amazon is set to contribute $1 million in cash to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, along with an additional $1 million in services to stream the event on Amazon Video, the company confirmed on Thursday.
Founder Jeff Bezos is also expected to meet with Trump in the coming days as tech leaders strive to build stronger ties with the incoming administration.
This move signals a warming relationship between Bezos and Trump. The two reportedly spoke over the summer, and Bezos publicly praised Trump after an assassination attempt earlier this year.
“Our former President showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight,” Bezos wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Amazon joins other tech giants in supporting Trump’s transition to the presidency. Meta recently confirmed a $1 million donation to the inaugural fund, following a private meeting between its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and Trump at Mar-a-Lago. This marks a significant shift for Meta, which had banned Trump from its platforms after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump, who has often criticized Bezos in the past over his ownership of The Washington Post and its coverage of him, seems to have softened his stance on the tech mogul. In 2015, Trump accused Amazon of tax evasion and labeled The Washington Post a “scam,” claiming it saved Amazon from fair taxation.
However, tensions surrounding The Washington Post resurfaced recently when Bezos withheld the newspaper’s presidential endorsement for the 2024 race, a decision that led to resignations from the editorial board and public dissent from staffers. In an op-ed, Bezos defended the decision as a step toward impartial journalism, arguing that endorsements only perpetuate perceptions of bias.
Bezos has denied allegations that the decision not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris was an attempt to curry favor with Trump. He also dismissed claims that he had prior knowledge of a meeting between Trump and executives from Blue Origin, Bezos’s space exploration company.
Trump’s evolving relationship with tech leaders comes after years of public feuds, including sharp criticism of Zuckerberg.
In a recent book, Trump warned that any misconduct during the 2024 presidential election would result in severe consequences, stating, “We are watching him closely, and if he does anything illegal this time, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.”
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