On Monday Meta will join a strange crew of sponsors hopping to the White House for its annual Easter Egg Roll, just blocks from the courthouse that will decide the company’s fate.
First Lady Melania Trump on Friday announced how eggcited she is for the partnership, which includes Meta’s “AI-Powered Experience and Photo Opportunity.” But critics say it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, the White House came under fire this year for using the traditional children’s event to generate extra cash, seeking corporate sponsorships for the event rather than relying on the typical peeps—the American Egg Board, which provides tens of thousands of eggs for the occasion.
The jamboree also comes at an awkward time for the American public. Although eggs will shower the White House lawn, they’ll be missing from many people’s fridges as their price has hit a new record high of $6.23 per dozen.
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President Donald Trump used an outside event company called Harbinger to find the sponsors. It advertised a corporate partnership ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, promising logo and branding opportunities, reported CNN. The White House Easter Egg Roll, which began in 1878, has long been privately funded. But now, Harbinger gets to rake in the big bucks for the White House Historical Association. Critics from both parties clucked their disapproval, noting that the solicitation brushes off decades-long precedent.
Meta is not the only corporation reaping the rewards of its new alliance. Other tech companies like Jeff Bezos’ Amazon and YouTube (owned by Google) will also play a role in the event.
Non-tech sponsors include The Toy Association, the the National Confectioners Association, the International Fresh Produce Association, and Signature Brands, LLC, the parent company of Betty Crocker.
In March, when asked about the spring festivities, a former official involved in planning the event told CNN that it has become “an enterprise.”
“This is not your grandmother’s Easter Egg Roll where people lined up outside the gate and go and roll an egg and get a little gift bag and walk out,” they added.
The highest-paying sponsors get the best perks: “Naming rights for key areas or elements,” “Custom-branded baskets, snacks/beverages, or souvenirs,” “sponsor logos featured on event signage,” and—oh, goody—a special “invite-only brunch hosted inside the White House by FLOTUS,” among others.
As major tech conglomerates flash their corporate power amid the wholesome family fun, the government seeks to curb them only blocks away. The Federal Trade Commission is prosecuting an antitrust case that alleges Meta “cemented” its monopoly after acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp.
If the FTC wins, the social media giant could be forced to sell both apps and concede some of its mounting power.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in court for more than 10 hours this week, attempting to butter up his pal Trump. Zuckerberg has visited Mar-a-Lago and the White House multiple times, and has held several meetings with White House officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles. In a statement before the trial began, he seemed fairly confident that Meta would prevail.
Others believe that Easter miracles should be saved for someone else.
Tech oligarchs like Zuckerberg rushed to cozy up to Trump after his November win. The president has formed close ties with Amazon owner Jeff Bezos and “First Buddy” Elon Musk, who owns X.
All three tech giants have signaled their MAGA loyalty by scrubbing their websites of statements or phrases related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Bezos pulled the trigger in December, slashing any mention of LGBTQ+ rights, the word “transgender,” and a commitment to “equity for Black people” from his website.
Zuckerberg, who donated $1 million to Trump before his inauguration, followed suit in January, rolling back fact-checking on his platforms and replacing it with a system similar to Musk’s X. He cited Trump’s win as “a cultural tipping point.”
And Musk, of course, is in many ways Trump’s right-hand man, leading the charge to slash the federal government and annihilate any mention of DEI across the country.
The Meta case comes to a head only months after former President Joe Biden issued an eerie warning in his concession speech, taking aim at the “tech-industrial complex” and using his farewell to suggest “the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power.”
He added that “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Errors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.”
