Several companies based in North Texas are among the major contributors supporting Trump’s forthcoming inauguration.
AT&T and Toyota have joined other donors to help fund what is expected to be President-elect Donald Trump’s record-breaking fundraiser, reported The Wall Street Journal. Toyota, whose North American headquarters are located in Plano, has reportedly donated $1 million, alongside Ford, Intuit, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The WSJ noted that Dallas-based AT&T was among “other major donors,” which included Goldman Sachs, General Motors, Bank of America, and Stanley Black & Decker.
“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,” the telecom giant told the Dallas Business Journal.
For their part, Toyota’s message was similar.
“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 Japanese automaker said.
According to inauguration officials, they are on track to surpass the $107 million raised for Trump’s first term inauguration in 2017. At the time, Trump received donations of $1 million or more from 18 companies.
Donations come with some perks. Donors who give at least $1 million or raise $2 million from others are granted six tickets to various events leading up to the inauguration. That includes a reception with Trump cabinet appointees, dinner with Trump and the First Lady, and an invite to a black-tie ball.
The anticipated record-breaking haul comes after many companies paused donations following the events of January 6, 2021. Speaking recently to NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump vowed to pardon a number of the over 1,500 individuals who were convicted in connection with the U.S. Capital incident.