President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted top US tech leaders at the White House on Thursday evening.
During the dinner, Trump joked about Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s "political career," drawing a swift and firm "no" from Zuckerberg. The exchange came after a reporter raised a question about free speech at the event, prompting a lighthearted moment between the two.
TRUMP: “This is the beginning of your political career.”ZUCKERBERG: “No, it’s not.”
At tonight’s White House dinner for tech leaders, I asked President Trump and META CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the UK’s crackdown on freedom of speech online. @NEWSMAX pic.twitter.com/dKSpn6TV8i
— Mike Carter (@MikeCarterTV) September 5, 2025
Zuckerberg replied, “No, it’s not,” brushing off Trump’s remark, after which the president answered the reporter’s question himself. The exchange drew laughter from Trump, who leaned over and repeated it to First Lady Melania Trump, seated beside him.
“Sorry, I wasn’t ready,” Zuckerberg said before trailing off, as reporters exited the dinner Trump hosted with tech leaders at the White House.
Apple’s Tim Cook, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Bill Gates, Google’s Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg were among the high-profile tech leaders who joined President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for dinner at the White House.
The gathering underscored the complex but strategic relationship between Trump and Silicon Valley, as executives seek to navigate ties with the unpredictable president while he continues to court some of the world’s most influential business figures.
Seated next to Trump, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg cited “$600 billion,” a figure later repeated by Apple’s Tim Cook. Google’s Sundar Pichai contributed “$250 billion.” Trump, in turn, praised the role of technology leaders in bolstering America’s global influence.
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