 John, President Trump has rewarded corporations that support him with access, influence and even support and promotion, while directly targeting companies he views as adversaries through his Justice Department and on social media.
We’ve tracked hundreds of donations to 10 projects to which Trump has devoted unusual attention or for which fundraising has been well outside of established presidential norms. Twelve companies have government contracts. At least nine have faced enforcement actions from the government in recent years. In addition to seeking government contracts or avoiding regulatory enforcement, top corporate donors to Trump’s pet projects have varied and potentially lucrative interests in the administration’s actions. For example, the CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro advocated directly to Trump for marijuana rescheduling. Altria Group advocated against the regulation of vapes and e-cigarettes in a meeting with Trump. Chevron lobbied to protect its investments in Venezuelan oil. And this isn’t the only reason corporations have funded Trump’s projects. From VIP invitations, to private meetings with the president, to promotion on social media, to policy wins—top corporate funders have benefited in countless ways from opportunities to curry favor and gain influence. The administration has incentivized donations to Trump’s pet projects by granting donors special access. They threw a dinner for donors to the White House ballroom, offering a “VIP experience” for donors to the 2025 military parade and invitations to a reception for million-dollar donors to Freedom 250. Even beyond these events, the corporations that have donated to his projects have gained valuable access to Trump. Trump has met or traveled with executives from 13 out of the top 15 donors. Even in an administration that has generally focused on deregulation, gutting consumer protections, lowering corporate taxes and other corporate-friendly policies, some of these companies have been singled out for notable wins. For example, Trump posted on Truth Social, praising Palantir’s “great war-fighting capabilities and equipment,” which boosted the company’s stock price. Likewise, Trump reversed decades of foreign policy precedent by allowing Nvidia to sell chips to China. It’s clear who really benefits from this pay-to-play style of politics: Companies that can afford to make millions in donations to gain support, access and influence. You can read our full report and see the data for yourself here. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your tax deductible donation will go through immediately to ActBlue Charities Inc. and be disbursed to CREW within 30 days:
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