In an astonishing twist, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently dined with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate, sparking widespread speculation about the motives behind the meeting. The gathering marks a significant shift in the dynamic between the two high-profile figures, who have historically been at odds over issues ranging from social media regulation to alleged censorship of conservative voices on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Background of the Feud
Zuckerberg and Trump have had a contentious relationship dating back to Trump’s presidency. Key moments of their feud include:
Content Moderation Disputes: Trump accused Facebook (now Meta) of unfairly targeting conservative content through algorithmic bias and fact-checking policies.
Ban from Facebook: Following the January 6 Capitol riots, Meta suspended Trump’s accounts, citing a violation of platform rules—a move that Trump called “an insult to millions of voters.”
Antitrust Investigations: During Trump’s administration, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission scrutinized Meta over its market dominance, fueled in part by Trump’s critiques of Big Tech monopolies.
Despite these conflicts, the dinner suggests a potential thawing of tensions.
Despite these conflicts, the dinner suggests a potential thawing of tensions.
Details of the Dinner
While both parties have remained tight-lipped about the specifics, sources close to the event have hinted at a few possible discussion points:
On Wednesday, however, the incoming White House deputy chief of policy, Stephen Miller, told Fox News that Zuckerberg, 40, had dined with Trump at his Florida compound.
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“Mark, obviously, he has his own interests, and he has his own company, and he has his own agenda,” Miller said. “But he’s made clear that he wants to support the national renewal of America under President Trump’s leadership.”
After Trump survived an assassination attempt in July and pumped his fist saying “fight, fight, fight”, Zuckerberg called it “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life”.
A spokesperson for Meta, Facebook’s parent company, told the BBC: “Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming administration.
“It’s an important time for the future of American Innovation,” the statement added.
However, news of the meeting has elicited mixed reactions:
Trump loyalists see the meeting as a sign of his ability to influence even those who have opposed him, while some tech advocates praise Zuckerberg for keeping lines of communication open.
Meanwhile, a month after his assassination attempt , in a book called Save America, Trump still accused Zuckerberg of “plotting” against him during the 2020 election by “steering” Facebook against his campaign. He threatened Zuckerberg that if it happened again he would “spend the rest of his life in prison”
In the book Trump also noted that Zuckerberg would visit him at the White House “with his very nice wife, be as nice as anyone”, but then claimed the CEO turned Facebook against his 2020 campaign – possibly referring to a $420m donation Zuckerberg’s charity made to fund election infrastructure in 2020.
