While the US government was struggling with the shutdown process, a very remarkable construction process began in the White House. The East Wing has been completely demolished and a giant ballroom with a capacity of 1000 people is being built in its place. It is understood that this 90 thousand square meter building aims to leave a visual mark on Trump’s presidency. The total cost of the project reaches 250 million dollars. In this process, public resources were not used; financing was provided directly by private donations made to the Donald Trump administration.
The financing details of the project became clear with the donor list published by the White House recently. Many large companies from the technology, defense, telecom and crypto sectors provided financial support to the project. Technology giants such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft lead this list. On the other hand, it appears that defense industry companies such as Palantir and Lockheed Martin also contributed to the project. In addition to all these, it is noteworthy that Coinbase, Ripple, Tether America and Winklevoss brothers are also among the donors. This chart gives a strong idea of how the ties between Trump and the private sector have been shaped recently.
Donald Trump and tech companies have strong relationships
It is not clear how much each of these donations amounted to. However, it was revealed to the public that Google contributed at least 20 million dollars to the project. It was claimed that this amount was part of the settlement reached in the lawsuit filed against YouTube for suspending Trump’s account after the events of January 6. However, Google has not yet made a statement about whether the entire donation has been covered by this payment. At this point, Google’s silence increases the public’s question marks about the company’s donation process. Despite everything, the timing of this donation is considered an important sign of the new relations developed with Trump.
Silicon Valley’s stance on Trump has changed markedly over time. The technology world was quite distant from Trump when he was elected president in 2016. However, with the second term, this coldness gave way to a cautious rapprochement. While Meta did not support the first presidential ceremony, his donation of 1 million dollars in the second ceremony is one of the most concrete indicators of this change. Similarly, Amazon made a limited donation of $58,000 during his first presidential term, but increased its contribution to $1 million for his second term. In light of all this, it seems that technology companies are trying to establish a more stable and mutually beneficial relationship with the Trump administration.
Antitrust cases stand out as one of the main reasons for this rapprochement. During the Biden period, the FTC, led by Lina Khan, took very harsh steps against technology giants. However, the Trump administration remained distant from such interventions. This made it easier for big technology companies to move more in line with Trump. But the issue is not only about reducing legal pressures, but also about making the investment environment more flexible. In this context, the legal flexibilities and mutual interest relations that emerged during the Trump era greatly affected the industry’s attitude.
Trump’s approach to artificial intelligence stands out as another factor fueling this rapprochement. The AI action plan, announced in July, offered a structure that encourages data center investments and directs state resources to these areas. The goal of reducing bureaucratic processes has been one of the issues that technology companies have been complaining about for a long time. The Trump administration took a clear position on this issue and developed policies to pave the way for investments. This attitude became another factor that increased companies’ interest in Trump. This approach has become very attractive, especially for companies focusing on infrastructure investments and big data solutions.
This process was not only limited to a political transformation, but also brought about a period in which economic relations were reshaped. Although the ballroom project in the White House may seem like an architectural move on the surface, it contains a multi-layered network of collaborations underneath. On the other hand, it seems that Trump aims to leave a permanent mark on the White House with this project. The donor profile chosen for this purpose gives strong signals about how the private sector and politics will intersect in the coming years. This situation reignited public debate about the political preferences of technology companies.
The involvement of the communications and defense sector in this project is seen as a development that should be carefully evaluated. In particular, the financial contribution of defense industry giants such as Lockheed Martin to the project made their close relations with the Trump administration even more visible. These contributions can be read not only as a donation but also as an indicator of political positioning. On the other hand, the existence of cryptocurrency companies also questions the relationship of new financial orders with political centers. The contribution of actors such as Coinbase and Ripple took the digital economy’s contact with the White House to a different dimension. In this context, the ballroom project has become not just construction but a multi-layered show of force.