MAGA World Unimpressed At Zuckerberg’s Apparent Concession To Trump: ‘Talk Is Cheap’

Mark Zuckerberg has failed to win the approval of Donald Trump loyalists after announcing Meta is dumping its third-party fact-checkers over concerns that the system had supposedly become “too politically biased.”

In a video on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said his companies, which include Facebook and Instagram, will instead implement a user-generated “community notes” model similar to the one used on X, the former Twitter, which is owned by Elon Musk.

The major shift is widely seen as an attempt by the tech billionaire to curry favor with the president-elect ahead of his second term, as other big names in Silicon Valley are seeking to boost their standing with Trump.

Trump has had animosity for Zuckerberg ever since he was banned from Facebook and Instagram following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

The Republican was asked about Meta’s announcement at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, and said the social media giant had “come a long way.”

When asked if he thought Meta’s decision was a direct response to threats Trump has made to Zuckerberg in the past, he replied: “Probably.”

But the move was met with skepticism among some supporters and conservative lawmakers.

Nicole Shanahan ― a Trump backer and onetime running mate of former presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ― commented on the “interesting timing.”

“Four years after censoring a sitting president, Zuck suddenly announces these reforms — right after the same man he banned from his platform gets re-elected by the people,” Shanahan wrote on X, claiming that thousands of people “were censored and humiliated for speaking truth to power.”

Conspiracy theorist and MAGA influencer Laura Loomer, who was by Trump’s side at times on the campaign trail, said “talk is cheap.”

“Facebook should not be trusted and MAGA should not get back on Facebook or Instagram until actual apologies are issued by Zuckerberg and damages are paid to those who have been harmed by Facebook,” Loomer wrote on X.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) argued in a post on X that Meta’s change is “a ploy to avoid being regulated.”

“We will not be fooled,” she wrote.

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote on X. “Can any of us assume Zuckerberg won’t return to his old tricks?”

Meanwhile, Lina Khan, the outgoing chair of the Federal Trade Commission, warned on Tuesday that Meta and other companies could be looking to get “sweetheart deals” from the president-elect as they face antitrust probes.