Apple Gave $25 Million for Trump’s Ballroom. Why Not for Sick Children?

Senator Richard Blumenthal asked Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia and other donors to turn over all records behind their gifts for President Trump’s new White House ballroom, or face possible subpoenas when Democrats take control of Congress in January. Apple pledged $25 million, one of the largest donations, and lawmakers also plan to look at its handling of ICE-related apps in the App Store.

In this article: Why the White House, of all places? · Sick children would have been the better gift · 100% a deal · Values? Not anymore. · What we’ll learn next · FAQ

Why the White House, of all places?

Giving $25 million for a ballroom is really something rare. For God’s sake, what is happening to America and to the whole world? Why the White House, of all places? You know what kind of arrogant man sits there, a man who thinks only about himself and his circle. And a company like Apple supports him.

I don’t want to go into politics. But I have the feeling that companies now have so many connections to the government and to power that the whole situation suits them. They do what they want, they pay for their peace, and nobody thinks about normal people.

Sick children would have been the better gift

Why didn’t Apple give that money to sick children? Or to mothers who have sick children and can’t work? There are so many places where $25 million could have gone, and believe me, people would have applauded Apple for it. But no. Apple gives gifts to the White House.

This shows all the arrogance and, in my opinion, corruption. Apple raises prices on our gadgets, and then invests our money into a ballroom for the most arrogant man America has ever had as president. And if we ever learn that money from companies like this also helped pay for wars, it will be a real disgrace.

100% a deal

A $1 million check for the inauguration. A glass plaque on a 24-karat gold base, handed over in the Oval Office together with a $600 billion investment promise. And then an exemption from the chip tariffs. Coincidence? For me it’s 100% a deal.

I understand that companies want to be as close to power as possible, so they can keep doing business without problems. But not in this direction. Not by supporting people who create chaos and do whatever they want. The way he behaves toward us and toward journalists is very hard to watch, as if America belonged only to him. And companies support it. We don’t know what awaits us tomorrow, and the companies that give such gifts and make him this powerful share the blame for where we are now.

Values? Not anymore.

You can’t even talk about values anymore. It’s something else now. Where all this is heading, I see only one thing: in a few years, big corporations will manipulate and rule the world. They will pay politics for it, and we, like blind people, will keep supporting them. It’s terrible. It’s not a joke anymore.

Before, companies really had values. They were open, and they told us when something was wrong. In 2016, Apple refused to unlock a terrorist’s iPhone for the FBI and said privacy is a human right. In 2025, it removed ICEBlock as soon as the Justice Department asked. Now companies have learned they have money, and with that money they buy power through gifts to the government. Blumenthal already asked Apple about the ballroom in 2025. Apple didn’t even answer.

What we’ll learn next

I think we’ll learn very quickly that companies like Apple and Nvidia have their fingers in more than a ballroom. Maybe not financially. Maybe something even worse, like surveillance. I hope I’m wrong. Remember my words.

Also on Evolt News: Apple Saved $2.7 Billion in Taxes Through Singapore · Apple’s CEO Says His Word Is “Product.” Mine Is “Arrogance.” · 400 Deepfake Apps in the App Store · “A Small Number”? Then Show Us the Number

Featured image: David Everett Strickler / Unsplash.

This article is opinion.

Apple, the ballroom and Congress: FAQ

How much did Apple donate to the White House ballroom?

Apple pledged $25 million toward President Trump’s White House ballroom, according to The Washington Post, making it one of the largest donors to the roughly $333 million privately funded project.

What does Senator Blumenthal want from Apple?

Records about the donation: who solicited it, who suggested the amount, any written terms, and lobbying contacts with the administration. He asked donors to hand them over voluntarily before January.

Can Congress force Apple to hand over the records?

Once Democrats take control of the Senate in January, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations can issue subpoenas if companies don’t comply voluntarily.

Why did Apple remove ICEBlock?

In October 2025, Apple removed ICEBlock and similar apps that let users report sightings of ICE agents, after pressure from the Justice Department, citing safety risks to law enforcement.

What other ties does Apple have to the Trump administration?

Tim Cook donated $1 million to the 2025 inaugural fund, presented President Trump with a glass plaque on a 24-karat gold base in August 2025 alongside a $600 billion US investment pledge, and Apple later received an exemption from planned chip tariffs.

When will the investigations start?

Democrats take control of Congress in January 2027. Senator Blumenthal said companies that don’t hand over records by then could face subpoenas.

I read this news on 9to5Mac.

Sources: 9to5Mac, Reuters, The Washington Post, AppleInsider, iDrop News.

Our Take

Apple once refused the FBI to protect our privacy. Now it writes $25 million checks for a ballroom, removes apps when the government asks, and doesn’t answer senators’ letters. That money could have helped sick children; instead it bought peace with power, paid for by the prices of our gadgets.

Companies used to have values and tell us the truth. Today they buy influence and stay silent. If Apple has nothing to hide, it should be the first to show its receipts.