Trump Hosts Tech Leaders at the White House

On Thursday evening, President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed over 20 tech leaders to the White House, where they championed the president’s “pro-business, pro-faith” stance.

The event featured notable figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Sergey Brin from the same company.

Altman expressed his gratitude at dinner, saying, “Thank you for being such a pro-business president. It’s really refreshing.” He added excitement about the future of U.S. companies under Trump’s leadership.

He went on to say, “I believe the investments happening now and the restoration of industry in the U.S. wouldn’t happen without your guidance.” Pledging a significant $500 billion investment in domestic manufacturing, Cook also commended Trump for fostering an environment conducive to major investments in the country.

Gates, sitting beside Melania, discussed ongoing collaborations with the president on American innovation and strategies to eradicate severe diseases like polio and HIV.

When it was Bryn’s turn to speak, Trump couldn’t resist complimenting Bryn’s notable partner, Gerrelin Gilbert Soto, expressing his admiration. Soto then thanked the president, saying, “Every time I’m here, it’s just incredible.”

Bryn lauded Trump’s efforts in artificial intelligence and his approach toward Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, saying, “You’re putting real pressure on Maduro, and that’s commendable.” He remarked that Trump’s support has been vital rather than adversarial, which he finds crucial for technological advancements.

Separately, a significant development occurred on Wednesday when Google managed to avoid drastic actions related to its Chrome browsers and Android systems amid an antitrust case, resulting in rather modest penalties from the judge.

Trump engaged with Pichai about Google’s successful day, to which the CEO replied, “I’m relieved it’s behind us.”

Elon Musk, who didn’t attend the dinner despite the invite, mentioned on social media that he was unable to make it but had sent a representative in his place.

The dinner, which was initially set to be held outdoors in the renovated Rose Garden, had to be moved indoors due to inclement weather.