Mark Zuckerberg to co-host event with wealthy Republicans for Trump’s inauguration

WASHINGTON – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be cohosting a reception alongside billionaire Republican donors as part of the events for Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration. This move underscores the Facebook founder’s increasing support for the president-elect.

The reception, where Zuckerberg is one of the cohosts, is scheduled to take place on Monday evening, just before the inaugural balls. Sources who are knowledgeable about the confidential arrangements, but chose to remain anonymous while discussing them with The Associated Press, revealed this information.

Joining Zuckerberg as cohosts are individuals such as Miriam Adelson, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and widow of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson; Tilman Fertitta, a casino magnate, owner of the Houston Rockets, and Trump’s selection for the position of U.S. ambassador to Italy; Todd Ricketts, who is a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, and his spouse, Sylvie Légère.

Zuckerberg once seemed a foe of the former president, banning him from Facebook and Instagram after a mob of Trump’s supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But lately, he’s been endearing himself to Trump as one of a number of tech executives who have been seeking to improve their relationships with the new president.

Meta declined to comment Tuesday.

In November, weeks after Trump won the presidential election, Zuckerberg flew to Florida and dined with the Republican at his Mar-a-Lago club. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund.

Zuckerberg announced last week that he was changing Facebook and Instagram content moderation policies, including replacing third-party fact-checking with user-written “community notes.” Trump said the new approach was “probably” due to threats he made against the technology mogul.

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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in New York and Barbara Ortuay in San Francisco contributed to this report.