According to Bloomberg, Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META). CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently praised former President Donald Trump, calling his reaction after being shot “badass” and “inspiring.”
In an interview at Meta’s headquarters, Bloomberg said Zuckerberg expressed admiration for Trump's resilience, noting, “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.”
He is said to have suggested that this display of spirit contributes to Trump’s strong appeal among voters.
Despite his remarks, the publication said Zuckerberg stopped short of endorsing Trump or his rival, President Joe Biden, and stated that he does not plan to be involved in the upcoming election.
Bloomberg notes that Zuckerberg's comments reflect a broader trend in Silicon Valley, where figures like Elon Musk and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have also shown increasing support for Trump, with some even contributing to his campaign.
Bloomberg also reported that Zuckerberg discussed Meta’s efforts to reduce the political content on its platforms, emphasizing a desire for Facebook to be less of a flashpoint in elections. “The main thing that I hear from people is that they actually want to see less political content on our services,” Zuckerberg said, adding that Meta is working to recommend less political content to users.
The relationship between Zuckerberg and Trump has been strained, particularly after Trump was suspended from Facebook and Instagram following the January 6 Capitol riots.
Although Trump’s accounts have been reinstated, he has expressed animosity towards Meta, recently warning Zuckerberg on Truth Social to “be careful” and criticizing the company as the “enemy of the people.”
In a final note, the publication said Zuckerberg commented on competition from TikTok, saying, “I think we’re doing pretty well here. We’re gaining market share,” but chose not to take a stance on whether the app should be banned, stating, “That’s above my pay grade,” as reported by Bloomberg.