Corporate America's Embrace of Trump 2.0

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

Daily News, Business News, News

4.2 • 5.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

CEOs of major companies are preparing for a second Trump administration, taking trips to Mar-a-Lago and contributing millions to his inauguration fund. WSJ's Chip Cutter explains corporate America's new strategy for engaging with the incoming U.S. president. Further Reading: -The CEOs Who Are Tearing Up the Policies Trump Hates -Corporate America Drew Back From DEI. The Upheaval Isn’t Over. Further Listening: -DOGE: The Plan to Downsize the Government -How One Business Owner Is Getting Ahead of Trump's Tariffs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	After Donald Trump won the presidency in November, a flood of money started pouring into his inauguration fund.
0:13.1	We've seen one company after another really kind of follow a similar playbook for how to deal with this administration. And it starts by opening their wallets.
0:22.6	These donations are helping pay for stuff like gala's and balls at the inauguration.
0:28.6	And our colleague Chip Cutter has been following the money.
0:33.9	One executive after another has all decided to give a million dollars.
0:38.6	Sort of name the company, named the big brand.
0:41.8	McDonald's.
0:42.8	McDonald's gave money to this fund.
0:44.9	Toyota, joining other major auto companies like Ford and General Motors
0:48.5	and making $1 million donation to president.
0:52.5	Boeing?
0:53.2	Boeing gave money to this fund.
0:55.2	META, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is also giving a million dollars to the fund. Uh, Walmart?
1:00.8	Walmart gave money to the fund.
1:02.5	Uber, Goldman Sachs, Bank America. The list goes on and on.
1:10.1	What are these companies getting for this money?
1:13.4	So these companies get some tickets to the inauguration.
1:17.4	There is a candelot dinner that will be attended by Trump and Melania Trump.
1:23.0	Actual things?
1:24.3	Actual things.
1:25.9	Spending that kind of money isn't unusual for companies to get in with a new administration.
1:32.1	But this time feels a little different because some companies that had once slammed Trump
	...

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