New Delhi: Mark Zuckerberg meets to President Donald Trump in a rare face-to-face encounter, the latest attempt by the Meta CEO to establish a positive rapport with Trump. The meeting was confirmed by three people with knowledge of the matter and was initiated by Zuckerberg, who had a strained relationship with Trump over the past decade. Trump, who has long maintained that Meta has unfairly restrained him and other conversations across its social media apps, has lobbed broadsides against Zuckerberg on social media and on stamp speeches.
Zuckerberg flew into West Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday evening before joining Trump at his hotel and club, Mar-a-Lago, on Wednesday, according to the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the meeting. The two men largely exchanged pleasantries, with Zuckerberg congratulating to Trump for winning the presidency.
After the early afternoon meeting, Trump and Zuckerberg had a dinner at Trump’s hotel later that evening, the people said. It’s an important time for the future of American innovation, a Meta representative said in a statement. Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of its team about the incoming administration.
But Zuckerberg’s overtures come as the CEO seeks to insulate Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp from any potential blowback from the incoming administration. Meta has long been a target of conservatives in Washington, some in Congress have called for reining in what they see as censorship of conservative viewpoints. And has personally called for Zuckerberg to be jailed in retaliation for plotting against him during the 2020 election.
As executives at Meta recognized Trump’s potential for victory in the 2024 election, Zuckerberg has sped the past 18 months to repair the relationship with Trump.
