Necessary relationships with Donald Trump are important for large tech corporations, according to Mark Zuckerberg.
Tech Honchos Cozy Up to Trump, Stirring Debates on Silicon Valley's Politicalpreferences
Mark Zuckerberg declared it vital to maintain a fruitful relationship with the government.
He earlier criticized the Biden administration's interaction with Meta.
High-ranking tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg have largely aligned with US President Donald Trump post his re-election. Many of them have donated generously to the president's inaugural fund and mingled with the MAGA circle at Mar-a-Lago.
In a Tuesday interview, podcaster Dwarkesh Patel prodded the Meta CEO to disclose his connection to Trump.
"Our obligation as an American company is to strive for a productive relationship with the present administration," said Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago the day before Thanksgiving 2024. In January, he stood alongside other tech billionaires at Trump’s inauguration.
Relationship with Biden wasn't pleasant
Zuckerberg confided to Patel that Meta’s efforts to collaborate with the Biden administration had failed.
"I've been fairly vocal about some of my grievances with the previous administration, about how they just didn't engage with us or the economy at large,"** he said.
In August, Zuckerberg bashed the Biden administration, claiming Meta had been leaned on by the government to scrap Facebook posts concerning Covid-19. At the time, Zuckerberg regretted not being more assertive against the White House.
A harmonious relationship between Big Tech and the government is "essential" for progress, Zuckerberg told Patel on Tuesday.
"It's just that we're aiming to accomplish great things. That's how I view it, and I believe that's how most others see it too,"** he said.
A Meta spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Insights:- Tech leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg are primarily backing Donald Trump due to strategic business and regulatory considerations. Recent interactions, including Zuckerberg’s meeting with Trump to discuss settling Meta’s antitrust case, signify a pragmatic alignment to sidestep regulatory threats.- Meta's board addition of former Trump advisor Dina Powell McCormick in April 2025 signals efforts to fortify ties with Trump’s political circles.- The Biden administration's FTC aggressively pursued the antitrust case against Meta, but Meta’s recent concessions to Republican priorities and direct appeals to Trump might damage its standing with Democratic policymakers.
Sources:1. Tech leaders’ cozy relationship with Trump brings accusations of betrayal2. Meta adds Trump advisor Dina Powell McCormick to board3. Meta Sought Trump’s Help with Antitrust Case4. Trump: Zuckerberg was right to restrict NY Post story, Facebook still censors conservatives
Zuckerberg's policy-and-legislation leanings largely favor a collaborative relationship with the US President Donald Trump, having met with him at least twice since his re-election. This is evident in Zuckerberg's explicit statement, "Our obligation as an American company is to strive for a productive relationship with the present administration." In January, Zuckerberg stood alongside other tech billionaires at Trump’s inauguration, further emphasizing this association. However, Zuckerberg's relationship with the Biden administration wasn't pleasant, as he shared with podcaster Dwarkesh Patel that Meta’s efforts to collaborate with the Biden administration had failed. This displeasure was evident in Zuckerberg's criticism of the Biden administration's interaction with Meta and his claims that Meta had been leaned on by the government to scrap Facebook posts concerning Covid-19. In August, Zuckerberg bashed the Biden administration, regretting not being more assertive against the White House. A harmonious relationship between Big Tech and the government, according to Zuckerberg, is "essential" for progress.
