BURSTAt Trump’s inauguration in January, the reelected president was flanked by a number of tech CEOs and owners, who also happen to be some of the richest men in the world.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk of Tesla, SpaceX and X were all photographed prominently.
Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, and Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, were also present.
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- Political Action Committee Manager, AVMA, Washington D.C.
- Director of State Campaigns, American Promise, Concord
- Senior Policy Specialist, Arnold & Porter, Washington D.C.
- Senior Education Policy Counsel/Education Policy Advisor, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Washington D.C.
- Federal Programs Associate, Feldesman Leifer LLP, Washington D.C.
Having high-profile donors and supporters attend an inauguration is nothing new, but this industry display prompted fresh worry about the role and influence of tech companies in the Trump administration.
Concerns around the potential for a “disastrous rise in misplaced power” was also noted in Biden’s farewell address, where he warned about the “rise of a tech-industrial complex”, evoking President Eisenhower's farewell speech warning of the dangers of the “military-industrial complex”.
Biden cited misinformation and disinformation as enabling the abuse of power, shortly after Meta announced they were ceasing fact-checking.
“The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit,” he warned.
Distrust is rife
Well, it turns out Biden isn’t alone. According to a nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted on 7 March 2025 by Pollfish, 56 percent believe corporate involvement in government threatens democracy.
Other findings from the research are similarly revealing.
Some 48 percent feel very uncomfortable with private sector leaders influencing government policies, while 42 percent say corporate involvement significantly decreases public trust in government.
A high percentage (44 percent) completely distrust corporate leaders managing government-related initiatives, and 65 percent support stricter regulations on private sector influence in governmental affairs.
Public trust in the expanding role of business leaders in governance remains low. Some 42 percent say corporate influence reduces trust in government, with just 9 percent saying it increases trust.
Unsurprisingly, 43 percent do not trust business leaders overseeing government-related initiatives.
DOGE’s federal workforce restructuring hasn’t helped matters. Of the respondents, 48 percent worry about job cuts and instability in federal agencies.
Paths forward
As skepticism continues to grow, Americans are increasingly calling for stronger oversight and regulation of the relationship between the private sector and government.
A significant 65 percent support stricter rules to limit corporate influence in government decision-making, highlighting a clear demand for greater transparency and accountability.
But this growing unease about corporate influence in government is not occurring in a vacuum.
According to APCO Worldwide’s 2025 Business on the Home Front - New Expectations for Corporate America in 2025 report, Americans are also demanding that companies do more than simply maximize profits.
Curbing rising prices, supporting U.S. jobs, and addressing workforce challenges are all key “kitchen table issues” for both government and business, according to the report.
A distinct call for policies that prioritize American workers is clear, however, the same research reveals that many Americans feel the current economic system disproportionately benefits a select few.
At the same time, the policy landscape is shifting rapidly. Sweeping changes from the new administration, including new tariffs and government downsizing, heightens anxieties about the economy, jobs, and the potential erosion of critical public services.
With the majority of Americans calling for stricter oversight and expressing deep skepticism about corporate motives, the coming months will test whether government and business leaders can restore public confidence, or whether distrust will continue to deepen.
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