Tech leaders court Trump at inauguration, seeking goodwill after rocky past; focus on tariffs as economic strategy moving forward.

A significant group of tech leaders came together at the inauguration ceremony, highlighting the industry’s influence.

Prominent figures included Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, who previously faced criticism from Trump but are now fostering better relations. Also present was Apple’s Tim Cook, who built a personal rapport with Trump during his first term.

Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, a frequent target of Republican criticism, was seen alongside influential advisor Elon Musk. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, attended despite his earlier protests against Trump’s policies.

Tech executives’ relationships with Trump were strained during his first term, but this time, they are demonstrating support.

Facing challenges from the current administration’s regulations, many have invested substantial sums in the inaugural events and adjusted their policies to align with Trump’s agenda.

Trump has reciprocated this support, reconciling with former adversaries, and even hinted at assisting TikTok, which he previously sought to ban. The future of this amicable relationship remains uncertain.

In a separate announcement, Trump underscored tariffs as a priority for generating U.S. revenue without taxing citizens. He proposed an “external revenue service” to regulate tariffs and duties, coinciding with plans to review trade policies with China and North American partners.