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(NewsNation) — What a difference eight years can make.
At President Trump’s last inauguration, it was a fight to fill the ballrooms. Toby Keith decided to play at the last minute, and Melania was forced to pluck a Ralph Lauren ensemble from her own wardrobe to wear during the induction and a Herve Pierre dress for the galas.
Eight years later, invitations are harder to get ahold of than the Met Gala, designers are falling over themselves to dress Melania, and the galas themselves are not just being attended by the big tech billionaires — they’re being hosted by them.
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As Trump told CBS last month: “In the first term, everyone was fighting me. This time, everyone wants to be my friend.”
Trump, Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos
And his new friends are putting their money where their mouths are: The big tech boys, who all stayed away in 2016, have donated millions to Trump’s inauguration fund (which now stands at close to $200 million — the largest ever).
Among the titans who went down to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring and personally donate last year: Trump’s new bestie, Elon Musk, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Sergei Brin, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Amazon king Jeff Bezos and Apple’s Tim Cook.
(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on January 15, 2025 shows South African businessman Elon Musk (L) in Los Angeles, on April 13, 2024, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew (2L) in Jakarta on June 15, 2023, Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos (2R) in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 6, 2019 and Mark Zuckerberg (R), CEO of Meta, in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2024. The chief executive of social media giant TikTok will attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on Janauary 20, US media said, as the incoming president reportedly weighs saving the app from a likely ban on US operations. Shou Chew will join several other high-profile social media and tech moguls reported to be attending the January 20 ceremony, including Tesla, X and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENTBAY ISMOYOMARK RALSTONANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
And they are not only donating but showing up loud and proud this weekend. Cook is also expected to be on the inaugural dais along with Bezos, and Meta’s Zuckerberg is even hosting a gala along with longtime Republican donors Miriam Adelson and Todd Ricketts. And everyone wants in.
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Donald Trump and Big Tech
Also, in a last-ditch effort to stop the TikTok ban, Shou Chew, the chief executive of TikTok, plans to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to a source familiar with the plans.
According to The New York Times, ”Inauguration festivities have been such a hot ticket in corporate America that some companies and executives have donated to support Mr. Trump’s inaugural committee even without a guarantee that they can get seats.”
One insider told me, “Everyone is trying to go to the inauguration, if only to rub shoulders with and get a picture with Elon, Mark (Zuckerberg), Jess (Bezos), Tim (Cook), Sundar (Pichai) and the real power players. A lot of business is going to be done this weekend.”
Celebrities performing at Donald Trump’s inauguration
Expected to perform at various events throughout the inauguration are Carrie Underwood, Gavin DeGraw, Lee Greenwood, Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts along with The Village People (who will presumably play Trump’s favorite song, “YMCA”) and several other acts.
At this point, the tickets are so hard to get that the most attention will be on the people NOT in attendance.
I’m hearing Alphabet honcho Eric Schmidt and Google’s Larry Page will not be going, whereas Brin hasn’t yet made up his mind (an insider at Google said, “It’s all so last minute — no one knows what they’re doing yet.”).
How to watch Trump’s inauguration on NewsNation
“The 60th Inauguration will herald President Trump’s triumphant return to the White House and the start of the great American comeback. These special events will honor the rich history and tradition of our great nation, the American people, and the promise our country holds for future generations. We look forward to celebrating with all of you in Washington, DC — and ushering in a new golden era of strength, success and common sense in the Oval Office,” said the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee co-chairs, Steve Witkoff and Kelly Loeffler, in a joint statement.
But all I really care about is whether or not Robert Kennedy Jr.’s running mate Nicole Shanahan is going … and what happens when she, Musk and Brin come face to face again?
The Wall Street Journal reported Musk had an affair in 2022 with Brin’s then-wife Nicole Shanahan, leading to the dissolution of the marriage (in which Shanahan got a $1 million kiss-off package) and the termination of Musk and Brin’s friendship. At the time, Musk denied the story, but the WSJ stuck by it and never issued a retraction.
It should be interesting if all three hit the dance floor at the same time.
You can watch the full Inauguration Day proceedings on NewsNation on TV, online at newsnationnow.com or on the NewsNation apps for your television or phone. Not sure how to watch NewsNation? Find your channel here.
