The Race to Win Trump's Favor Spreads Across Big Tech and Media Industries
In this article, the speaker reflects on their experiences during their initial term, describing the contentious atmosphere they faced: “The first term, everybody was fighting me …This one is much less hostile.”
TroibNews 
Donald Trump is experiencing a warm welcome ahead of his anticipated second term, a stark contrast to his entry into Washington eight years ago.
Major tech leaders are investing millions into his inauguration while engaging in meetings with the president-elect in West Palm Beach. Foreign dignitaries are making efforts to gain his favor through phone calls and photo opportunities. Liberal journalists are visiting Mar-a-Lago, seeking to mend their relationship with a figure they previously labeled as “enemies of the people.” Time Magazine has named him “Person of the Year,” and numerous CEOs gathered to watch him ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in celebration.
“They realize Donald Trump is the Colossus at Rhodes right now. He's the game,” observed former Trump campaign adviser David Urban. “He’s going to get a lot accomplished and they don’t want to miss the boat.”
In a new Morning Consult survey, Trump has achieved his highest net favorability rating since April 2017. The polling indicates that a majority of Americans approve of his transition efforts and expect a successful return to the White House next month. Additionally, public sentiment towards Trump has notably warmed since his last two electoral campaigns.
“When you look at how Donald Trump, whether it was when he was at Notre Dame in France — you saw how he was embraced by all the world leaders — or at the Army-Navy football game,” stated Jim McLaughlin, a Trump campaign pollster. “There’s a new sheriff in town, and I think the American people like what they’re seeing.”
The recent enthusiastic reception of Trump contrasts sharply with the environment four years ago. A shift in approach across the political landscape appears to be driven by his popular-vote victory and a successful sweep in key battleground states. This change is becoming evident on Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers are hastening to develop strategies to push through Trump’s extensive policy agenda and Cabinet nominations.
“This is the difference between a shocking victory in 2016 and a commanding victory in 2024,” remarked Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and appointee during Trump’s initial administration.
Trump himself has recognized this shift, telling reporters during a press conference in Palm Beach that “this term, everybody wants to be my friend.”
“The first term, everybody was fighting me,” he explained, adding later: “This one is much less hostile, it’s really the opposite of hostile.”
This week, he plans to meet with several world leaders and mentioned that “the rest are coming” in reference to business and tech executives. He highlighted meetings with the CEOs of Apple, Meta, and Google, adding that Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is also set to visit Mar-a-Lago soon.
Even before his official return to the White House, Trump has been actively promoting his agenda and engaging in discussions — and photo opportunities — with global leaders. He threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico, leading to a call from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and a visit from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Earlier this month, during the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, he received VIP treatment alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
Republicans attribute some of this momentum to the diminished presence of lame-duck President Joe Biden on the global stage and in media coverage, save for his decision to pardon his son, Hunter. While Trump was in Paris, Jill Biden attended in her husband’s stead.
“I think there is a void with Biden, especially with world leaders. Trump is already kind of filling that vacuum,” suggested Tricia McLaughlin, a GOP strategist and former senior advisor for Vivek Ramaswamy's 2024 campaign.
The shift is notably visible within the tech industry. As of last week, at least four tech CEOs or their companies have announced substantial contributions to Trump’s inauguration fund. Companies such as Amazon, Meta, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Perplexity have pledged $1 million each. Moreover, interactions have intensified, with Google’s Sundar Pichai reportedly visiting Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and Trump confirming dinner with Apple CEO Tim Cook, though it remains unclear if any contributions from these companies have been made public.
The simultaneous announcements of donations from multiple tech companies in a short span suggests a “safety in numbers” strategy, according to Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech lobbying group Chamber of Progress and a former Google policy executive. He noted that by banding together, these companies mitigate the risk of being singled out for not contributing. “I don’t think donating to the inaugural fund achieves very much — but not contributing might get noticed,” he pointed out.
Historically, donations from tech firms for inaugurations have been more modest. For example, Google donated $337,500 for Biden’s inauguration, Microsoft contributed $500,000, and Amazon's contributions totaled nearly $277,000, along with an additional $50,000 for software and web-hosting services, as reported by the Federal Elections Commission. In contrast, the current wave of large donations from prominent tech companies is making headlines. “The companies have specifically chosen a more public route,” explained Nu Wexler, a partner at Four Corners Public Affairs who has worked with Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Wexler added that tech executives have come to understand a key lesson when dealing with Trump: being present in the room when decisions are made is crucial — especially if they wish to be the last person he consults before deciding.
“They’ve also learned that in order to get in the room,” he said, “you have to write a check."
Meridith McGraw and Mohar Chatterjee contributed to this report.
Like this content? Consider signing up for PMG’s West Wing Playbook newsletter.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
Major tech leaders are investing millions into his inauguration while engaging in meetings with the president-elect in West Palm Beach. Foreign dignitaries are making efforts to gain his favor through phone calls and photo opportunities. Liberal journalists are visiting Mar-a-Lago, seeking to mend their relationship with a figure they previously labeled as “enemies of the people.” Time Magazine has named him “Person of the Year,” and numerous CEOs gathered to watch him ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in celebration.
“They realize Donald Trump is the Colossus at Rhodes right now. He's the game,” observed former Trump campaign adviser David Urban. “He’s going to get a lot accomplished and they don’t want to miss the boat.”
In a new Morning Consult survey, Trump has achieved his highest net favorability rating since April 2017. The polling indicates that a majority of Americans approve of his transition efforts and expect a successful return to the White House next month. Additionally, public sentiment towards Trump has notably warmed since his last two electoral campaigns.
“When you look at how Donald Trump, whether it was when he was at Notre Dame in France — you saw how he was embraced by all the world leaders — or at the Army-Navy football game,” stated Jim McLaughlin, a Trump campaign pollster. “There’s a new sheriff in town, and I think the American people like what they’re seeing.”
The recent enthusiastic reception of Trump contrasts sharply with the environment four years ago. A shift in approach across the political landscape appears to be driven by his popular-vote victory and a successful sweep in key battleground states. This change is becoming evident on Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers are hastening to develop strategies to push through Trump’s extensive policy agenda and Cabinet nominations.
“This is the difference between a shocking victory in 2016 and a commanding victory in 2024,” remarked Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and appointee during Trump’s initial administration.
Trump himself has recognized this shift, telling reporters during a press conference in Palm Beach that “this term, everybody wants to be my friend.”
“The first term, everybody was fighting me,” he explained, adding later: “This one is much less hostile, it’s really the opposite of hostile.”
This week, he plans to meet with several world leaders and mentioned that “the rest are coming” in reference to business and tech executives. He highlighted meetings with the CEOs of Apple, Meta, and Google, adding that Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is also set to visit Mar-a-Lago soon.
Even before his official return to the White House, Trump has been actively promoting his agenda and engaging in discussions — and photo opportunities — with global leaders. He threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico, leading to a call from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and a visit from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Earlier this month, during the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, he received VIP treatment alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
Republicans attribute some of this momentum to the diminished presence of lame-duck President Joe Biden on the global stage and in media coverage, save for his decision to pardon his son, Hunter. While Trump was in Paris, Jill Biden attended in her husband’s stead.
“I think there is a void with Biden, especially with world leaders. Trump is already kind of filling that vacuum,” suggested Tricia McLaughlin, a GOP strategist and former senior advisor for Vivek Ramaswamy's 2024 campaign.
The shift is notably visible within the tech industry. As of last week, at least four tech CEOs or their companies have announced substantial contributions to Trump’s inauguration fund. Companies such as Amazon, Meta, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Perplexity have pledged $1 million each. Moreover, interactions have intensified, with Google’s Sundar Pichai reportedly visiting Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and Trump confirming dinner with Apple CEO Tim Cook, though it remains unclear if any contributions from these companies have been made public.
The simultaneous announcements of donations from multiple tech companies in a short span suggests a “safety in numbers” strategy, according to Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech lobbying group Chamber of Progress and a former Google policy executive. He noted that by banding together, these companies mitigate the risk of being singled out for not contributing. “I don’t think donating to the inaugural fund achieves very much — but not contributing might get noticed,” he pointed out.
Historically, donations from tech firms for inaugurations have been more modest. For example, Google donated $337,500 for Biden’s inauguration, Microsoft contributed $500,000, and Amazon's contributions totaled nearly $277,000, along with an additional $50,000 for software and web-hosting services, as reported by the Federal Elections Commission. In contrast, the current wave of large donations from prominent tech companies is making headlines. “The companies have specifically chosen a more public route,” explained Nu Wexler, a partner at Four Corners Public Affairs who has worked with Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Wexler added that tech executives have come to understand a key lesson when dealing with Trump: being present in the room when decisions are made is crucial — especially if they wish to be the last person he consults before deciding.
“They’ve also learned that in order to get in the room,” he said, “you have to write a check."
Meridith McGraw and Mohar Chatterjee contributed to this report.
Like this content? Consider signing up for PMG’s West Wing Playbook newsletter.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
