(In US) MAGA Supporters Slam Bill Gates’ Presence at Trump’s Tech Leaders Dinner, Say Musk Deserved the Seat

 

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has drawn sharp criticism from some MAGA supporters in the United States following his attendance at a high-profile White House dinner hosted by President Donald Trump on September 4, 2025, to honor tech leaders. The event, held in the State Dining Room due to rain, included prominent figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. However, the absence of Elon Musk, once a close Trump ally who led the Department of Government Efficiency, fueled discontent among netizens who argued Musk deserved a seat for his role in advancing Trump’s tech initiatives.

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Critics on X, including conservative commentator Robby Starbuck and the Wall Street Apes account, expressed fury, with some calling Gates a “globalist” unfit for the “America First” agenda and insisting Musk’s contributions warranted his presence. The dinner, part of Trump’s effort to strengthen ties with Silicon Valley, followed an AI education task force meeting led by First Lady Melania Trump, highlighting the administration’s focus on AI and innovation. The controversy underscores ongoing tensions between Trump’s base and certain tech elites.

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