Trumps billionaire frenemies get prime spots in Rotunda as Govs. DeSantis, Abbott put in overflow room
WASHINGTON — The best spots at President Trump’s inauguration Monday went to a cast of billionaires — most of them newly friendly to Trump — while the country’s Republican governors, including Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas, watched from an overflow room in the Capitol’s basement.The world’s three richest men — Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — got prized positions arrayed alongside Trump, 78, as he promised to launch the “golden age of America” while also trashing the country’s “corrupt establishment.”Only about 600 people could fit into the Capitol Rotunda after the inauguration was moved indoors due to dangerously cold weather — meaning not all members of Congress could attend.Despite the space limitation, both Zuckerberg and Bezos were given plus-ones, bringing wife Priscilla Chan and partner Lauren Sanchez, respectively.First son-in-law Jared Kushner, now an investment manager and formerly Trump’s right-hand-man in the West Wing, was spotted chatting with the group as he and other members of the Trump family stood in the row in front of them.Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook also were in the rich row immediately in front of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, including Health and Human Services secretary-designee Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.and Homeland Security secretary-designee Kristi Noem.Elsewhere, the CEO of Chinese-owned TikTok, Shou Chew, sat next to the next Director of National Intelligence-designee Tulsi Gabbard — days after Trump said he would not implement a ban of the Chinese-owned app and instead require a 50:50 joint venture with an American company.Trump showed off his cast of new frenemies — many of whom opposed him during his first term and de-platformed him after the 2021 Capitol riot — over his right shoulder as he spoke, as retiring President Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama, George W.
Bush and Bill Clinton watched...