If you believe former President Donald Trump, some of the richest and most powerful people in the world have called him to shower him with compliments. Although most executives at major tech companies have not publicly endorsed him – with one glaring exception – Trump claims they have privately told him how cool he is, suggested they would be better off under a Trump presidency, or said they would not have voted for his opponent.
Trump's claims include: Google CEO Sundar Pichai congratulated him on becoming a McDonald's employee, calling it “one of the greatest things we've seen at Google”; Tim Cook called him to complain about the fines the European Union had imposed on Apple; Mark Zuckerberg called him multiple times to “apologize” and said there was “no way” he could vote for a Democrat after a shooter in Pennsylvania nearly took Trump's life.
If true, it would be an interesting pivot point for corporate executives that Trump has accused of “manipulating” votes in the 2016 election, “rigging” search results against him and other conservatives, and generally being “anti-Trump.” to be. The allegations aren't one-sided either: Amazon claimed that Trump applied “undue pressure” to convince the Pentagon not to award the company a multibillion-dollar defense contract.
Of course, it's possible that these men aren't actually lining up to kiss the ring, or that Trump — a diva prone to exaggeration — has sensationalized more mundane conversations. It's also possible that Zuckerberg, Pichai, Cook and other big tech executives, despite their wealth, are in the same boat as the rest of us: They don't know who will win the presidential election. Survey after survey shows it's essentially a coin toss. And if one of the two people who could become president is both vindictive and susceptible to flattery — and is responsible for appointing people who decide how billions are spent in federal contracts — then why not intimidate him a little ?
You can see how the bill is in play. Trump has a history of making policy decisions based on his grudges and whims and is all but threatening to do so again if he returns to the White House. In September, he threatened to prosecute Google if re-elected, saying the company had “illegally” shown only “bad stories” about him and “good” ones about Vice President Kamala Harris. He later said he called Pichai to complain about bias against him in Google search. If there is a chance that Trump will become the next president, a little flattery could avert great harm.
Here's what we know: Zuckerberg said Trump's response to the attack was “crass.” Jeff Bezos was reportedly killed The Washington Post's support for Harris, and executives from Bezos' Blue Origin met with Trump on the same day post published his non-endorsement.
The people involved have denied any allegations of bias or impropriety. In an email statement to The edgeDave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, said: “The brief welcome was spontaneous and arranged at the last minute on Friday morning. No one could have known about this in advance, not even Jeff. It's ridiculous that anyone would suggest otherwise or refer to a quid pro quo. It’s simply not true.” Bezos wrote an explanation for this post's non-support, claiming “neither the campaign nor the candidate was consulted or informed at any level or in any way” about the decision. Meta spokesperson Dani Lever declined to comment directly and instead pointed out The edge for a comment new York magazine in September: “As Mark has said publicly, he is not endorsing anyone in this race and has not told anyone how he plans to vote.” (Apple, this postand Google did not respond to requests for comment.)
This isn't entirely new. Bezos and Zuckerberg did not personally endorse the 2020 presidential candidates. But that post has supported Trump's opponents in both 2020 and 2016.
Whatever their motivations, technology leaders appear to be on the safe side. It is unclear whether they are fearful of possible retaliation from Trump, whether they are hoping to be rewarded with government contracts or whether they are wary of being subject to additional oversight and regulation if Harris wins. But there are no signs that they are safe with Trump in the White House.
Project 2025 Mandate for leadershipThe document, written by Trump allies and former employees, lays out a roadmap for punishing conservatives' tech opponents. (The chapter on the Federal Trade Commission recommends emulating Europe's “less friendly regulatory environment.”) Trump has also said he will “do something” about Google, and his vice president, JD Vance, has all but called for the company to be broken up. Meanwhile, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) — a right-wing think tank that has received far less attention than the Heritage Foundation, the organization behind Project 2025 — is advising the Trump campaign and has reportedly drafted nearly 300 possible executive orders than he signed took office. AFPI's plans include the creation of a new defense “Manhattan Project” that will… post Reports would benefit technology companies that already have government contracts, including Palantir.
Unlike Elon Musk — who has endorsed Trump, appeared at several campaign events and has reportedly poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump's re-election efforts — Bezos and other tech leaders haven't gone full-on MAGA. Still, their strategic silence suggests they are preparing for the possibility of a Trump presidency — and the favors and punishments he will bestow if re-elected.