Christmas came early for President Trump.
Auto companies and other CEOs are rushing to donate millions of dollars to the president-elect's inaugural fund before Trump, 78, enters the Oval Office on January 20. Toyota Motor Corporation was the last to hand over cash.
Representatives for the Japan-based automaker confirmed in a statement to the Post on Christmas Eve that it had donated $1 million to the fund.
Toyota's donation comes after both Ford and General Motors announced they would contribute $1 million to the president-elect's fund. Reuters reported.
President Trump has suggested imposing a 25% tax on all imports from Mexico, which could hinder Toyota, which makes Tacoma pickup trucks in Mexico.
Republicans also threatened during the 2024 election campaign that they could impose tariffs of up to 200% on cars imported from Mexico to protect U.S. auto manufacturing.
Even those who have sparred with him politically in the past are turning away from his efforts to overturn tax and trade policy when he arrives in the White House.
Companies that previously vowed not to support political action committees (PACs) that contested the 2020 election after the January 6 Capitol riot are also chipping in with large donations. According to the Wall Street JournalIncludes Intuit, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, AT&T, and Stanley Black & Decker.
According to the magazine, Uber made the largest donation of $2 million.
“Everyone was fighting me in my first term,” Trump said at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. “Everyone wants to be my friend this season.”
With President Trump expressing interest in major technology innovations with his confidant Elon Musk, tech CEOs have also been visiting Mar-A in recent weeks, hoping to unwind before the start of the 47th president's term.・They are having fun around Largo.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was spotted dining with Trump at his Florida mansion in early December, after which Trump wrote a $1 million check to the startup fund.
Mr. Bezos has previously expressed his opposition to Mr. Trump, saying he is “optimistic” about his second term in office.
“I'm actually very optimistic about this,” Bezos said at the New York Times' Dealbook Summit in New York in early December.
“He seems to have a lot of energy about cutting regulations. If I can help him with that, I'm going to help him,” Bezos said. “There are too many regulations in this country.”
Mark Zuckerberg of Meta Inc. also donated the same amount after visiting Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also donated $1 million to the inaugural fund. He was a billionaire who donated dollars.
President Trump said of his conversations with business leaders, “I want to get ideas from them.''
“Look, we want them to do well,” he told the New York Stock Exchange after being named “Person of the Year.”
Foreign companies are also getting in on the action. Japanese investment holding company SoftBank announced it would invest $100 billion in U.S. high-tech projects under the Trump administration. President Trump made the announcement during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago last week.
President Trump previously promised to provide “full expedited approvals and permits” to companies investing at least $1 billion in the United States.
“Individuals or companies investing $1 billion or more in the United States will receive full expedited approvals and permits, including but not limited to all environmental approvals. Get ready to rock! he told Truth Social in early December.
