Mark Zuckerberg says Trump’s fist pump was “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life”
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
Just days after former President Donald Trump vowed to send Mark Zuckerberg to prison for “long periods of time,” the CEO of Meta is returning the favor — by complimenting Trump.
In an interview with Bloomberg that’s set to air on Tuesday, Zuckerberg was asked about what’s at stake in the upcoming US presidential election. Zuckerberg first spoke about how Meta is focusing less on politics across its platforms by allowing users to tweak their settings to see less political content and recommending less content of that kind to users. Zuckerberg also says he will not personally “endorse” either president Joe Biden or Trump — before offering, unprompted, his take on the Trump rally shooting.
“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. “On some level as an American, it’s like hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that that’s why a lot of people like the guy.”
Though Zuckerberg didn’t explicitly endorse Trump, his comments may help to soothe the former president’s anger towards the Facebook founder, whom he has previously referred to as an “Election Fraudster.”
“All I can say is that if I’m elected President, we will pursue Election Fraudsters at levels never seen before, and they will be sent to prison for long periods of time,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “We already know who you are. DON’T DO IT! ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful!”
Image: Truth Social
Trump and other Republican politicians have rallied against “the elite,” even while members of that very class in the tech world raise millions of dollars in support of his campaign.
Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed Trump shortly after the assassination attempt at a campaign rally last week, and he reportedly plans to send $45 million a month to the pro-Trump America PAC, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Other individuals throwing money into the super PAC include venture capitalist David Sacks (who spoke at the Republican National Convention this week); Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale; and Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, of the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, told employees this week that they plan to follow suit. Andreessen serves on the Meta board of directors.
To get a sense of the relationship between Trump and Silicon Valley, look no further than the person selected as his running mate: Ohio Senator JD Vance, whose successful 2022 campaign was bankrolled by PayPal cofounder and right wing booster Peter Thiel. Vance is a former employee of Thiel’s and a friend — and now, perhaps, a direct line into policy for the tech elites, who are increasingly under government scrutiny from both the right and the left.
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
Just days after former President Donald Trump vowed to send Mark Zuckerberg to prison for “long periods of time,” the CEO of Meta is returning the favor — by complimenting Trump.
In an interview with Bloomberg that’s set to air on Tuesday, Zuckerberg was asked about what’s at stake in the upcoming US presidential election. Zuckerberg first spoke about how Meta is focusing less on politics across its platforms by allowing users to tweak their settings to see less political content and recommending less content of that kind to users. Zuckerberg also says he will not personally “endorse” either president Joe Biden or Trump — before offering, unprompted, his take on the Trump rally shooting.
“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. “On some level as an American, it’s like hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that that’s why a lot of people like the guy.”
Though Zuckerberg didn’t explicitly endorse Trump, his comments may help to soothe the former president’s anger towards the Facebook founder, whom he has previously referred to as an “Election Fraudster.”
“All I can say is that if I’m elected President, we will pursue Election Fraudsters at levels never seen before, and they will be sent to prison for long periods of time,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “We already know who you are. DON’T DO IT! ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful!”
Image: Truth Social
Trump and other Republican politicians have rallied against “the elite,” even while members of that very class in the tech world raise millions of dollars in support of his campaign.
Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed Trump shortly after the assassination attempt at a campaign rally last week, and he reportedly plans to send $45 million a month to the pro-Trump America PAC, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Other individuals throwing money into the super PAC include venture capitalist David Sacks (who spoke at the Republican National Convention this week); Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale; and Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, of the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, told employees this week that they plan to follow suit. Andreessen serves on the Meta board of directors.
To get a sense of the relationship between Trump and Silicon Valley, look no further than the person selected as his running mate: Ohio Senator JD Vance, whose successful 2022 campaign was bankrolled by PayPal cofounder and right wing booster Peter Thiel. Vance is a former employee of Thiel’s and a friend — and now, perhaps, a direct line into policy for the tech elites, who are increasingly under government scrutiny from both the right and the left.