Spotify donate $150,000 to Trump’s inauguration ceremony and celebration, host brunch featuring high-profile podcasters

On January 19, the day before the second inauguration of President Donald Trump, a brunch was hosted by Spotify featuring high-profile podcasters Joe Rogan and Ben Shapiro, country singer Riley Green, and others, reported by Bloomberg.

The brunch was meant to tout “the power of podcasts in this election”, and has been acknowledged by The New York Times and Wired, with Wired stating that Google and Youtube also held an inauguration weekend event for podcasters and creators.

Spotify said, in an email statement to Bloomberg: “Spotify has long hosted events in Washington, D.C., and other capitals worldwide, bringing together political leaders, media figures, and industry peers from across the political spectrum. These engagements are business as usual.”

It has also been reported by Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter that Spotify donated $150,000 to the inauguration ceremony and celebration. In a statement translated from Swedish, Spotify said: “The donation aims to continue to expand our presence in Washington, D.C., while furthering the goals of our platform and our creators. It is in line with the work we do in capitals around the world to advance our policy issues, regardless of who is in power.”