Mark Zuckerberg’s public embrace of Donald Trump has triggered an internal meltdown at Meta, with employees reportedly in “horror” and “mourning” over their CEO’s dramatic political transformation that began after he witnessed the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt.
The Facebook founder has told associates that watching Trump’s response to being shot changed his entire perspective on the former president. What started as grudging respect for Trump’s courage under fire has evolved into full-throated support for conservative politics—and Meta workers are furious.
From Liberal Tech Bro to MAGA Sympathizer
Zuckerberg’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast in January sent shockwaves through Meta’s Menlo Park headquarters. The billionaire didn’t just praise Trump—he went full culture warrior, arguing for more “male energy” in corporate America and claiming the Biden administration forced Meta to “censor things that were true.”
“You want to be able to channel that energy,” Zuckerberg said about male aggression, criticizing what he called anti-male “bias” in business. The comments left progressive employees questioning whether they even know their boss anymore.
The podcast was just the latest in a series of olive branches Zuckerberg has extended to Trump and the MAGA movement since the Butler shooting. He’s reversed content moderation policies, ended fact-checking partnerships, and publicly defended conservative voices that were previously restricted on his platforms.
“If You Don’t Like It, Tough Shit”
The breaking point came during a leadership meeting at Meta Park just days after the Rogan interview. Several managers finally worked up the courage to confront Zuckerberg about his political about-face and what it means for the company’s direction.
According to sources, Zuckerberg’s response was characteristically blunt: “If you don’t like it, tough shit.”
The dismissive comment has spread like wildfire through Meta’s internal channels, with employees sharing their shock that the CEO who once positioned himself as a thoughtful progressive would so casually brush off their concerns.
“People are devastated,” one Meta employee told the Financial Times. “This isn’t the company we signed up for.”
The Authentic Zuck?
Not everyone at Meta is buying the narrative that this represents some dramatic personality shift. Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, himself a liberal, insists employees are simply seeing the “authentic” Zuckerberg for the first time.
Bosworth has reportedly told complaining workers they should “work somewhere else” if they can’t handle the new reality. It’s advice some are apparently taking seriously—LinkedIn activity among Meta employees has spiked as people quietly begin job hunting.
The company’s defenders argue that Zuckerberg was always more conservative than his public persona suggested. They claim the Butler shooting didn’t change his politics so much as give him permission to express views he’d long held privately.
