Trump 2.0: The tech giants forge new bonds

The presidential restart of Donald Trump brings fresh momentum to the relationships with major technology companies, which often viewed him critically in the past. However, the tide seems to have turned. As the future president stated on Monday, leading figures of the tech industry, who once kept their distance, are now seeking dialogue with him. During a press conference, Trump remarked: “In the first presidential cycle, everyone fought against me. Now, in this term, everyone wants to become my friend.” Prominent personalities like Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai either have or will visit Mar-a-Lago to engage with the president-elect. “I had dinner with almost all of them, and the rest are yet to come,” Trump added with a wink. Notable in this new alliance is Elon Musk, who increasingly positioned himself on Trump's side during the election phase. Trump's charm offensive is having an effect: Musk has been appointed to help lead the newly created “Department of Government Efficiency,” while former PayPal manager David Sacks has been designated as “Head of Crypto and AI.” In the first term, Trump faced critical voices from the tech industry. Several executives, including Musk, opposed his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. Others, including the CEOs of Intel, Merck, and Under Armour, resigned from White House advisory councils after Trump's response to the far-right violence in Charlottesville. Nevertheless, Trump persistently sought alignment with business leaders and founded a new, business-focused council in 2019, which included key figures from Apple, IBM, and Walmart.