TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Mark Zuckerberg has dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago

The 40-year-old chief executive of Meta -- which owns Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp -- has been carefully trying to mend ties with Trump.

AFP
Washington
Thu, November 28, 2024

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Mark Zuckerberg has dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago This combination of pictures created on November 27, 2024 shows Mark Zuckerberg (left), CEO of Meta, on January 31, 2024, and former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on September 17, 2024. (AFP/AFP)

M

ark Zuckerberg joined Donald Trump for dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate Wednesday, with an advisor to the president-elect saying the tech billionaire "wants to support the national renewal of America."

The 40-year-old chief executive of Meta -- which owns Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp -- has been carefully trying to mend ties with Trump.

Both men have had a strained relationship over the years, with Facebook being among social media networks that banned Trump after the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

But on Wednesday, a Meta spokesperson said: "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."

In a statement, the spokesperson added that it was an important time for the future of American innovation.

It was not immediately clear if billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who previously challenged Zuckerberg to a cage match fight, also attended the dinner, though he has frequently been present at Mar-a-Lago since the election.

Stephen Miller, Trump's incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, told Fox News on Wednesday that Zuckerberg "has been very clear about his desire to be a supporter of, and a participant in, this change that we're seeing all around America."

"He's made clear that he wants to support the national renewal of America under President Trump's leadership," Miller said in a televised interview.

While treading cautiously in Trump's first term, tech titans were quick to laud the Republican's election victory this time -- with Zuckerberg among those who offered his congratulations.

Before the election, Zuckerberg stopped election-related philanthropy and Meta modified its algorithms to reduce political content.

Zuckerberg had previously contributed large sums to fund nonprofits working to support US electoral infrastructure during the Covid pandemic.

The donations had been seized upon by Trump after his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, falsely alleging that they were part of a plot to swing the election.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Generating Questionnaires

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
We appreciate your feedback.