Despite significant donations from major tech companies to President Trump's inauguration festivities, Vice President JD Vance affirmed on Sunday that these companies remain under scrutiny. In a CBS interview with Margaret Brennan, Vance addressed the presence of tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Sundar Pichai at the inauguration, emphasizing the administration's concern over Big Tech's influence.
Brennan questioned Vance about the seeming contradiction between his previous calls to break up large tech companies and their substantial financial contributions to the inauguration. She highlighted the prominent seating of these CEOs, referencing media reactions such as MSNBC's Rachel Maddow's commentary. Vance reiterated the administration's stance that Big Tech wields excessive power, stating that these companies must respect Americans' constitutional rights and cease censorship practices or face consequences under Trump's leadership.
Vance's comments come after Big Tech's prior restrictions on Trump's online presence in 2020. The industry's recent shift towards criticizing the Biden administration's oversight attempts, coupled with their financial support for Trump's inauguration, signals a notable change in their political approach. Zuckerberg's decision to replace Facebook and Instagram's fact-checking system with a community notes approach further underscores this evolving dynamic.
While some, like CNN's Jake Tapper, expressed concern over the potential influence of these tech leaders on the spread of misinformation, Vance downplayed their presence at the inauguration, pointing out that many attendees did not contribute financially to the event. He even humorously compared the CEOs' seating arrangements to that of his mother, suggesting their prominence was not as significant as some perceived.
