This year’s White House Easter Egg Roll event will feature activities “courtesy” of a number of corporate sponsors, including several tech companies that made financial contributions to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee. According to a statement from first lady Melania Trump’s office, the Monday event will have activities sponsored by an array of organizations.
These include a “reading nook” by Amazon, a “bunny hop stage” by YouTube and an “AI-powered experience and photo opportunity” by Meta — further underscoring how several tech giants are cozying up to the Trump administration. A YouTube spokesperson said in a statement that the company has participated in the White House Easter Egg Roll in the past “and we do so in line with the administration’s process.” Meta declined to comment to Politico and Amazon did not respond to its request for comment; both corporations donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund.
The Easter Egg Roll will also feature the traditional egg roll and egg hunt, with eggs “donated by American egg farmers,” the first lady’s office said. According to the American Egg Board, about 2,500 dozen eggs — or 30,000 eggs — are being provided for the egg roll, at a time when egg prices for consumers have soared.
CNN first reported last month that it obtained a document soliciting corporate sponsorships for the annual Easter Egg Roll ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, with logo and branding opportunities offered in return. The money raised is slated to go toward the White House Historical Association, a nonprofit that preserves the history of the White House, CNN reported. The White House did not respond to CNN’s request for comment (MSNBC and NBC News have not verified the document seen by CNN). Corporate sponsorships for such an event are unusual. But they would track with Trump’s willingness to entertain overtures from private companies, a move that has raised ethical questions in the past. After the 2024 election, Trump’s inaugural committee raised hundreds of millions of dollars from corporate America, and multiple tech executives who sought to curry favor with the incoming administration paid Trump a personal visit at his Mar-a-Lago resort ahead of his swearing-in.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
Latest Post
Recommended
