Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg

Former US President and President-elect Donald Trump had dinner Wednesday with the CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg has Mar-a-Lagohis private club in Florida.
The meeting constitutes a crucial interaction between Facebook Republican founder and politician who was once banned from social media platforms.
Zuckerberg was among several business leaders invited to discuss Trump’s economic plans ahead of his return to the White House. Stephen Millerrecently named deputy chief of staff for Trump’s second term, described Zuckerberg’s presence as an indication of the tech leader’s interest in supporting Trump’s vision for the nation.
“Mark, obviously, has his own interests and his own business and his own agenda,” Miller said during an interview on Fox News. “But he has made it clear that he wants to support America’s national renewal under Trump’s leadership.”
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the dinner, noting that Zuckerberg had been invited to meet with the president-elect and members of his team to discuss the new administration’s policies.

Evolving relationship

The meeting took place almost three years after Facebook, now Meta, banned Trump following the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The platform restored his account in early 2023.
Zuckerberg maintained a neutral stance during the 2024 presidential campaign, avoiding endorsements. However, in recent months he has expressed a more positive view of Trump, praising the former president’s handling of an earlier assassination attempt and criticizing the Biden administration’s alleged pressure on social media companies to They moderate content related to Covid-19.
Despite this change, Trump continued to publicly attack Zuckerberg. In July, he revived the nickname “ZUCKERBUCKS” on Truth Social while threatening to jail election fraudsters, indirectly referencing the tech CEO.

Musk’s growing role

Mar-a-Lago dinner also highlights growing influence of Tesla and X owner Elon Musk in Trump’s political orbit. Musk, who contributed about $200 million to Trump’s campaign through his political action committee, is a frequent visitor to Mar-a-Lago.
Musk was chosen to co-lead an advisory committee dubbed the Department of Government Effectiveness, also known as DOGE, alongside venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy, another prominent Trump supporter. The panel aims to identify and eliminate government waste.