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The future director of the FCC is one of the authors of the ultra-conservative plan Project 2025, which outlines the steps to be taken by the new president to dismantle the current government and carry out a “second American revolution”. Although Trump has always denied knowing anything about this project, he has placed in his cabinet nearly half a dozen contributors to the plan. In the document, Carr precisely signs the chapter on how the FCC should be managed in the new presidency to avoid this alleged censorship of which they accuse Meta.
Beyond attacking Meta for alleged censorship of Republican views, Trump has always felt that Zuckerberg “conspired” against him in the 2020 election, where he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Four years ago, several nonprofit organizations funded by Zuckerberg donated more than $400 million to help with the infrastructure needed to conduct voting amid the pandemic. Because of this, Trump and some Republicans consider that the owner of Facebook interfered in the elections that year and that he did it against them. In fact, the current president-elect had even suggested the idea of imprisoning Zuckerberg if a similar scenario was repeated last November 5.
A Meta spokesman said Zuckerberg was “grateful” for Trump’s invitation to have dinner with him and “meet with members of his team to discuss the incoming administration.” The future policy adviser to the president-elect, Stephen Miller, confirmed the meeting on Fox and assured that Zuckerberg “has been very clear about the desire to support and participate in this change that we are seeing all over America, around the world , this movement that Trump is leading.”
Approach signals
Zuckerberg had already made other attempts to approach the mogul. After Butler’s shooting, Meta’s owner called him and “prayed” for him, according to the New York Times. Shortly after the incident, during an interview, the executive director of Meta showed some admiration for the Republican, and assured that he looked like a “tough guy” when he raised his fist in front of the crowd after surviving the shooting. Trump said in a podcast interview last October Bussin’ With The Boys that he felt better about Zuckerberg and considered it a “kind” gesture for him to “stay out of the election,” referring to the 2020 donation.
The other tech giant who has also tried not to upset Trump and wanted to get closer to him is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The billionaire, who also owns the Washington Postpushed for the paper not to side with any candidate in a presidential election for the first time in decades.
As Zuckerberg and Bezos try to get back on track with Trump, X owner Elon Musk is watching from his new position within the incoming administration as director of the Department of Government Efficiency. The Tesla owner also hadn’t had a very good relationship with the Republican over the past few years and actually voted for Biden in 2020. However, Musk managed to win over Trump again, putting his money and social network at the service of the Republican’s campaign. The prize that Musk has obtained is not only a position of power within the new government, but also a certain influence over the tycoon. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Trump to congratulate him on the election, Musk was also on the phone.
Zuckerberg’s fear of the new administration is even greater when you consider that he also does not get along well with Musk, who owns a competing social network. During 2023 the two billionaires were publicly attacking each other, to the point where they challenged each other to physical combat.
