You’ve probably seen the boycotts or the "buycott" lists floating around social media. It's a mess. Honestly, trying to figure out exactly what companies support Trump is like trying to untangle a pile of fishing line in the dark.
Most people think it's a simple "yes" or "no" situation. It isn't. Corporations are legally banned from giving money directly to a presidential candidate’s campaign fund. That's a hard federal law. But, as we all know, money has a way of finding a path. It flows through Super PACs, joint fundraising committees, and the personal checkbooks of billionaires who run the show.
Who is actually writing the checks?
If you look at the FEC filings from the 2024 cycle—which, let's be real, are the most reliable paper trail we have—you won’t see "Apple" or "Disney" on a donor list for Donald Trump. Instead, you see names like Timothy Mellon. He's an heir to the Mellon banking fortune and he dropped a staggering $125 million into a pro-Trump Super PAC.
Then there’s the tech sector. This was the year the "Silicon Valley shift" became a real thing. For a long time, tech was seen as a liberal monolith, but that’s basically dead now. Elon Musk famously launched America PAC to support Trump, reportedly funneling massive amounts of his personal wealth into the ground game. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the duo behind one of the most powerful venture capital firms on the planet (Andreessen Horowitz), also broke cover to back him. Why? Crypto and regulation. They felt the current administration was stifling innovation in the digital asset space.
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The Energy and Finance Giants
Oil and gas have always been a cornerstone of Republican support. It makes sense. Trump’s "drill, baby, drill" mantra is literally a business plan for these guys.
- Continental Resources: Founder Harold Hamm has been a long-time advisor and donor.
- Energy Transfer Partners: CEO Kelcy Warren is another name that pops up frequently in high-dollar donor circles.
- Cantor Fitzgerald: Howard Lutnick, the CEO, didn't just give money; he became a key figure in the transition team.
On Wall Street, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Steve Schwarzman, the head of Blackstone, came back into the fold after initially distancing himself following the 2020 election. He cited concerns about the economy and foreign policy as his primary motivators.
The Misconception of the "Corporate Support"
Here is where it gets kinda tricky. People often scream for a boycott of The Home Depot because its co-founder, Bernie Marcus, was a massive Trump supporter. But Bernie Marcus hasn't run the company in years. He’s retired. The actual corporation, as an entity, has a PAC that gives to both Democrats and Republicans. This is the "corporate hedge." They want friends on both sides of the aisle so that no matter who wins, they can get a meeting with the Chief of Staff.
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Companies like UPS, FedEx, and Walmart typically split their donations. They aren’t "supporting Trump" so much as they are "supporting the office of the President." It’s a cynical way to look at it, but it’s the business reality. If you're looking for companies that have a brand identity tied to Trump, you're looking at much smaller, niche players like MyPillow or certain crypto firms that see him as a savior for their industry.
Why the Support Shifted in 2024 and 2025
The 2024 election was different because of the "Billionaire Rebellion." Before, CEOs were terrified of the "woke" backlash. They stayed quiet. But as we moved into 2025 and the second Trump term began, that fear seemed to evaporate for many.
We saw a surge in support from the crypto industry. Organizations like Fairshake, a pro-crypto super PAC, raised hundreds of millions. They were tired of the SEC’s "regulation by enforcement" and saw Trump as the guy who would fire the regulators they hated. Winklevoss Capital (the twins from the Facebook story) put significant skin in the game here.
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The Real Estate Connection
You can't talk about Trump without real estate. It's his home turf.
- Kushner Companies: Obviously, there’s a family tie here, but Charles Kushner has remained a foundational donor.
- Witkoff Group: Steve Witkoff is one of Trump’s closest friends in the business world and a frequent donor.
- Las Vegas Sands: Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, remains one of the single most influential donors in the Republican party, contributing tens of millions.
Does it actually matter where you shop?
Honestly, for most people, boycotting based on political donations is nearly impossible. If you try to avoid every company whose CEO gave to a pro-Trump PAC, you’d probably have to stop using the internet, stop buying gas, and stop shopping at most major retailers.
Most "support" is hidden behind three layers of legal paperwork. A company might give to a trade association, which gives to a "dark money" 501(c)(4), which then runs ads for a candidate. By the time the money hits the airwaves, the original source is practically invisible.
Actionable Insights for the Informed Consumer
If you're trying to align your spending with your values, here is how you actually do it:
- Check OpenSecrets: Don't trust social media lists. Search for a company on OpenSecrets.org. Look at their "PAC" vs. "Individual" donations. This tells you if it's the company or just a wealthy executive giving the money.
- Look at the Board: Often, the CEO is just a figurehead. Look at who sits on the Board of Directors. These are the people who set the long-term political strategy of the company.
- Prioritize Direct Support: If a brand like Goya or MyPillow makes their political stance part of their marketing, that’s a conscious choice. Shopping there—or not—is a direct response to their branding.
- Follow the Lobbying: Sometimes a company doesn't give a cent to a campaign but spends $10 million lobbying for a specific Trump-era policy (like the 2017 tax cuts). That’s where the real influence happens.