In a surprising turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is making concerted efforts to mend fences with former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
This comes after the reported departure of Nick Clegg, the company's president for global affairs, who was a key figure in the company's stringent censorship policies against Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, following the events of January 6th.
As reported by Gateway Pundit, Clegg's exit marks the end of an era, with Joel Kaplan, a former White House Deputy Chief of Staff under George W. Bush, set to take his place. Kaplan is known for his staunch opposition to restrictions on political speech within Meta, arguing that such policies would "disproportionately mute conservative voices."
This shift in leadership comes just three weeks before Trump's inauguration and aligns with the current trend of US companies showing support for the president-elect, courting his inner circle, and distancing themselves from the progressive stances they previously held. Zuckerberg, who was once threatened with imprisonment by Trump, was among the big tech executives who dined with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago in November and congratulated him on his victory.
Meta's political operation appears to be strategically positioned for a Republican-dominated Washington. The recently promoted vice president of global public policy, Kevin Martin, was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission by President George W. Bush. Additionally, its general counsel, Jennifer Newstead, served as the top legal adviser to the Trump State Department from 2017 until she joined Meta in 2019.
In a statement, Zuckerberg expressed gratitude for Clegg's contributions to the company, stating, "Im grateful for everything youve done for Meta and the world these past seven years. Ive learned so much working with you and our whole team is better for having this opportunity. Youve made an important impact advancing Metas voice and values around the world, as well as our vision for AI and the metaverse. Im excited for Joel to step into this role next given his deep experience and insight leading our policy work for many years."
Zuckerberg's recent actions, including a $1 million donation to Trumps inauguration fund, indicate a shift from his previous left-wing advocacy. Despite his history of supporting liberal causes and censoring conservative publications, Zuckerberg appears to be distancing himself from his past political leanings.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Zuckerberg praised Trump's resilience following an assassination attempt, describing it as one of the most "badass" things he had ever witnessed. "Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things Ive ever seen in my life," he said. "On some level as an American, its like hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that thats why a lot of people like the guy."
This shift in Zuckerberg's stance and Meta's leadership changes signal a potential realignment of the tech giant's political leanings, which could have significant implications for the future of political discourse on its platforms.
Login