The corporate insurrection of 2024
Forty-six months ago, an angry mob violently attacked the United States Capitol in an effort to overturn the results of the election. In response, corporate CEOs condemned President Donald Trump for inciting the violence and undermining the law.
"The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on January 7, 2021. "His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world."
Initially, while denying any personal responsibility and calling the rioters "very special," Trump described January 6 as a "heinous attack" on the country. He said that "demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American democracy." Trump also pledged that "those who broke the law… will pay."
In the years that followed, Trump statements about the attack only became more disturbing.
In the course of his 2024 campaign, Trump lionized the January 6 rioters. At an October 2024 campaign event, Trump described the attack on the United States Capitol as "a day of love" and claimed that there was "nothing done wrong at all." His only criticism was of former Vice President Mike Pence for not preventing Biden's victory from being certified. He has promised to pardon many of the January 6 rioters on his first day back in the White House, claiming that they are "wrongfully imprisoned."
So, how did Zuckerberg respond to Trump's victory last Tuesday? Zuckerberg offered his enthusiastic congratulations, suggested that Trump's election heralded an era of "great opportunities," and expressed his excitement about working with Trump and his administration.
Does Zuckerberg send this kind of congratulatory message after every election? No. Popular Information found that Zuckerberg offered no congratulatory message at all to Biden after his 2020 victory.
Meta did not respond to a request for comment.
In January 2021, Zuckerberg presented his criticism of as a principled stance. But, at the time, it also had the political benefit of aligning himself with the incoming presidential administration.
But now the political dynamic has flipped. Trump won a second term in office with the help of Elon Musk, one of Zuckerberg's primary business competitors in the fields of social media and artificial intelligence. So Zuckerberg has conveniently forgotten about his criticisms of Trump and given Trump what he values the most — a public display of adulation and deference.
Zuckerberg was one of several CEOs to cravenly cast aside their previous positions and lavish Trump with praise last week.
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook described January 6, 2021 as a "sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history," adding that "[i]t’s especially when they are challenged that our ideals matter most."
During an interview with CBS News a few days later, Cook said that Trump needed to be held accountable for inciting a riot. "I think no one is above the law. I mean, that's the great thing about our country, we're a rule of law country. I think everyone that had a part in it needs to be held accountable," Cook said. "I don't think we should let it go."
Last Tuesday, Cook let it go, offering a cheerful public congratulations to Trump.
Cook did congratulate Biden on the day of his inauguration, expressing support for his "immediate actions on climate change [and] immigration," which Trump will undoubtedly reverse.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai
On January 6, 2021, Google CEO Sundar Pichai drafted a memo to his employees that was made public. "The scenes from Washington D.C. today are shocking and scary for all of us," Pichai wrote. "Holding free and safe elections and resolving our differences peacefully are foundational to the functioning of democracy. The United States has a long and proud history of doing this. The lawlessness and violence occurring on Capitol Hill today is the antithesis of democracy and we strongly condemn it."
Less than four years later, Pichai has gotten over his shock and congratulated Trump on a "decisive" victory, including an image of an electoral college map. Pichai suggested that Trump's victory would usher in a "golden age of American innovation" that would "bring benefits to everyone."
Musk, who competes with Google in the fields of self-driving cars and artificial intelligence, responded, "cool."
Pichai did not publicly congratulate Biden after his victory in 2020. He did post that he supported Biden's views on the Paris Climate Accords and immigration reform — two areas where Trump holds starkly opposing positions.
Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
In 2021, while Jeff Bezos served as CEO, Amazon released a statement calling the January 6 attack an "unacceptable attempt to undermine a legitimate democratic process." The company said it had "suspended contributions to any Member of Congress who voted to override the results of the US Presidential election" and would "discuss our concerns directly with those Members we have previously supported and will evaluate their responses as we consider future PAC contributions."
Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon later that year, but continues to be its largest shareholder. He is also the owner of the Washington Post. As Election Day 2024 approached, the paper's editorial board drafted an endorsement of Harris. But Bezos intervened and spiked the endorsement. The paper announced it would no longer endorse in presidential races. "I will… not allow this paper to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance," Bezos wrote in a column defending his decision.
Bezos insisted the decision had nothing to do with his extensive business interests with a potential Trump administration — including billions in contracts for Blue Origin, his space exploration company, which competes directly with Musk.
But after Trump won, Bezos did not hesitate to post an effusive congratulatory note on X, publicly praising Trump for "an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory."
Bezos also congratulated Biden in 2020, writing on Instagram that Biden's win showed that "empathy, and decency are not characteristics of a bygone era."
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
After January 6, 2021, Microsoft, under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, announced that it would "suspend contributions… to all members of Congress who voted to object to the certification of electors" and "for state officials and organizations who supported such objections or suggested the election should be overturned." Of course, Trump was the most prominent official who suggested the election should be overturned.
Nadella also reposted a statement from Microsoft President Brad Smith saying that it was critical to "speak up for our Constitution and its values."
After Trump's victory last week, however, Nadella publicly congratulated Trump, suggesting Trump could create "new growth and opportunity for the United States and the world."
Nadella did not personally congratulate Biden after his victory in 2020, choosing instead to repost a message from Smith.
For the conscientious consumer there is simply no place to go. This entire thing makes me nauseous.
Rebecca Solnit, writing in the US edition of The Guardian, attributes the results of this election to three forces — toxic masculinity, the failure of traditional media to fully inform people and an internet dominated by the people on display in this column.