In a predictable development aligned with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s known political leanings, the tech billionaire has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former advisor to Trump, to Meta’s board. This appointment reinforces Zuckerberg’s ties with the Republican president.
Axios, the first to report McCormick’s addition to the board, notes that the move aims to expand Meta’s board with global business experts and gain political favor with the current administration. According to a Meta press release, McCormick has spent 16 years in leadership positions at Goldman Sachs and currently holds the roles of vice chair, president, and head of global client services at BDT & MSD Partners. She was formerly President Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser in 2017 and served as the assistant secretary of state during Condoleezza Rice’s tenure in President George W. Bush’s administration. McCormick is married to a Republican senator from Pennsylvania.
In the press release, McCormick expressed enthusiasm for bringing her experience in finance, government, and economic development to support Meta’s users and entrepreneurs. Alongside McCormick, Patrick Collison, co-founder and CEO of Stripe and a former member of Meta’s Advisory Group, has also been appointed to the board. Zuckerberg highlighted that both Collison and McCormick bring vital experience in supporting businesses and entrepreneurs. He emphasized Collison’s dedication to expanding economic opportunities and McCormick’s long-standing advocacy for economic development and entrepreneurship, which will benefit businesses relying on their services.
These appointments reflect Meta and Zuckerberg’s ongoing alignment with the Trump administration amidst a heated antitrust battle. In recent months, Meta has made several moves, including appointing UFC CEO and Trump ally Dana White to the board, lifting certain hate speech bans on its platforms, replacing fact-checkers with community notes, and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Zuckerberg, along with other tech executives, attended Trump’s inauguration, participated in a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, and pledged $1 million to support the event.
