Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg met with president-elect Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday night.
An afternoon meeting where the pair “largely exchanged pleasantries,” according to The New York Times, preceded a planned dinner. The Times reported that Zuckerberg was responsible for the gathering and flew into Florida on Tuesday in the hope of warming relations between the previously-icy duo.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the meeting.
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“It’s an important time for the future of American Innovation,” they said in a statement. “Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming Administration.”
Stephen Miller, Trump’s choice for deputy chief of staff, said on Fox News that Zuckerberg “has been very clear about his desire to be a supporter of, and a participant in, this change we’re seeing all around America and the world, with this reform movement that Donald Trump is leading.”
Conservatives, including Trump, have long protested about being censored on Facebook. Just a few months ago, Trump accused Zuckerberg of “plotting against” him in the 2020 presidential election and threatened that Zuckerberg would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he did it again.
Zuckerberg, who apparently identifies as somewhat of a libertarian now and who has praised Trump publicly, seems to have obliged. In August, he wrote a letter to Congress accusing the Biden administration of pressuring his company to “censor” free speech. Republicans were thrilled by what he had to say.
