U.S. President Doanld Trump speaks with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during a private dinner for technology and business leaders in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 4, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (whose company owns Facebook and Instagram) got into an uncomfortable exchange with President Donald Trump at the White House during a Thursday evening event at the Rose Garden.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Zuckerberg — who was seated next to the president — was asked a question about free speech laws in the United Kingdom in response to complaints about social media censorship. The reporter initially sought Trump's response, but also posed the question to Zuckerberg, who appeared to be caught off-guard.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Zuckerberg said.
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"The British government seems to be cracking down on social media posts, people being arrested for tweets, social posts. Just wondering how concerning that is for you, Mr. President, and Mr. Zuckerberg," the reporter said.
"This is the beginning of your political career," Trump said to the Meta CEO.
"No it's not," Zuckerberg quickly responded, before refusing to answer the reporter's question.
The Journal further reported that the meeting was rife with flattery from CEOs, including from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who praised Trump as a "pro-business, pro-innovation president" and that he looked forward to "a long period of leading the world." Apple CEO Tim Cook also heaped compliments on the president, telling Trump that he appreciated his "leadership and focus on innovation" while reminding him of a commitment to invest $600 billion in American manufacturing. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — who garnered controversy earlier this year for his Department of Government Efficiency — was noticeably absent from the gathering, despite his companies having multibillion-dollar federal contracts.
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Click here to read the Journal's report in its entirety (subscription required).
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