Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems to be improving his relationship with President Donald Trump. He might use this to gain an edge over his competitor, Apple.
While Zuckerberg is trying to improve his relationship with Trump after the president’s tumultuous first term, sources say he’s aiming to hurt Apple in the process. – CNBC
On February 6, 2025, Zuckerberg visited the White House to discuss how Meta can help “defend and advance American tech leadership abroad,” according to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone, as reported by CNBC. This visit shows a big change in Zuckerberg’s views on the Trump administration after past disagreements during Trump’s earlier term.
Mark Zuckerberg has recently been more open about his criticisms of Apple. In a January 2025 interview with Joe Rogan, he said that Apple has not been innovative and has been “milking” the iPhone for the last twenty years. He also expressed his frustration with Apple’s App Store rules, claiming they hurt Meta’s profits with “random rules” and a 30% transaction fee. And also that the $400 Meta headset is better than Apple Vision Pro worth $3500.
Meta has made some changes that seem to match Trump’s views more closely as they have appointed Joel Kaplan, a Republican, as Chief Global Affairs Officer. Moreover they have relaxed their content moderation rules and ended their diversity, equity, and inclusion program.
Trump has looked at these changes positively, saying that Meta has “come a long way.”
By going hand-in-hand with the Trump administration, Zuckerberg may be planning to turn antitrust scrutiny from Meta to Apple. This approach could lead to laws and rules that benefit Meta, especially about app store and privacy regulations.