【Text by Observers Network, Shao Yun】

On February 2, the US National Broadcasting Company (NBC) reported that during a meeting at the White House between President Trump and military officials discussing the sixth-generation fighter jet F-47, Trump was "suddenly interrupted" by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta. This added another layer to the already questionable credibility of the Trump administration on confidentiality issues. In response, a senior White House official on February 2 expressed through the pro-Republican New York Post that the NBC report "distorted" the actual situation.

NBC revealed this incident in an article on February 2 about the inner workings of the Trump administration. According to sources, Zuckerberg suddenly entered the Oval Office where the meeting was taking place but was asked to wait outside because he did not have security clearance. The report stated that this left military officials "surprised, confused, and uneasy," as some had assumed the meeting with Trump would be more confidential.

The report also disclosed more details about the "chaotic management" of the Trump administration. It is said that Trump's advisors have been trying to restore discipline within the White House, but with limited success. Trump wants to meet anyone he wishes and make any calls he desires, so his White House has "continued" his "laissez-faire" management style. The West Wing of the White House is now bustling with people, and even Trump himself "warmly" refers to his office as the "Central Station."

This has raised concerns among some officials about potential leaks of sensitive information. NBC said that one person who was present at the meeting between Trump and the military described the scene as a "bizarro world."

The White House denied the authenticity of the report on February 2. According to the New York Post on February 2, an anonymous senior White House official said the NBC report "distorted" the situation, stating that Zuckerberg was not asked to leave, and he had actually scheduled a meeting with Trump at the White House. "He came to greet the president, then left to wait for his scheduled meeting with the president, which was after the fighter jet meeting," the official said.

Meta has declined to comment on the matter.

Zuckerberg attended Trump's inauguration in January 2021. New York Post

Notably, since March, when Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed that he had been mistakenly added to a classified group chat by former National Security Advisor Waltz and learned detailed plans of the US airstrike on Houthi rebels in Yemen, the confidentiality efforts of the Trump administration have been under suspicion. Since then, media outlets have continued to expose that government officials used personal emails to handle official business.

On the other hand, Zuckerberg does not seem to be well-received by Trump supporters. On February 2, the New York Post mentioned that the social media magnate has faced scrutiny in recent years for attempting to build relationships with his former political adversaries, especially after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. At the presidential inauguration in January, Zuckerberg was one of several top tech company CEOs sitting in the front row.

The report stated that, in addition to visiting the White House multiple times, Zuckerberg has taken several measures within Meta that are seen as favorable to conservatives, such as ending fact-checking of content on social platforms and appointing Trump ally Dana White, UFC president, as a company director.

According to a survey released last month, the public generally distrusts Zuckerberg and other tech executives' actions of "favoring" Trump. A survey conducted by the "Tech Oversight Project" and "Public Policy Polling" found that among all major tech company CEOs, Zuckerberg was the least popular, with 63% of Trump supporters holding a negative view of him.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7522875298875146752/

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