In a surprising development, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly reached out to former U.S. President Donald Trump in a bid to repair relations between the tech giant and the embattled Republican leader. This follows a contentious history between the two, exacerbated by the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riots, which saw Trump's social media accounts suspended by Meta.
During a recent interview with Fox News, Trump revealed that Zuckerberg has called him on multiple occasions to apologise for what he described as an error on Meta's part. The incident in question involved Meta's AI assistant mislabelling and subsequently censoring a photograph of Trump. This mishap occurred shortly after a July assassination attempt on Trump's life at a Republican rally, which narrowly missed its target.
"Zuckerberg said they made a mistake and that they're correcting it," Trump stated during the interview, using the opportunity to criticise Google for allegedly suppressing news related to the incident and failing to issue a similar apology. "I believe Mark Zuckerberg; he called me a lot."
This outreach marks a significant shift in the dynamic between the two figures, who have had a rocky relationship for years. In January 2021, Meta suspended Trump's accounts following the Capitol insurrection, only reinstating them in early 2023. Just a month before this reinstatement, Trump had even threatened on his social media platform, Truth Social, to have Zuckerberg jailed.
A New Chapter in Trump-Zuckerberg Relations?
The recent assassination attempt appears to have been a turning point. Following the near-fatal incident, Zuckerberg extended an olive branch by posting a message of support on Threads, Meta's rival platform to Twitter. "This is such a sad day for our country," Zuckerberg wrote. "Political violence undermines democracy and must always be condemned."
Trump, in turn, has hinted at a burgeoning friendship between himself and Zuckerberg, both on a personal and political level. During his Fox News appearance, Trump claimed that Zuckerberg had called him "amazing" and "brave," and had assured him that Meta would not support the Democrats in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Trump says Zuckerberg called him after the assassination attempt & he won’t be trying to help Democrats win in 2024 as in 2020 pic.twitter.com/i9LKyqHwmV
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) August 2, 2024
"He actually announced he's not going to support a Democrat because he can't; because he respected me for what I did that day," Trump claimed, suggesting that Zuckerberg's alleged loyalty to him could play a significant role in the forthcoming election.
While Zuckerberg has not publicly endorsed any candidate for the 2024 election, these claims by Trump, if true, could signal a major shift in Meta's political stance, particularly given the platform's previous actions during the 2020 election cycle.
Musk and Zuckerberg: A Truce on the Horizon?
This potential alliance between Trump and Zuckerberg might also have implications for the long-standing rivalry between Zuckerberg and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The two tech titans have been at odds for nearly a decade, their feud frequently spilling over into the public eye.
Their animosity dates back to 2016, when a SpaceX rocket exploded, destroying a Facebook satellite in the process. Zuckerberg expressed his disappointment publicly, and their relationship only deteriorated further following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Musk, ever the provocateur, responded by deleting Facebook accounts associated with his companies and expressing his disdain for the platform.
More recently, in June 2023, the rivalry reached a bizarre peak when the two men threatened to engage in a physical fight, with Musk suggesting a cage match. Although this showdown has yet to materialise, recent events suggest that the two may be finding common ground.
In a July interview with Bloomberg, Zuckerberg echoed Musk's criticism of OpenAI, the AI research organisation co-founded by Musk. Zuckerberg pointed out the irony of OpenAI's name, given its shift towards more closed, proprietary models, a critique Musk has voiced frequently. While acknowledging OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's efforts, Zuckerberg's alignment with Musk's views could be a sign that the two tech leaders are inching towards a détente.
A New Era in Tech and Politics?
As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the tech industry's influence on politics is under intense scrutiny. The reported conversations between Zuckerberg and Trump, coupled with the evolving relationship between Musk and Zuckerberg, could have significant ramifications.
While it remains to be seen whether Zuckerberg will indeed abstain from supporting the Democrats, or if his relationship with Trump will endure, these developments suggest a possible realignment in the complex web of tech and political power. For now, the world watches closely as these tech giants navigate their personal rivalries and the ever-evolving political landscape.
