Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg came in November as he sought to mend ties following Facebook’s banning of Trump after the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
Apple boss Tim Cook and Google’s Sundar Pichai and Sergey Brin have also visited, while Trump said Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — once a strong Trump critic — is due later this week.
Meta, Amazon and Open AI chief Sam Altman are all reportedly donating $1 million to the fund for Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Trump meanwhile hosted TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Monday, as the social network’s Chinese owner tries to block a looming US ban.
“Honestly, in the first term — I don’t know what it was — it’s like a complete opposite,” Trump said.
But their visits reflect a wider shift as the man shunned for his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss now returns to the White House with a strong mandate for the next four years.
Last week, the New York Stock Exchange welcomed Trump to ring its opening bell, on the same morning that Time Magazine announced that he was its “Person of the Year” for a second time.
Republicans in Congress have been largely pliant, with signs of easing opposition towards controversial cabinet picks such as Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his vaccine-skeptic choice for health secretary.
Trump had appeared to warn on Monday that those who did not toe the line could face election challenges by Republican loyalists.
‘Power of the presidency’
