By Kolawole Ojebisi
As part of efforts to make United States President-elect, Donald Trump’s swearing-in glamorous, several reputable companies have signalled interest in contributing to the ceremony.
Prominent among such companies are United States aviation giant, Boeing, and technology powerhouse, Google, which have each pledged $1 million to the inauguration fund for Trump.
The donations mark their inclusion in a growing list of major American companies contributing to the event, scheduled for 20 January, to mark the start of Trump’s second term in the White House.
“We are pleased to continue Boeing’s bipartisan tradition of supporting US Presidential Inaugural Committees,” Boeing stated, noting that similar contributions had been made to the last three presidential inaugurations.
The aerospace manufacturer, currently recovering from a series of safety and quality control crises, is also responsible for building the next generation of Air Force One aircraft, which are expected to enter service next year.
Google, joining other tech giants such as Meta and Amazon in supporting the fund, also announced plans to stream the inauguration live.
“Google is pleased to support the 2025 inauguration, with a livestream on YouTube and a direct link on our homepage,” said Karan Bhatia, Google’s global head of government affairs and public policy.
Several other major corporations have followed suit. Automotive firms Ford, General Motors, and Toyota each contributed $1 million, while energy giant Chevron confirmed a donation but declined to disclose the amount.
“Chevron has a long tradition of celebrating democracy by supporting the inaugural committees of both parties. We are proud to be doing so again this year,” said Bill Turene, Chevron’s manager of global media relations.
