Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta CEO who has tried to keep a distance from politics, appears to be warming to President-elect Donald Trump.
Zuckerberg is among several Big Tech executives who are expected to be front and center at Trump’s inauguration next week. He will be one of four hosts of a black-tie reception on Jan. 20, joining the longtime Republican donors Miriam Adelson and Todd Rickett in hosting a party “celebrating the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance,” according to a copy of the invitation seen by The New York Times. The event was first reported by Puck.
Corporate leaders often argue that supporting an inauguration is a patriotic act that does not amount to political support for the president. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, declined to comment.
Zuckerberg rarely attaches his name to political events. He did not play a similar role at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2020 or at Trump’s first inauguration, in 2016.
But he has undergone something of a political reinvention over the last year. He traveled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort last week. And has rolled out a series of changes at Meta since the election in November that have delighted advisers to Trump.
Zuckerberg is one of several tech-company leaders positioning themselves for a Republican administration that will have considerable influence over their industry.