Meta Donates $1 Million To Trump, Signaling The Start Of A New Friendship

Meta Platforms has contributed $1 million to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, a company spokesperson confirmed in an email to Reuters.

The move marks a significant departure from the tech giant’s prior practices under CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Trump and Zuckerberg long-time feud

This gesture is very uncharacteristic of Zuckerberg, who has previously refrained from endorsing either Trump of Joe Biden during this election cycle.

In a media interview before Kamala Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, Zuckerberg explicitly avoided taking sides.

However, the Meta CEO recently praised Trump’s reaction to the July 13 assassination attempt as “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life,” a comment seen as an effort to resonate with conservative audiences.

But it was later reported that Mark Zuckerberg met up with Trump privately for dinner to discuss the incoming administration.

The meeting, described as an attempt to build a more positive relationship, comes after years of tension between Trump and Meta.

During an interview, Zuckerberg called President Trump an agent of change, an agent of prosperity, and him as a business leader, would like to be an element, a supporter, a booster of making the country's economy prosperous.

A friendship that turned sour

Zuckerberg's decision to offer such a huge donation to Trump comes at an even greater surprise given the sour relationship that Trump previously had with Meta.

Back in 2020, Trump accused Meta of siding with Joe Biden by suppressing content that could have negatively affected the Democrat candidate.

To make matters worst, Meta suspended Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts for two years following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots marking a controversial moment in the company’s content moderation policies and its role in political discourse.

Meta’s inaugural fund donation might suggest a breakthrough in the relationship between the two parties, signaling a start of a new friendship.

While it remains to be seen how the relationship evolves, the move underscores Meta’s effort to navigate a politically charged landscape while potentially aligning with a new political reality.