Mark Zuckerberg Is Not Done With Politics ⇥ nytimes.com

Theodore Schleifer and Mike Isaac, New York Times:

Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief executive who has tried to keep a distance from politics, is warming to President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Mr. Zuckerberg is among several Big Tech executives who are expected to be front and center at Mr. Trump’s inauguration next week. He will be one of four hosts of a black-tie reception on Jan. 20, joining the longtime Republican donors Miriam Adelson and Todd Ricketts in hosting a party “celebrating the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance,” according to a copy of the invitation seen by The New York Times. The event was first reported by Puck.

In what way has Zuckerberg “tried to keep a distance from politics”? Some years ago, he was actively interested in issues of immigration, social justice, and inequality. His views were published in newspapers and magazines. He co-founded an organization advocating for better paths to citizenship.

I know all of these things because I read a different article by Schleifer and Isaac — one which carries a headline that is rapidly becoming infamous: “Mark Zuckerberg Is Done With Politics”. It is even linked in a subsequent paragraph:

But he has undergone something of a political reinvention over the last year. He traveled to Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort last week. And has announced a series of changes at Meta since the election in November that have delighted advisers to Mr. Trump.

Journalists do not write the headlines; I hope the editor responsible for this one is soaked with regret. Zuckerberg is not “done with politics”. He is very much playing politics. He supported some more liberal causes when it was both politically acceptable and financially beneficial, something he has continued to do today, albeit by having no discernible principles. Do not mistake this for savviness or diplomacy, either. It is political correctness for the billionaire class.