Large corporations typically donate to both political parties to maintain a good standing with top policymakers.
DALLAS — This article was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read the original article here.
AT&T and Toyota are among the donors to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, which is expected to break fundraising records.
That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which analyzed political donation disclosures to highlight giving by companies after a widespread slowdown in political donations in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 unrest at the U.S. Capitol.
Toyota, which has its North American headquarters in Plano, has reportedly donated $1 million to the inauguration, while Dallas-based AT&T was described as a major donor alongside companies such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.
In some ways, it’s a return to form: large corporations typically donate to both political parties to maintain a good standing with top policymakers. Both AT&T and Toyota said as much in statements to Dallas Business Journal. Here was AT&T:
“AT&T is contributing to the 2025 inaugural celebration as we have done for every inauguration for more than three decades regardless of which party won the White House. We invest and prepare our network extensively for events like these. All such contributions are made public.”
And here was what Toyota said:
“The inauguration of a new president is a time-honored tradition in the U.S. Like many other companies, Toyota Motor North America is pleased to support the inauguration ceremony, reflecting our deep and growing U.S. presence.”
The Wall Street Journal’s analysis was focused on the fact that many companies had paused donations or changed their approach to political giving after the chaos at the Capitol. In that way, the donations could be seen as a return to form for corporate America, one that signals hope for a more harmonious relationship between the second Trump administration and big businesses.
Those organizing the January inauguration expect to raise more than the $107 million collected for Trump’s last inauguration, according to the WSJ. The paper identified 13 companies that have given $1 million or more, which is pacing to beat the 18 donations of $1 million or more for the 2017 inauguration fund.
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