Former U.S. President Donald Trump in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2024 and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, U.S., July 22, 2024 in a combination of file photos. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz, Nathan Howard/File Photo
However, tech billionaires like Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz are rallying behind Trump, citing the former president's stances on the economy, taxes and big business. Companies themselves can not directly donate to federal campaigns, including presidential ones, according to campaign finance laws. Corporations often donate to congressional and state-level campaigns through political action committees, which are funded by employee donations and limited on how much candidates can receive.
Amazon and Microsoft employees and family members donated $1 million and $1.1 million, respectively. Trump’s campaign pulled in $116,000 from Amazon workers and $88,000 from Microsoft workers, as well as their family members. Campaign donations mostly come from corporate employees who have more disposable income than the typical warehouse worker or cashier, said Sarah Bryner, director of research and strategy for OpenSecrets. Bryner said Amazon and other tech company corporate employees often make more money than those at Walmart, giving them more leeway to contribute to political campaigns.