Mark Zuckerberg pushed back on claims that Silicon Valley is tilting toward Donald Trump, saying Meta's goal is simply "a productive relationship with whoever is running the government."

What Happened: On the "Dwarkesh Podcast," the Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO framed his inauguration donation and a recent $25 million legal settlement with Trump as pragmatism, not partisanship.

"He's the president of the United States," Zuckerberg told host Dwarkesh Patel. "Our default, as an American company, should be to try to have a productive relationship with whoever is running the government. We’ve tried to offer support to previous administrations as well."

The timing is delicate. Meta last quarter scrapped its third-party fact-checking program in favor of X-style Community Notes, a move Reuters noted would ease friction with Washington just as Trump's regulators weigh antitrust penalties against big tech.

Zuckerberg acknowledged he had once "deferred a little too much" to political and media pressure on moderation decisions, calling the last decade a "painful maturation process." Going forward, he said, Meta will own its choices while still inviting government dialogue on issues such as AI safety and data-center tariffs.

See also: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Says AI Won’t Just Be About Free Tools And Ads -- Some People Will Pay A Fortune To Deploy Armies Of Digital Workers

Analysts, according to a more recent Washington Post report, say the tightrope walk reflects a broader industry recalibration. Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), and others have similarly increased outreach to Trump officials after early hostility, hoping to shape rules on chips, privacy, and artificial intelligence even as lawsuits and tariff threats loom.

"We're trying to build great stuff," Zuckerberg said. "…and we want to have a productive relationship with people."

Why It Matters: Meta plans to showcase its latest AI breakthroughs when it reports first-quarter earnings after Wednesday's closing bell.

Wall Street analysts expect the company to post $41.39 billion in revenue, up from $36.45 billion a year earlier, and Meta has topped consensus sales forecasts for ten straight quarters.

Price Action: Meta’s stock is down 7.48% so far in 2025 but remains up 28.89% over the past 12 months. On Tuesday, shares gained 0.85% during regular trading hours, but dipped 0.51% in premarket trading on Wednesday, falling to $551.60, according to Benzinga Pro.

Image via Shutterstock

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