Trump Mocked Zuckerberg and Bezos After Their Flattering Attempts to Win His Favor
A new book reveals that Donald Trump mocked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos after they tried to ingratiate themselves with him following the 2024 election, showing off their texts to others.
According to the book "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump" by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Trump regularly ridiculed the tech executives after they sought his favor following his 2024 election victory.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sent Trump a photo of a letter written by one of his grade-school-age children, expressing hope for "the golden age of America" – a slogan Trump used during his campaign. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, during a dinner at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, disparaged The Washington Post, describing it as one of his worst financial investments.
Trump delighted in showing guests the fawning texts from Zuckerberg and Bezos, saying, "You would not believe the texts I got from these tech guys. I've got to show you." He also told associates that both men were "kissing my ass." In a conversation with Elon Musk recounted in the book, Trump noted how these same people hated him in 2016 but were now currying favor. Musk replied, "First-class groveling."
The book also describes how Trump played the J6 Prison Choir's rendition of the national anthem for Zuckerberg. Months later, Bezos attempted to leverage his relationship with Trump to secure a business advantage for his space company Blue Origin, arguing that a single contractor (SpaceX) dominating space infrastructure posed a national security risk. However, Trump did not grant the request and later reconciled with Musk.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai did not directly respond to the book's findings but emphasized Trump's commitment to working with business leaders. Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Musk did not respond to requests for comment.
