In a recent interview with New York Magazine, former President Donald Trump disclosed details of private conversations with prominent tech leaders, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, in the wake of an assassination attempt against him on July 13. Trump reflected on the unexpected support he received from various individuals, including those he doesn’t personally know well.
Trump shared that Zuckerberg, in particular, had spoken with him about his doubts regarding continued support for the Democratic Party in the current political climate. The former president did not elaborate on the specifics of Zuckerberg’s concerns but highlighted the significance of the conversation.
In recounting his post-incident interactions, Trump mentioned receiving a call from Bezos, who expressed admiration for how Trump handled the situation. “Jeff Bezos called. He said, ‘It is the most incredible thing I’ve ever watched.’ And he appreciated what I did, in the sense of getting up and letting people know,” Trump stated. Despite their differences, particularly with Bezos owning The Washington Post, a publication often critical of Trump, the former president noted that the Amazon founder “couldn’t have been nicer.”
The Washington Examiner writes that these revelations come amid ongoing speculation about the relationships between major tech figures and political leaders, particularly as the 2024 election cycle approaches. Trump’s comments suggest that even those who have been perceived as adversaries in the past are taking notice of the current political landscape and reassessing their positions.
“Mark Zuckerberg called up and said, ‘I’ve never supported a Republican before, but there’s no way I can vote for a Democrat in this election.’ He’s a guy that, his parents, everybody was always Democrat. He said, ‘I will never vote for the people running against you after watching what you did.’ So, I mean, people really appreciated it. I don’t — I think it was very natural what I did. I think it was natural,” Trump said.
A Meta spokesperson disputed the interaction.
“As Mark has said publicly, he’s not endorsing anybody in this race and has not communicated to anybody how he intends to vote,” the spokesperson said.
Trump and Zuckerberg had a rocky relationship during the former’s presidency and the immediate aftermath, with the Meta CEO approving the decision to ban Trump from the company’s platforms after the Jan. 6 riot. Zuckerberg has since softened his position, allowing Trump back on and issuing praises of his actions after the assassination attempt.
In a separate interview, Zuckerberg called Trump “badass” for how he responded to being shot.
“Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called former President Donald Trump’s reaction to getting shot “badass,” although he declined to endorse him in an interview with Bloomberg released Friday.
Bloomberg’s Emily Chang asked Zuckerberg about the upcoming elections during an interview at Meta headquarters. Zuckerberg said Meta would continue to dial back political content in people’s feeds because, he said, users say they don’t want to see it.
Zuckerberg also said he wouldn’t be taking an active role in the election personally or endorsing any candidate.
But he did have some praise for Trump in the wake of the recent attempt on his life: ‘On a personal note, 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. And I think, look: 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.’”
