Headed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Platforms donated an incredible $1 million to the inaugural fund of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. This donation came in the wake of an election cycle marked by Trump’s vocal threats against technology leaders he perceives as meddling in the electoral process. Notably, Trump earlier said Zuckerberg should have to “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he tried to interfere in the 2024 election.
The friendship between Zuckerberg and Trump has had its fair share of ups and downs through the years. From Trump slamming Zuckerberg’s immigration policies in 2017 to Zuckerberg suspending Trump’s Facebook account following the January 6 riot at the Capitol. In 2021, Trump accused Zuckerberg of trying to rig the election against him.
Curiously, neither Zuckerberg nor Meta donated to Trump’s inaugural fund in 2017, nor to President Joe Biden’s campaign in 2021. But over the past few years, Zuckerberg has tried to rebuild bridges with Republican leaders: He has hosted a series of dinners and meetings with prominent figures, including Trump at Mar-a-Lago. During one dinner, Zuckerberg demoed Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses for him and gave a pair to the president-elect. This meeting was part of broader discussions between Zuckerberg’s advisers and Trump’s team, including incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Senator Marco Rubio.
The donation of $1 million is reportedly pre-decided from this meeting and looks to be a part of Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to portray Meta as a neutral force on everything related to politics. The Republicans in the past have blamed Mark Zuckerberg of partisan behavior. Notably, in 2020, Mark Zuckerberg made $400 million of contribution for election infrastructure. Mr. Zuckerberg replied that this donation was once in a lifetime related to the pandemic.
Additionally, Zuckerberg has sought to align more closely with Republican concerns, criticizing the Biden administration for pressuring Facebook to moderate COVID-19 content. Trump’s views on Zuckerberg have also shifted, ranging from past criticisms to more recent praise for Zuckerberg’s perceived neutrality in election matters. The two have found common ground lately, with Zuckerberg commending Trump’s response to a recent assassination attempt on him as “badass.”
