America Inc is turning away from Trump

November 2, 2026 — 6:10pm

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American bosses once acted on the knowledge that, in politics, the wheel always turns. Parties came in and out of power, and so companies curried favour with both Republicans and Democrats regardless of who controlled the White House or Capitol Hill.

Many bosses have abandoned that even-handedness over the past two years. Companies identified a window of opportunity to advance their agendas, says Reggie Babin of Akin, a lobbying shop. Since Donald Trump’s return to power, pushing through long-desired mergers or securing regulatory changes has often meant abandoning bipartisanship – and dignity, judging by the many corporate donations to Trump’s garish new ballroom.

In a few days, however, the president is predicted to emerge from the midterm elections with a far weaker grip on Washington. Accordingly, much of corporate America has been desperately trying to scrub off its spray tan and deflate its lip filler. But rebuilding ties with the Democrats will not be easy.

One way this shows up is in the people that businesses appoint to handle government relations. In January 2025, the same month Trump was inaugurated, Meta elevated Joel Kaplan, its longtime Republican-whisperer, to be the social-media giant’s chief emissary. On October 20th, it announced that Kaplan will be leaving the company. Paramount Skydance, which recently completed its takeover of Warner Bros Discovery with the president’s........

© The Age