Trump’s joke about Mark Zuckerberg entering politics gets a firm ‘no’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump sparked laughter during a White House dinner on Thursday, September 4, as he teased Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about launching a "political career."

The light moment unfolded as Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted some of the country’s most influential tech leaders at a high-profile reception. When Trump floated the idea of Zuckerberg entering politics, the Meta chief didn’t hesitate, delivering a swift and firm “no.” What followed added even more intrigue to the evening.

Trump jokes about Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘political career’

During a White House dinner with top tech leaders, President Donald Trump shared a light-hearted moment with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg after a reporter raised concerns about online free speech in the UK.

The exchange unfolded when a journalist asked, "President, you'll be heading to the UK in a few weeks. Yesterday, Nigel Farage was on Capitol Hill, right, talking a lot about pushing back on censorship online, was asking politicians like yourself, some of the people in this room, to really push back on that." The reporter then turned to Zuckerberg, seated beside Trump, and asked, “How concerning is the lack of free speech in the UK to you?”

Caught slightly off guard, Trump quipped about Zuckerberg’s reaction: “He’s looking at me like, ‘How the hell did I get that question?’” Zuckerberg, who hadn’t been fully paying attention, politely asked the reporter to repeat the question. Then the reporter asked the question again.

Before Zuckerberg could respond, Trump cracked another joke, “This is the beginning of your political career.” Zuckerberg quickly shot back with a firm “No, it’s not.”

Trump then addressed the issue himself, expressing concern over growing censorship in the UK.

"I will just say that in terms of the UK, strange things are happening over there. They are cracking down surprisingly so and I have spoken to the prime minister. Let's see what happens," the MAGA leader said. 

The event marked part of a high-profile White House reception, where Trump also highlighted AI research and applauded major US investments from tech companies.

Internet cracks up over Trump’s dinner banter with Mark Zuckerberg

A lighthearted exchange between Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg during a White House dinner stirred lively reactions online, especially after the presdient teased the Meta CEO about a potential political career. Social media users quickly weighed in, offering a mix of humor, criticism, and analysis.

One X user commented, “Trump’s humor always hits But free speech is no joke Zuckerberg still has a lot to answer for when it comes to censorship.”

Another wrote, “Imagine being in Zucks position and not knowing how to tactfully respond while calling them out and pleasing his little board, sad.”

Some praised the interaction as classic Trump, with one user laughing, “Classic Trump banter — Zuckerberg shut that down quick. 😂.”

Another noted, “He shut that down with no hesitation.”

Others used the moment to critique broader issues, with one user posting, "Trump loves joking around with tech billionaires, but his policies did nothing to actually protect free speech or hold Big Tech accountable, just more empty talk.”

A few appreciated the awkward humor, writing, “Classic Trump banter 😏 Zuckerberg holding his own — love the awkwardly funny energy between them.”

One person jokingly imagined Zuckerberg’s internal thoughts, writing, “Zuck is like don’t push me under the bus, my MAUs would go down 🤣."

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.