Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made a notable move, donating $1 million to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, signaling a dramatic shift in his relationship with the president-elect.
This comes despite Trump’s earlier threats to throw Zuckerberg in jail if he dared interfere in the 2024 election—an impressive about-face by the tech mogul.
Zuckerberg, eager to make amends, has gone above and beyond, even dining at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate following his victory. He didn’t stop there—he gifted Trump a pair of Meta’s new Ray-Ban smart glasses and sent key policy executives to meet with Trump’s team. While Zuckerberg has traditionally avoided public endorsements, this donation is a clear sign that he’s working overtime to win Trump over.
This marks a stark contrast to the past, when Zuckerberg was vocal in his criticism of Trump, particularly over his immigration policies. Relations soured even more after Zuckerberg banned Trump from Facebook post-January 6. But now, Zuckerberg seems more than eager to get on Trump’s good side, and his recent donation is just the latest attempt to make things right.
Zuckerberg’s attempts to soften his image have been evident in his more recent statements, including a rather fawning praise of Trump’s response to a violent incident in July. Zuckerberg even went as far as to admit, “It’s hard not to get kind of emotional about that spirit,” acknowledging Trump’s fight and resilience in a way that smacks of admiration.
Though Zuckerberg has yet to endorse Trump outright, it’s clear that he’s positioning himself as a loyal ally. And judging by Trump’s response, Zuckerberg’s charm offensive seems to be paying off, with the former president stating, “I actually believe he’s staying out of the election, which is nice.” It looks like Zuckerberg is bending over backward to stay in Trump’s good books—perhaps he hopes this will secure him some favor in the coming years.
