In a recent interview, Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for Donald Trump, declared that the anticipated presence of top tech leaders at Trump’s inauguration marks their “official surrender” to the president-elect.
What Happened: During an interview on ABC News, Bannon expressed that the attendance of major tech figures at Trump’s inauguration signifies their capitulation, ABC News reported on Monday.
Bannon noted that the expected presence of Elon Musk of Tesla Inc. TSLA, Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, and Mark Zuckerberg of Meta Platforms Inc. META at the inauguration is not unexpected. He remarked that once Zuckerberg confirmed his attendance, others followed suit.
“He’s like Gen. Douglas MacArthur,” Bannon said of Trump. “That is an official surrender, and I think it’s powerful.”
He also voiced doubts about the tech leaders’ newfound allegiance to Trump, particularly Zuckerberg, whom he accused of opportunism.
Both Amazon and Meta have contributed $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund.
Why It Matters: The attendance of tech giants at the inauguration comes amid a backdrop of tension between Bannon and Musk. Just days before the inauguration, Bannon had fiercely criticized Musk, calling him "truly evil" and vowing to expel him from the MAGA movement. This was reported by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on January 12, 2025. Musk, a frequent visitor at Mar-a-Lago, has been a significant financial supporter of Trump’s return to the White House.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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