Micron Donation to Trump Ballroom Revealed Amidst Federal Subsidy Reliance
Micron Technology, a major U.S. chipmaker, is among the corporations that donated to former President Donald Trump’s new ballroom project at the White House, according to a donor list released by the White House yesterday.
The White House list did not disclose the amount of Micron’s contribution to the $300 million project, which Trump has stated will be funded entirely through private donations. Other prominent donors include Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta. Construction of the ballroom necessitated the complete demolition of the East Wing of the White House, a structure that had stood for 123 years. This donation comes as Micron is relying on over $6.1 billion in federal subsidies awarded by the Biden administration to support the construction of new chip-making plants in Boise, Idaho, and upstate New York.
The funding Micron seeks was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, passed by Congress in 2022, despite previous criticism from Trump. In March, Trump described the legislation as “a horrible, horrible thing,” stating, “We give hundreds of billions of dollars and it doesn’t mean a thing.” Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra announced in September the company had received a disbursement from the CHIPS Act grant following a construction milestone at its Boise facility. You can learn more about the CHIPS and Science Act on the Semiconductor Industry Association website.
The timing of the donation raises questions about corporate influence and access, particularly as companies navigate seeking government funding. Micron’s new $15 billion fabrication plant in Boise is currently under construction, and officials have indicated further updates will be provided as the project progresses.
