Zuckerberg's Trump strategy is one of high risk, low reward
What's the story
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is making headlines for what appears to be a recent political shift, as evidenced by his increased interactions with Donald Trump and involvement in related events.
This comes after a period where he seemed to have less direct access to the US President.
In the recent months, Zuckerberg has engaged in various actions, including multiple visits to Washington and implementing policy changes within Meta to garner favor with Trump.
But have the efforts paid off?
Political reconciliation
Zuckerberg's rekindled relationship with Trump
Since November, Zuckerberg has been on a series of post-election meetings with Trump.
He has visited Mar-a-Lago in Florida several times and shared space with other tech executives in the Capitol Rotunda during Trump's inauguration in January.
Meta donated $1 million to the inauguration, and Zuckerberg co-hosted a black-tie reception in Trump's honor.
In a sign of his intention to spend more time in Washington DC, Zuckerberg even bought a $23 million mansion in March.
Political engagement
Zuckerberg's political alignment and its implications
Zuckerberg's political alignment has shifted toward Trump since the election.
He appointed UFC CEO Dana White, a Trump ally, to Meta's board and made Republican strategist Joel Kaplan chief global affairs officer.
These moves were accompanied by a rollback of diversity initiatives at Meta and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
The company also relaxed hate speech rules, disbanded its civil-rights team, and ended an external fact-checking program that had angered Trump during his first term.
Policy changes
Zuckerberg's influence on Meta's content moderation policies
Zuckerberg has also been instrumental in changing Meta's content moderation policies. The company recently replaced its fact-checking system with a crowdsourcing tool, similar to one used by Elon Musk on X.
This move was seen as a nod toward the MAGA movement.
However, despite these changes, there are still questions about how much influence Zuckerberg really has over Trump's administration and whether his efforts have paid off in any tangible way.
Strategic gamble
Zuckerberg's political strategy: A double-edged sword?
Despite his efforts to align Meta with a business-friendly Republican administration, Zuckerberg has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump accused him of election fraud and suggested he could be imprisoned. Even within the MAGA movement, there is still distrust toward Zuckerberg.
Digital strategy adviser Alex Bruesewitz said, "I don't know what it will take for our base and our voters to forgive him fully."
Impact
Zuckerberg's political pivot and its impact on Meta
Zuckerberg's political pivot has also affected Meta's internal culture. Many former employees have questioned whether his values align with theirs or if they ever did.
Kelly Stonelake, a former director at Meta, said she thought tech was progressive but realized it was just "performing inclusion and progressivism because that was a means to an end."
Despite these challenges, Meta remains a profitable company with its share price up over 600% since its 2022 lows.