President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural celebrations began with a notable gathering of technology industry leaders and influential figures at a Monday morning church service at St John’s Church.
The attendees included prominent tech executives Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Tim Cook of Apple, and Sundar Pichai of Google. Also present were media mogul Rupert Murdoch, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
These tech leaders had previously been vocal critics of Trump’s first-term policies, particularly regarding climate change and immigration. At the Capitol rotunda, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, was observed among the attendees, taking time to admire the architectural details. Musk has invested significantly in Trump’s campaign, contributing nearly $300 million, and has maintained close ties with the president-elect.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chou is anticipated to attend the inauguration, despite his company facing challenges from a US ban. OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi are also expected to participate.
The gathering is particularly noteworthy as the last time so many tech executives assembled in Washington was during a 2020 congressional hearing investigating their companies. Currently, many of these companies face ongoing government scrutiny, including antitrust lawsuits, investigations, regulatory challenges, and tariff issues.
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennett recently addressed these executives in a letter, criticizing their apparent attempts to “cozy up to the incoming Trump administration in an effort to avoid scrutiny, limit regulation and buy favor.” In response, Mr. Altman commented on social media: “Funny they never sent me one of these for contributing to Democrats.”
The longevity of this tech-presidential alliance and Trump’s approach to pending issues remain uncertain. Trump, who left his first term relatively isolated from the business community, appears to be embracing his renewed influence, recently posting on social media: “Everybody wants to be my friend!!!”
However, these new relationships have faced criticism from within Trump’s circle. Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, expressed strong opposition to Musk’s involvement during an ABC News interview, calling him a “truly evil guy” and suggesting he should be “run out of here by Inauguration Day.” Bannon interpreted the situation as evidence that “President Trump broke the oligarchs, he broke them and they surrendered.”
About the author
Netflix Shocks Fans With Price Hike After Record Breaking Growth
Netflix has announced price increases across multiple countries following a substantial growth of nearly 19 million subscribers in late 2024. The streaming service plans to implement higher subscription costs in the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Portugal, while remaining silent about potential UK price changes. In the US market, the standard ad-free subscription will increase to $17.99 monthly from $15.49, while the ad-supported tier will rise by one dollar to $7.99. The company's last US price adjustment occurred in October 2023, which coincided with UK price modifications for certain plans. The streaming giant justified the price increases, stating, "We will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix." The subscriber growth, which significantly exceeded expectations of 9.6 million new members between October and December, brought Netflix's total subscriber base above […]
Female Speaker Makes History As Irish Parliament Welcomes New Leader
Ireland's 35th Dáil (parliament) is set to reconvene Wednesday with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin returning as taoiseach (prime minister). The transition will see current leader Simon Harris of Fine Gael move to the role of tánaiste (deputy prime minister). Following November's election, Fianna Fáil emerged as the largest party with 48 seats and has formed a government through a coalition with Fine Gael (38 seats) and several independent regional TDs (members of parliament). Sinn Féin, despite winning 39 seats, remains in opposition after being ruled out as a coalition partner by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael—a decision that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald criticized as "bad practice." The new government formation comes after approximately five weeks of negotiations, with both Martin and Harris recently confirming a draft programme for government that received endorsement from their respective parties. […]
Trump Removes Historic Coast Guard Commander On First Day
Admiral Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a U.S. military branch, has been removed from her position as Coast Guard Commandant within 24 hours of President Donald Trump taking office. The dismissal was first reported by Fox News and was confirmed through a statement to Coast Guard units obtained by The New York Times. The statement cited "leadership deficiencies, operational failures and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard" as reasons for her termination. It also mentioned her "excessive focus" on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies as a factor. The removal aligns with Trump's broader executive action issued after his inauguration, calling for federal agencies to end DEI initiatives, which he described as "illegal and immoral." In the executive order, Trump stated that "the public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and […]
Unstoppable Swiatek Crushes Dreams In Australian Open Rampage
Iga Swiatek has secured her place in the Australian Open semifinals with a commanding 6-1 6-2 victory over eighth seed Emma Navarro. She will face Madison Keys, who fought back to defeat Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a gripping contest. The quarterfinals showcased contrasting matches at Melbourne Park. Swiatek's performance reinforced her position as a title contender, while Keys demonstrated resilience to reach her first Australian Open semifinal in a decade. A minor controversy emerged during Swiatek's match when she retrieved a drop shot that appeared close to a double-bounce in the second set's fifth game, a crucial moment that impacted Navarro's momentum. Despite the one-sided scoreline, Swiatek, who maintained high energy throughout, acknowledged the match was "much tougher" than it appeared. She holds a 4-1 record against Keys but remains cautious, recalling her previous loss to the American […]
Deadly Indonesian Landslide Traps Victims Under Mountain of Mud
A devastating landslide triggered by heavy rain has claimed 19 lives in Indonesia's Central Java province, with rescue operations ongoing in the Pekalongan region. The disaster struck Tuesday along a main road connecting the city to the tourist destination of Dieng plateau. The impact was severe, with local media showing extensive damage as houses and rice fields disappeared under mud, rubble, and rocks. Rescue efforts faced significant challenges, as teams had to trek four kilometers to reach the site due to blocked road access. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), confirmed that two additional bodies were recovered Wednesday morning, bringing the total death toll to 19. The search and rescue agency Basarnas reported 13 people were injured in the incident. Local official Mohammad Yulian Akbar said approximately 200 rescue personnel have been deployed, along with heavy […]
Mbappe Finally Breaks His Silence On Real Madrid Struggles
Kylian Mbappe has attributed his recent improvement at Real Madrid to a mental transformation, following initial struggles after his high-profile transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The French forward, who experienced inconsistent form in his early months at Madrid, has recently rediscovered his peak performance. "You always have to be calm and focus on your game and what you can improve," Mbappe stated at a press conference before Madrid's Champions League match with RB Salzburg. After missing crucial penalties against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao in late 2024, Mbappe acknowledged hitting "the bottom." However, he has since rebounded impressively, scoring eight goals in his last ten appearances across all competitions. "It was more of a mental thing... I knew I was good physically, good with the team, but I had to do more," Mbappe explained. "I didn't come to Madrid to play badly. […]
Related
Netflix Shocks Fans With Price Hike After Record Breaking Growth
Netflix has announced price increases across multiple countries following a substantial growth of nearly 19 million subscribers in late 2024. The streaming service plans to implement higher subscription costs in the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Portugal, while remaining silent about potential UK price changes. In the US market, the standard ad-free subscription will increase to $17.99 monthly from $15.49, while the ad-supported tier will rise by one dollar to $7.99. The company's last US price adjustment occurred in October 2023, which coincided with UK price modifications for certain plans. The streaming giant justified the price increases, stating, "We will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix." The subscriber growth, which significantly exceeded expectations of 9.6 million new members between October and December, brought Netflix's total subscriber base above […]
Female Speaker Makes History As Irish Parliament Welcomes New Leader
Ireland's 35th Dáil (parliament) is set to reconvene Wednesday with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin returning as taoiseach (prime minister). The transition will see current leader Simon Harris of Fine Gael move to the role of tánaiste (deputy prime minister). Following November's election, Fianna Fáil emerged as the largest party with 48 seats and has formed a government through a coalition with Fine Gael (38 seats) and several independent regional TDs (members of parliament). Sinn Féin, despite winning 39 seats, remains in opposition after being ruled out as a coalition partner by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael—a decision that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald criticized as "bad practice." The new government formation comes after approximately five weeks of negotiations, with both Martin and Harris recently confirming a draft programme for government that received endorsement from their respective parties. […]
Trump Removes Historic Coast Guard Commander On First Day
Admiral Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a U.S. military branch, has been removed from her position as Coast Guard Commandant within 24 hours of President Donald Trump taking office. The dismissal was first reported by Fox News and was confirmed through a statement to Coast Guard units obtained by The New York Times. The statement cited "leadership deficiencies, operational failures and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard" as reasons for her termination. It also mentioned her "excessive focus" on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies as a factor. The removal aligns with Trump's broader executive action issued after his inauguration, calling for federal agencies to end DEI initiatives, which he described as "illegal and immoral." In the executive order, Trump stated that "the public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and […]
Deadly Indonesian Landslide Traps Victims Under Mountain of Mud
A devastating landslide triggered by heavy rain has claimed 19 lives in Indonesia's Central Java province, with rescue operations ongoing in the Pekalongan region. The disaster struck Tuesday along a main road connecting the city to the tourist destination of Dieng plateau. The impact was severe, with local media showing extensive damage as houses and rice fields disappeared under mud, rubble, and rocks. Rescue efforts faced significant challenges, as teams had to trek four kilometers to reach the site due to blocked road access. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), confirmed that two additional bodies were recovered Wednesday morning, bringing the total death toll to 19. The search and rescue agency Basarnas reported 13 people were injured in the incident. Local official Mohammad Yulian Akbar said approximately 200 rescue personnel have been deployed, along with heavy […]
Ukraine Army Psychiatrist Faces Prison Over Corruption Charge
Ukrainian authorities have arrested their military's chief psychiatrist on allegations of illegal enrichment after discovering assets worth over $1 million acquired since Russia's February 2022 invasion. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that the suspect served on a commission evaluating individuals' fitness for military service. While the SBU's statement didn't identify the individual, previous records indicate Oleh Druz held the position of chief psychiatrist for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to investigators, the detained official's undeclared assets include three apartments in or near Kyiv, one in Odesa, two land plots, and multiple BMW luxury vehicles. A search of his residence uncovered $152,000 and €34,000 in cash. The SBU reports these properties were registered under various family members' names, including his wife, daughter, sons, and other parties. If convicted of illegal enrichment and false declaration charges, the suspect could face […]
Eight Dead As Israeli Forces Launch Major Raid in Jenin
Eight Palestinians were killed and 35 injured during a major Israeli military operation in Jenin, West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The operation, named "Iron Wall," involved air strikes, troops, drones, helicopters, and armored bulldozers entering the city and its refugee camp. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu described it as an "extensive and significant" operation to "defeat terrorism" in Jenin, which Israel considers a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups. The military aims to maintain its "freedom of action" in the West Bank, dismantle armed groups' infrastructure, and eliminate threats. Jenin's hospital director reported that three doctors and two nurses were among those wounded by Israeli gunfire. Palestinian security forces withdrew from some positions before the Israeli forces arrived, with their spokesman stating that Israeli forces had "opened fire on civilians and security forces." Netanyahu linked the operation to broader […]
Be the first to leave a comment