Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, just months after publicly praising Trump for his fist-pumping reaction to the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Stephen Miller, the incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, confirmed the meeting in an appearance on Fox News.
“Mark Zuckerberg has been very clear about his desire to be a supporter of and a participant in this change that we’re seeing all around America, all around the world, with this reform movement that Donald Trump is leading,” Miller said.
He added that, like many other business leaders, Zuckerberg “understands that President Trump is an agent of change, an agent of prosperity. And so business leaders, CEOs everywhere, they want to be an element, a supporter, a booster of making our economy prosperous, delivering for American workers, and making sure that America is the most powerful, wealthiest, freest nation on the face of the Earth.”
Miller acknowledged that Zuckerberg has “his own interests … his own company, and his own agenda—but he has made clear that he wants to support the national renewal of America under President Trump’s leadership.”
The details of what the two men discussed over dinner at Trump’s Florida home remain unknown.
The relationship between Trump and Zuckerberg has been tumultuous, but the dinner signals a potential warming of their previously strained ties.
Trump was banned from Facebook and Instagram in 2021 for what Meta described as his “praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol on January 6.” With nearly 54 million combined followers across both platforms, his suspension took effect the day after the Capitol breach.
Earlier this year, Trump described Facebook as “a true Enemy of the People,” saying the company “cheated in the last Election.”
In August, Trump wrote in his book “Save America” that Zuckerberg would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he interfered in the 2024 election.
However, there are signs that Zuckerberg is making efforts to build a more cooperative relationship with the president-elect.
In July, Meta lifted restrictions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. That same month, Mark Zuckerberg praised Trump for his fist-pumping response to the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Zuckerberg told Bloomberg, just days after the shooting took place.
In October, Trump softened his stance, praising Zuckerberg for “staying out of the election” during the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast and expressing gratitude for receiving a supportive phone call after the assassination attempt.