Is corporate America going Maga?

LAST week, Amazon announced plans to release a “behind the scenes” documentary about Melania Trump, produced by the incoming US first lady herself. The tech giant reportedly paid US$40 million for the exclusive deal, just weeks after it donated US$1 million to her husband Donald Trump’s inauguration committee and committed to livestreaming the ceremony on its Prime service.

Before November’s presidential election, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also cancelled plans for The Washington Post, which he owns, to endorse Trump’s Democratic rival. Shortly after the election, he spoke favourably about Trump’s “energy around reducing regulation” and made a personal pilgrimage to have dinner with the incoming president at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Bezos’ rush to cosy up to the Trumps has been matched by corporate executives across America, as tech billionaires, financiers and the leaders of some of the US’ best-known consumer groups hurry to adjust to a more conservative zeitgeist in the wake of Trump’s election victory and the Republican sweep of both houses of Congress.