Nvidia, Cisco confirm donations to Trump's White House ballroom project
Tech companies including Nvidia and Cisco have confirmed multimillion-dollar contributions to the privately funded White House ballroom renovation, which has drawn more than $330 million in pledges.
At a glance
- Nvidia and Cisco confirmed multimillion-dollar donations to President Trump's White House ballroom renovation, CNBC reported.
- Nvidia and Apple each pledged $25 million, according to The Washington Post, part of more than $330 million in donations.
- Lawmakers and experts have raised concerns that the donations could influence policy decisions or federal contract awards.
Nvidia and Cisco have confirmed making multimillion-dollar donations to President Donald Trump's White House ballroom renovation project, joining a donor list that has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and experts.
The confirmations, reported by CNBC on Thursday, followed a Washington Post report that Nvidia and Apple each pledged $25 million toward the project. According to the Post, donations totaled more than $330 million and included contributions in the millions from Amazon, Palantir, ServiceNow, Meta Platforms and Microsoft.
An Nvidia spokesperson told CNBC that as an American company, its "support for the United States is paramount, and independent of any business interests," adding that it was "proud to be able to make a donation to a nonpartisan trust that serves all Americans." Cisco and ServiceNow each confirmed $5 million donations. Microsoft and Meta declined to comment on the report.
"ServiceNow's business with the U.S. government is separate and unconnected to any donations we make to any cause," the company said, adding that "any attempt to connect the two processes is wholly inaccurate."
Amazon, Apple, HP Inc., Micron, Palantir, Salesforce and Vast Space, all listed as major donors in the report, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Donations routed through a trust
The Post reported the ballroom donations were sent through a nonprofit trust, and that donors received a pledge form for donating to the "Donald J. Trump Ballroom." Documents obtained by the newspaper showed 67 contributions above $10,000 as of late September.
Construction on the project has been continuing, including work on a new helipad on the South Lawn and the East Wing ballroom in Washington.
Scrutiny over influence
Lawmakers and experts have repeatedly criticized the donations and requested information on the private donors, raising concerns about the potential influence the commitments could have on policy decisions or any federal contract awards.
Tech leaders have largely favored Trump's pro-business, light-touch approach to antitrust and regulation, and some companies have secured hundreds of millions in contracts through artificial intelligence infrastructure and defense deals during his second term.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have been regulars at state dinners and meetings in Washington, and were central figures at the White House AI luncheon on Sept. 29.
Source: CNBC.
Questions and answers
- How much did Nvidia donate to Trump's White House ballroom project?
- Nvidia pledged $25 million, the same amount as Apple, according to a Washington Post report. An Nvidia spokesperson said the donation went to a nonpartisan trust and was independent of any business interests.
- Which companies donated to the White House ballroom project?
- Reported donors include Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Palantir, ServiceNow, Meta, Microsoft, Cisco, HP Inc., Micron, Salesforce and Vast Space. Cisco and ServiceNow each confirmed $5 million donations, and reported donations totaled more than $330 million.
- Why are the White House ballroom donations controversial?
- Lawmakers and experts have requested information on the private donors and raised concerns about the potential influence the commitments could have on policy decisions or federal contract awards.
