Donald Trump has made yet another dubious claim, asserting that Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, told him in a phone call following the assassination attempt on Trump that there was “no way I can vote for a Democrat.” This latest revelation, reported by New York Magazine, seems to align with Trump’s habitual pattern of stretching or distorting reality.
Trump described how Zuckerberg allegedly reached out to him after he was shot at a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to Trump, Zuckerberg supposedly said, “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.’”
However, such claims from Trump should be approached with skepticism. Historically, Trump has a tendency to exaggerate or distort facts, and his statements often lack corroboration from reliable sources. In this instance, Zuckerberg has neither confirmed nor supported Trump’s account of their conversation.
Zuckerberg’s public statements and actions tell a different story. In a July interview with Bloomberg, Zuckerberg commented on the assassination attempt by saying, “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 b***ss things I’ve ever seen in my life.” He added that such displays of spirit and resilience is “why a lot of people like the guy,” yet he did not indicate any personal political shift.
In fact, Zuckerberg has publicly stated he is not endorsing any candidate in the 2024 election. He told Bloomberg that he was “not planning” to get involved in the election, contrary to Trump’s assertion of Zuckerberg’s purported shift in political allegiance.
Adding to the skepticism, Trump’s statements about Zuckerberg come on the heels of other controversial remarks. For instance, Trump has recently threatened to imprison Zuckerberg and other tech figures, reflecting his ongoing grievances and contentious relationship with the tech industry. These threats appear to be part of a broader pattern of Trump’s rhetoric rather than evidence of substantive allegations.
“Mark Zuckerberg, in my opinion, a criminal, is allowed to spend over $400 million and therefore able to change the course of a Presidential Election, and nothing happens to Facebook,” Trump said, back in 2021.
Trump has also baselessly accused his own former administration officials of pressuring Meta to suppress posts about Hunter Biden’s laptop.
“Zuckerberg admits that the White House pushed to SUPPRESS HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY (& much more!),” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month.
“IN OTHER WORDS, THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS RIGGED,” he continued.
Furthermore, Trump has previously made unfounded claims about the 2020 election being stolen and alleged that Zuckerberg’s financial contributions to local election offices were attempts to sway the election. These accusations have been thoroughly debunked, adding another layer of doubt to his current assertions.
Trump’s historical pattern of making exaggerated or inaccurate statements underscores the importance of approaching his claims with caution. Until more credible evidence surfaces, it’s wise to take Trump’s account of his conversation with Zuckerberg with a grain of salt.
