Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos will have ringside seats for Trump's inauguration
Top tech executives Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are scheduled to join President-elect Donald Trump’s grand comeback to the White House on Monday, sources told ABC News, reinforcing what's expected to be a closer relationship between big tech and the incoming administration.
Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos are expected to have a front row seats on the platform alongside Trump’s Cabinet picks and other elected officials, sources familiar with the planning of the inauguration said.
Throughout the transition, Musk has spent a considerable amount of time with Trump, frequenting the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and often accompanying him to various events. Bezos and Zuckerberg have also made trips down to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump since his November victory.
Meta and Amazon have donated $1 million each to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, as have other major tech companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Meta, in particular, is donating to a presidential inaugural committee for the first time.
With heightened interest from donors and the corporate world, the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee has raised a record breaking amount, well over its $150 million goal.
Among notable guests expected at Trump’s inaugural festivities are the Village People -- the musicians behind Trump’s beloved "Y.M.C.A" and his signature rally dance. They’re set to perform at multiple inaugural events throughout the weekend, including at least one attended by Trump himself, as well as an inauguration eve ball hosted by conservative group Turning Point.
After facing backlash from Trump critics, the Village People defended their decision to perform at Trump’s inaugural festivities, saying they “believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” and that “it's now time to bring the country together with music.”
“Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost,” the group wrote on its social media account.
Trump’s inaugural events are set to kick off with a reception and fireworks at his private golf club in Sterling, Virginia, and a Cabinet reception and dinner with Vice President-elect JD Vance on Saturday, according to the inaugural committee’s official schedule.
On Sunday, on the eve of the inauguration, Trump is scheduled to start the day with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and then celebrate his return to the White House with a Make America Great Again rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington before concluding the day with a candlelight dinner.
On Monday, following the swearing-in ceremony and the presidential parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, three inauguration balls -- the Commander in Chief Ball, the Liberty Inaugural Ball and the Starlight Ball, all attended by Trump -- are set to conclude the festivities.
