Politics makes for some weird roommates. Seriously. If you’d asked anyone back in 2021 if Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg would be sharing a steak at Mar-a-Lago just a few years later, they’d have laughed in your face.
But here we are in 2026. Things have changed. A lot.
It wasn't long ago that Trump was calling Facebook the "enemy of the people." He even threatened Zuckerberg with life in prison in his book Save America. He was furious about the "$400 million" in "Zuckerbucks" donated to election offices in 2020.
Then the pivot happened. It wasn't a slow burn; it was a total 180-degree turn that caught Silicon Valley off guard.
The Night Everything Changed at Mar-a-Lago
In November 2024, right after the election, Zuckerberg flew to Florida. He didn't just send an email. He showed up. They had dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
Basically, the tech mogul was waving a white flag.
According to people close to the transition, Zuckerberg told Trump he wanted to support a "national renewal" of America. This wasn't just corporate speak. Meta started moving fast. They donated $1.7 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. They even gave the president a front-row seat at the inauguration ceremonies.
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Honestly, it’s about survival. Zuckerberg knows the regulatory heat in D.C. is real. Between antitrust trials and the threat of breaking up Instagram and WhatsApp, he needed a friend in the Oval Office.
Meta’s Big Hiring Spree
You've probably seen the headlines. This week, Meta made a massive move by appointing Dina Powell McCormick as the company’s new president and vice chairman.
Who is she? A heavy hitter from the first Trump administration.
Trump immediately hit Truth Social to call it a "great choice." He’s clearly happy. Zuckerberg is surrounding himself with people who speak Trump’s language. Last year, they even added UFC CEO Dana White—one of Trump’s closest personal friends—to the Meta board of directors.
These aren't random hires. They are bridge-builders. Meta is currently spending hundreds of billions on AI infrastructure, and they need the government to play ball on energy and land permits.
The End of Fact-Checking as We Knew It
If you’ve noticed your Facebook feed feels different lately, there's a reason. In early 2025, Meta basically dismantled its third-party fact-checking program.
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They replaced it with a "Community Notes" style system, similar to what Elon Musk did over at X.
- No more full-screen warnings on political posts.
- Less demotion of "misleading" content.
- Higher thresholds for taking down posts about immigration or gender.
Zuckerberg admitted that the old way was too restrictive. He’s trying to return to his "Georgetown speech" roots of free expression. Or, more accurately, he’s trying to avoid being the target of a Department of Justice investigation into "censorship."
Why the "Badass" Comment Mattered
The turning point for their personal "vibes" was actually the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Zuckerberg went on the record calling Trump’s reaction—getting up and pumping his fist—one of the most "badass" things he’d ever seen. Trump loved it. He told Fox Business that Zuckerberg called him twice after the shooting to apologize for how Facebook initially mislabeled the photo as "altered."
That apology changed the dynamic. Trump stopped the "life in prison" rhetoric and started talking about Meta as a partner in the AI race against China.
The Business of AI and Tariffs
It isn't all just about being nice, though. It’s about money.
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In late 2025, Zuckerberg met with Trump at the White House to discuss digital service taxes. Other countries were trying to tax American tech giants heavily. Trump responded by threatening to raise tariffs on those countries.
Zuckerberg is essentially trading political compliance for protectionist trade policy.
Meta is also moving its "Trust and Safety" teams out of California. They’re heading to Texas and other locations that are seen as less "woke." It's a total cultural scrub of the company to align with the current administration’s priorities.
What This Means for You
So, what should you actually do with this information? Whether you're a business owner or just a user, the "Old Facebook" is gone.
- Adjust your content strategy. If you’re a creator, the algorithms are no longer suppressing "civic" or political content the way they did from 2021 to 2024. You have more room to speak your mind without getting shadowbanned.
- Watch the AI shift. Meta is pivotting toward "Sovereign AI." This means they are working directly with the U.S. government to build data centers. Expect more integration between government services and Meta’s Llama models.
- Expect less "safety" friction. The "nanny state" version of social media is being dialed back. You'll see more "harmful" or "unverified" content, but you'll also have more freedom to see what you actually want to see.
The war between Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg is officially over. For now, they’ve realized they are much more powerful as allies than enemies. Zuckerberg gets to keep his empire together, and Trump gets a massive communication platform that is finally playing by his rules.
Actionable Insight: If you are running ads or managing a brand on Meta platforms, stop worrying about the old "political content" restrictions. The new policy specifically allows for more robust debate on controversial topics. Update your community guidelines to reflect this shift, or you might find your own moderation style feels outdated compared to the platform itself.