Former President Donald Trump is picking up a fight with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for making campaign donations to his perceived political enemies.
In an angry statement to supporters, first reported by Business Insider, Trump labeled the social media executive a “criminal” for donating hundreds of millions of dollars to local election offices in poor communities across the U.S.
“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,” an angry Trump ranted.
The Insider noted that Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donated $400m to local election offices to help them deal with the disruptions to in-person elections caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the report, “the money went toward the purchases of masks and gloves for workers and for additional equipment to assist elections officials sort and process mail-in ballots.”
Trump’s attack prompted a response from a spokesperson for Mr. Zuckerberg and Ms. Chan.
“When our nation’s election infrastructure faced unprecedented challenges last year due to the pandemic and the federal government failed to provide adequate funds, Mark and Priscilla provided funding to two non-partisan organizations that helped cities and states ensure that residents could vote regardless of their party or preference,” the spokesperson told Business Insider.
Trump’s latest rant comes as he pushes a new social media company aimed at providing conservatives an alternative to Twitter and Facebook.
Read the full report at Business Insider.
