Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs If you’re a liberal, probably the last thing in the world you want to do is support Donald Trump. And yet, you’re doing so in multiple ways every day.This week we learned that Amazon paid a reported $40 million to show Melania Trump’s documentary on Prime. I will not be watching it. In fact, I won’t be watching anything at all on Prime, nor continue buying from Amazon. We’ve canceled our Prime subscription.
President Donald Trump laughs during a Medal of Freedom ceremony for Lou Holtz in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 3, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump laughs during a Medal of Freedom ceremony for Lou Holtz in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 3, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
The $40 million payout for the once-and-future first lady’s project, for which she serves as executive producer, was the last straw in a litany of offenses. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also infamously killed The Washington Post’s endorsement of Kamala Harris; offered Trump an over-the-top congratulatory message on Election Night; dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago; and donated the equivalent of $2 million to Trump’s shady inaugural fund, which is expected to fetch a total of over $150 million as pay-to-play contributors line up. This past week, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned from the Post after a political cartoon critical of Bezos and Trump was rejected.It’s also worth noting that Bezos, for all his supposed vision, is known to run a brutal workplace and is a consistent union-buster.The Amazon founder is far from alone in his support for Trump. Apple CEO Tim Cook donated a cool $1 million to Trump’s inaugural, as did Open AI’s Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and many others.If you’re still banking with Bank of America or investing with Goldman Sachs—if you’re using Robinhood’s trading app or buying Facebook ads—and, yes, if you watch movies or shows made by Fox or Disney—you’re supporting Donald Trump. And you should stop.It’s important to remember that there are actually two ways of voting—at the ballot box and at the cash register.Liberals seem to have largely forgotten how to use the power of the purse. Our country was built on the boycott. Colonists refused to buy British products leading up to the Revolution, and when the British tried to bring in tea against their wishes … well, you know how that went. Boycotting also propelled the Civil Rights Movement. It was also used to help end apartheid in South Africa. And it’s undeniable that even Elon Musk has been hurt by all the people leaving or refusing to advertise on X.Also, think about how quickly Budweiser folded when the MAGA world boycotted their product.Right now, many companies are more afraid of Trump and the MAGA contingent than they are of us and our buying/viewing power; we need to change that dynamic. If we don’t, companies will continue to use the money and eyeballs that we give them to support Trump and all he stands for. They’re laughing at us because they don’t think we’ll actually act. Mark Zuckerberg just declared, even, that Facebook will end fact checking, a pet-peeve of Trump’s, and leave moderation predominantly to users. He’s telling you: I know you’ll stay anyhow. Prove him wrong.Mind you that Zuckerberg, like Bezos, has already left a large wake of destruction in his path as he moves fast and breaks things. His algorithms have been cited for how damaging they are to the mental health of teens; his platforms have been accused of promoting anti-Muslim hate; and he’s got a pet-project pushing Hawaiians off their ancestral lands to build himself a giant estate.And now, for good measure, Zuckerberg is helping destroy truth and democracy. Maybe it’s time to send him a message by staying off his platforms.Now, I shall not be the first to cast stones. I don’t really use Facebook, but I have pumped my articles there, and on X. I’ve purchased things from Apple.But I can do better, and you can do better, too. Even kids will understand your refusal to buy from certain places (mine do), because kids know that you shouldn’t give business to the bad guys. There are companies like Costco, Target, and Barnes & Noble that deserve our patronage and others, like Amazon, that don’t. You can find a helpful list here.You don’t have to live like a monk. But there should come a point wherein the ramifications from your conscience are more painful than missing out on free overnight shipping.Every time you watch a show on Fox, buy a Tesla, or purchase a Dallas Mavericks jersey, you’re making happy the people who make Trump happy—and helping sink honest government under the weight of a massive pile of money in the process.Ross Rosenfeld is a political writer and educator based on Long Island. Follow Ross on Substack and on Bluesky.The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
