Met Gala Faces Backlash Over MAGA-Aligned Sponsors and Trump’s Cultural War

The Met Gala, fashion’s most exclusive event, has long been a magnet for controversy—none more so than in 2024, where its ties to figures aligned with Donald Trump’s administration have sparked outrage.

In 2017, James Corden, host of The Late Late Show, posed a provocative question to Anna Wintour, then-editor-in-chief of Vogue and chair of the Met Gala: “Who would you never invite back to the Met Gala?” Wintour’s response—“Donald Trump”—drew thunderous applause. Yet, despite Trump’s absence since before his presidency, Wintour has shown no hesitation in welcoming his administration’s benefactors to the event.

This year’s Met Gala features Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos as lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs. The couple, who were prominent figures at Trump’s second inauguration, have faced scrutiny over their political ties. Wintour, who stepped down as Vogue’s editor-in-chief in June 2023 but remains the Met Gala’s head, defended their inclusion to CNN.

“I’m grateful for [Lauren Sánchez Bezos’] generosity,”

Wintour stated, though the exact amount of their contribution remains undisclosed. She added:

“She’s a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.”

The Bezos couple’s presence at high-profile fashion events—from Milan to Paris—has been well-documented. Yet, despite their sartorial investments, critics argue their cultural influence remains superficial. In 2024, they attended the Met Costume Institute’s spring exhibit and annual fundraiser, a tradition for the ultra-wealthy.

Big Tech firms like Amazon, TikTok, and Apple have long been Met Gala sponsors, leveraging their financial power and algorithms to align with the event’s prestige. However, this year’s benefit has drawn intensified backlash following Silicon Valley’s overt support for Trump’s 2024 campaign.

• Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s 2024 inauguration fund.
• Amazon spent $75 million on a documentary glorifying Melania Trump.
• As owner of The Washington Post, Bezos barred the paper from endorsing Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election.

Protesters have responded by plastering New York City subway stations with posters urging a boycott of the “Bezos Met Gala,” condemning Amazon’s labor practices and its political alliances.

The Met Gala’s $100,000 ticket price—far exceeding the median U.S. home down payment—has long symbolized the extravagance of the elite. Yet the inclusion of Bezos, a figure accused of using the event to whitewash his reputation amid Trump’s assault on arts and culture, has exposed the event’s contradictions.

Since assuming office in January 2025, Trump has escalated his attacks on cultural institutions:

• Canceled National Endowment for the Arts grants, threatening hundreds of arts organizations.
• Issued an executive order pressuring museums to comply with his anti-“woke” agenda.
• Renamed the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after himself.

Bezos is not merely a passive observer in these developments. His companies and political contributions have directly funded Trump’s cultural agenda, raising questions about the Met Gala’s complicity in legitimizing figures who undermine the very institutions it celebrates.