What's happened
In the wake of Donald Trump's election victory, major tech executives are proactively reaching out to him to rebuild relationships and mitigate potential backlash. This shift reflects lessons learned from Trump's first term, where corporate leaders faced punitive actions for perceived disloyalty. The outreach aims to secure favorable treatment in a potential second Trump administration.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to the New York Times, tech executives are learning from past experiences with Trump, stating, 'They were building a rapport,' as noted by Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. Meanwhile, Axios highlights that Trump is keeping a list of CEOs he believes have wronged him, indicating a climate of fear among business leaders. Business Insider UK reports that while some executives openly support Trump, others, like Howard Schultz, emphasize the importance of a peaceful transition of power, showcasing the divided sentiments within the corporate world. Bloomberg adds that many executives are hesitant to endorse either candidate, fearing customer backlash, which reflects a cautious approach to political engagement.
How we got here
As the U.S. presidential election approached, tech executives began engaging with Donald Trump to avoid the mistakes of the past. During his first term, Trump was known for retaliating against companies that opposed him, prompting leaders to seek direct communication to safeguard their interests.
More on these topics
-
Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
-
Kamala Devi Harris is an American attorney and politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from California since 2017.
-
Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive, philanthropist and industrial engineer. Cook is the chief executive officer of Apple Inc., and previously served as the company's chief operating officer under its cofounder Steve Jobs.
-
Pichai Sundararajan, known as Sundar Pichai, is an Indian-American business executive. He is the chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google LLC.
-
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American media magnate, internet entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is known for co-founding Facebook, Inc. and serves as its chairman, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder.
-
Andrew R. Jassy is an American businessman, and the CEO of Amazon Web Services, Amazon's cloud computing business. He is also one of the minority owners of the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League.
-
Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun
-
Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American internet entrepreneur, industrialist, media proprietor, and investor. He is best known as the founder, CEO, and president of the multi-national technology company Amazon.
-
The Washington Post is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area.