President Donald Trump claimed that Google is now more receptive to him during his second term, contrasting it with his first term when he said the company would not take his calls. Speaking at a rally in Kentucky, Trump highlighted his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, citing it as evidence of his increased political influence. He boasted, "This is a much more powerful term. I can do stuff that’s unbelievable … I called Google, Google Maps. See, Google wouldn’t have taken my call in the first term. Now they kiss my ***." However, Google has stated that its naming decisions follow official government sources and longstanding policies.
Hours after Trump’s remarks, Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, was photographed dining with the president at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The dinner occurred amid Brin’s involvement in the debate over California’s proposed one-time 5% billionaire wealth tax, known as Proposition 40. Brin, whose net worth is estimated at $257.1 billion by Forbes, has faced criticism for financially backing efforts to defeat the tax.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took to X to criticize Brin, questioning the billionaire’s priorities. Sanders wrote, "When Sergey Brin, the 4th richest man alive, isn’t dining with Trump, what’s he doing? He’s spending $138 million against California’s 5% billionaire wealth tax." Sanders accused Brin of prioritizing his wealth over working-class families’ access to health care, calling the situation "Obscene." Brin has argued that the wealth tax could harm California’s economy, comparing it to the socialism his family experienced before emigrating from the Soviet Union in 1979.