What's the estimated cost of Donald Trump's inauguration
What's the story
The inauguration fund for United States President-elect Donald Trump has hit an eye-watering $170 million, exceeding his 2017 record of $107 million. The sum is also more than double the $62 million raised for President Joe Biden's inauguration. The massive funds have been donated by tech giants and Wall Street leaders, including Apple's Tim Cook and OpenAI's Sam Altman, who pledged $1 million each.
Major donors
Tech giants and Wall Street leaders back Trump's inauguration
Amazon also raised its donation to a whopping $2 million, a huge jump from the $58,000 it donated in 2017. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta has also donated $1 million. Uber and its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi have separately donated $1 million each. Financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America have pledged undisclosed amounts, while Citigroup plans to contribute an undisclosed sum to Trump's inauguration fund.
Automotive contributions
Auto industry supports Trump's inauguration with donations
Ford Motor Co has donated a fleet of vehicles for the event, with General Motors and Toyota also making donations. The New York Times reported that demand for seats at certain events has outstripped availability due to the donation frenzy. The inaugural committee handles major expenses such as balls and private dinners, while the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies takes care of expenses like stage construction and congressional luncheon.
Ceremony details
Inauguration events and expenses
Inauguration events will start from January 17, culminating in the swearing-in ceremony on January 20. The day features a Capitol procession, the vice president and president's swearing-in, an inaugural address, and a Statuary Hall luncheon. The day will end with a Pennsylvania Avenue parade to the White House and Inaugural Balls. The inauguration day will be live streamed on major networks like CBS, CNN, NBC, Fox News, among others.