• Amazon and Meta Platforms have pledged $1 million each to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund.
• The Washington Post, owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, faced backlash for not endorsing a candidate in the 2024 US Election.
• The election saw Trump beat Kamala Harris, with the media's role in the election being heavily scrutinized.
• The Washington Post's decision not to endorse a candidate sparked debates about media bias and the role of tech companies in politics.

In a surprising turn of events, Amazon, the tech giant led by Jeff Bezos, has pledged a donation of $1 million to the inaugural fund of President-elect Donald Trump. The company also plans to broadcast the inauguration ceremony on its Prime Video service, which is considered an in-kind donation worth another $1 million. This move by Amazon was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and has since been confirmed by an Amazon spokesperson.

This donation aligns Amazon with Meta Platforms, another tech behemoth, which has also committed to donating $1 million to the Trump inauguration scheduled for January 20. The announcement of these donations comes as Bezos, Amazon's founder and executive chairman, prepares to meet with Trump next week.

The relationship between Trump and Bezos has been fraught with tension, largely due to Trump's criticism of the Washington Post's coverage of his first term as president. The Washington Post is owned by Bezos, and its decision not to endorse a candidate in the November presidential election has been a point of contention.

Media's Role in the 2024 US Election

The 2024 US Election saw Donald Trump emerge victorious, but the mainstream media was considered the biggest loser. Patrick Bet-David, an entrepreneur, congratulated Trump on his podcast for killing the mainstream media. This sentiment was echoed by Elon Musk, who declared the media all but dead and told his 200 million followers on X, You are the media now.

The Washington Post's decision not to endorse a candidate led to a backlash, with about 8% of the newspaper's base, or more than 200,000 readers, canceling their subscriptions over the course of three days. Critics saw this move as an attempt by Bezos to curry favor with Trump in the event of his winning a second term. Bezos, however, insisted that "no quid pro quo of any kind" was involved in the decision to stop endorsing U.S. presidential candidates.

The Washington Post's decision sparked an uproar, leading to the resignation of three of the newspaper's editorial board members and several columnists. Bezos wrote in his op-ed that neither he nor Limp knew about the meeting ahead of time, as it was scheduled quickly that morning.

The Aftermath of the Election

The 2024 US election saw Trump beat Kamala Harris, with the Associated Press projecting the Republican candidate as the winner. The tradition of presidential endorsements goes as far back as 1860, when The Chicago Tribune endorsed Abraham Lincoln. The New York Times editorial board endorsed Harris, calling her "the only patriotic choice for president" in the race against Trump.

The Washington Post's decision not to endorse a candidate was seen as a lifeline for Trump's campaign. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled earlier this year that presidents have unlimited immunity for any "official" action they take while in office. The Supreme Court gets to decide what constitutes an "official" action.

The decision not to endorse a candidate led to a drop in subscriptions for The Washington Post and the LA Times, both of which are financially shaky organizations. The Washington Post Co.'s status as a privately held company meant that a corporate spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.