Latest news with #Inauguration
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Big Tech's bet on Trump hasn't yielded special favors
On Inauguration Day 2025, tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, and Sundar Pichai secured front-row seats, their $1 million donations and Mar-a-Lago visits seemingly successful in endearing themselves to the President they had for years tried to censor. Yet, months into his second term, the millions they spent on Trump — along with billions pledged by OpenAI, Apple, and Meta for US investment (Zuckerberg even bought a house in D.C. ) — hasn't won them any favors. Big Tech now faces relentless antitrust scrutiny, with a spate of recent reports suggesting their efforts to win over Trump have produced no real benefits. Meta is facing a suit from the FTC over allegations the company's acquisitions have given it monopolistic power. Apple is contending with a suit from the DOJ over concerns it has created a monopoly in the smartphone market. Google is dealing with suits from the DOJ over concerns about monopolies in its ad tech and search businesses. Advertisement 4 Tech billionaires were given prime real estate at the Inauguration — but that hasn't translated to special treatment. Getty Images 'Zuckerberg pumped millions of dollars… and all he got was going to court,' one source with knowledge of Trump's thinking on tech said. 'They got nothing other than Inauguration seats,' the source added, noting that tech leaders opposed Trump's preferred antitrust nominees to FTC and DOJ Antitrust — Andrew Ferguson, Gail Slater, and Mark Meador — yet lost those battles. 'The Facebook lawsuit is still going forward and now there are rumors swirling of a potential lawsuit against Apple.' Advertisement Steve Bannon, who I interviewed earlier this week, told me those coveted inauguration seats were about Trump flexing — not about owing Silicon Valley any favors. 'They were all sitting there thinking they own President Trump … it turned out President Trump started crushing them, whether in federal court or with other anti-trust, anti-trust efforts,' Bannon said. While tech leaders have ramped up their visits to the White House in recent months, the aides who Trump works with day-in and day-out are nudging him to take on Big Tech after what they feel was years of mistreatment. 'He was ready to make peace until we reminded him of the hundreds of millions they spent trying to silence him and run him out of office,' one of Trump's tech advisors told me. Advertisement 4 Mark Zuckerberg went so far as to buy a house in Washington, D.C., to be close to the political action. REUTERS Trump's team, sources told me, are now pushing for aggressive measures, including a potential consent decree as part of an FTC deal that could force Meta to pay restitution to conservative users and businesses harmed by content moderation that was ratcheted up dramatically during covid. While Meta has made recent efforts to hire more right-leaning employees and conservative Joel Kaplan recently got a promotion to head of public policy, it's not enough, some say. 'You're not going to fix this with Bush Republicans,' the MAGA advisor said sharply. Advertisement 4 Tim Cook's efforts to win over Trump haven't won him any favors. Getty Images Mike Davis, a conservative legal strategist, echoed this sentiment, telling me 'Meta spent $400 million chasing Trump out of office and subjected him to four years of unrelenting lawfare. If they want to regain trust, they need permanent solutions—restitution for censorship victims and mass hiring of Trump-aligned officials. It'll take years and concrete steps, not empty promises.' Conservatives aren't just focused on past grievances; they're wary of future threats. 'Meta censored doctors and scientists during COVID, potentially costing lives,' another source told me. 'Now they're trying to steal every copyright for their AI while pretending to make amends … they think they can steal data just like China because they say they want to compete with China.' And in the back of many conservative's minds is the recognition there may be just a small window to make the necessary changes. This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC's power players (and those who aspire to be). Bannon, whose 'War Room' program shapes the MAGA agenda, remains adamant: 'Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Google—they all need to be broken up. Big Tech is the most dangerous force in the country… we have to go after them,' he said in our interview. 4 Sources said Big Tech's recent efforts to make up with the president don't erase their long history of going after Trump. Getty Images Advertisement 'All the oligarchs are progressive Democrats … they became MAGA at 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the 5th of November when President Trump was declared the winner. That's when they all had this Damascene moment,' he added. And Bannon believes the moment the political winds change, they'll go back to the left. And it's not just Trump they have to worry about. Even Trump's likely successor, J.D. Vance, is reportedly more hawkish on antitrust issues. Advertisement Vance has even praised Biden's aggressive FTC Chair Lina Khan who made it her mission to break up big tech. For now, the tech titans' investments and gestures have bought them little more than a front-row view of their own reckoning. Send NYNext a tip: nynextlydia@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump has a new presidential portrait. These other iconic photos hang in the White House
The White House has released a new official presidential portrait of Donald Trump, his second version since he returned to office. Similar to the portrait released in January, Trump is giving the camera a serious stare with his eyebrows furrowed. But the new image features more dramatic lighting on a black backdrop, instead of the flag and ornate wall in the background of the previous portrait. Also, Trump swapped his blue tie for a red tie. The new portrait, announced in a short video on X, hangs in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and has replaced the previous portrait on his official biography online. In his first few months in office, Trump has decorated the White House with other pieces of art that pay homage to some pivotal moments in his journey back to office. Take a look: More: Donald Trump's White House 'Gold Guy' is a 70-year-old cabinetmaker who lives in Jupiter The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the portrait was updated. Trump has decorated the White House with other memorable imagery from the years between his two presidencies. In February, an open Oval Office door revealed a framed photo of Trump's mug shot taken following his 2023 arrest in Georgia on charges alleging he tried to overturn the 2020 election results. (The case never went to trial and faces an uncertain future following the disqualification of the Fulton County District Attorney). In April, the White House posted on social media showing a new portrait of Trump's fist pump after surviving an assassination attempt at a July 13 campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. The painting on canvas by Marc Lipp was created for Trump, a White House official previously told USA TODAY, and it replaced a portrait of former President Barack Obama on the White House State Floor. The Obama portrait was moved across the foyer. Trump's portrait, released ahead of the Inauguration, showed him wearing a similar pointed stare in front of an American flag. In 2017, he simply smiled in front of the presidential flag and ornate wall in the background, similar to his early 2025 portrait. Contributing: Kathryn Palmer, Lauren Villagran, Joey Garrison, USA TODAY Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Donald Trump has a new presidential portrait. See other White House art.
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
New official presidential portrait of Donald Trump unveiled at White House
Donald Trump 's new official portrait was unveiled by the White House on Monday, 2 June. The close-up image replaces a photograph that was released for the 47th US president's inauguration earlier this year. An eight-second video released by the Trump administration showed the Republican, wearing a blue suit with an American flag pin, sporting a serious expression against a black background. It slightly differs from the earlier portrait, which showed a more brightly-lit Mr Trump in front of a US flag. The image was captured by chief White House photographer Daniel Torok, who also took Mr Trump's earlier portrait.
Bloomberg
27-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
What's Zuckerberg Getting From His Shift Toward Trump?
Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., seems to have taken actions to make the company more Trump-friendly. Since November, Zuckerberg has already had a string of postelection get-togethers with Donald Trump and made multiple trips to Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Meta also donated $1 million to the inauguration, and Zuckerberg co-hosted a black-tie reception that evening in Trump's honor. Bloomberg's Charlie Wells discuss this and what this means for Zuckerberg and Meta. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Army expects to spend up to $45M for its 250th birthday celebration in DC
The United States Army is expecting to spend anywhere from $25 million to $45 million on its 250th birthday celebration this June on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., officials told ABC News. But that number that is likely to grow when factoring in costs from other federal agencies. PHOTO: U.S. Army soldiers of the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division (Raider Brigade) stand side by side, on July 13, 2022. (Picture Alliance/dpa via Getty Images, FILE) According to officials familiar with the plan, the Army's estimate would cover the cost to fly in some 6,600 soldiers for the event and provide them food and housing. It also would cover the cost of transporting the 150 vehicles -- including tanks -- along with 50 aircraft. Fireworks, military flyovers and musical performances also are planned. MORE: Nearly 7,000 troops, tanks and parachute jumps: Army confirms military parade coinciding with Trump's birthday Despite these projections, the total cost to the government for the June 14 event – which falls on President Donald Trump's 79th birthday – is likely to be higher, given the scope. Officials say the parade and festival is being deemed a National Special Security Event, a designation that puts it on par with other large-scale national events like the Inauguration or State of the Union. Such events require additional manpower and resources for security led by the Secret Service. MORE: Army to go 'bigger' to mark its 250th. Could it be the military parade Trump wants? When asked what security might cost during a hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers she wasn't sure and would have to get back to them. Because the citywide parade and festival happens to fall on Trump's birthday, critics have suggested he's using the Army's birthday to justify a military parade similar to what he wanted in order to mark the personal milestone during his first administration. That event was scrapped in 2018 after cost estimates topped $90 million. Army expects to spend up to $45M for its 250th birthday celebration in DC originally appeared on
