Meta Appoints Former Trump Administration Official as President... Trump Calls It "A Great Choice"

Meta Platforms, the operator of Facebook, has appointed a former official from the first Donald Trump administration as its new president.

On January 12 (local time), Meta announced that Dina Powell McCormick, who served as Deputy National Security Advisor during the first Trump administration, has been appointed as the new President and Vice Chair.

Dina Powell McCormick, the new President of Meta (left). Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

As the new president, McCormick will collaborate with the computing and infrastructure teams to establish investment strategies and lead the development of new strategic partnerships. Meta stated that McCormick, who has been a member of the board, has been deeply involved in advancing the company's "cutting-edge AI" and "personal superintelligence" strategies.

The position of president, overseeing Meta's overall business operations, has been newly created. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), President McCormick will report directly to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

McCormick is the wife of Senator David McCormick (Republican, Pennsylvania) and served as Deputy National Security Advisor during the first Trump administration from 2017 to 2018, as well as Assistant Secretary of State under the George W. Bush administration. Prior to that, she worked at the investment bank Goldman Sachs for 16 years, eventually becoming a partner.

CEO Zuckerberg explained the rationale behind the appointment, stating, "Dina is uniquely qualified to oversee Meta's next stage of growth, drawing on her top-tier global financial experience and worldwide network."

Meta's appointment of McCormick is seen as an effort to strengthen its ties with the Trump administration. CEO Zuckerberg made significant efforts to align with the administration, including personally visiting Mar-a-Lago ahead of President Trump's inauguration.

Immediately after President Trump's election last January, Meta appointed Dana White, CEO of UFC and a close associate of President Trump, as a board member, and promoted Joel Kaplan, a former official from the Bush administration, to president. The company also ended its "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) policies. On January 6, Meta also recruited C.J. Mahoney, who served as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative during the first Trump administration, as Chief Legal Officer (CLO).

President Trump responded positively to McCormick's appointment. On the social networking service Truth Social, he stated, "A great choice by Mark Z(uckerberg)," adding, "McCormick is an outstanding and talented individual who contributed to the Trump administration with strength and excellence."

Reuters commented that McCormick is reminiscent of Sheryl Sandberg, Meta's former Chief Operating Officer (COO). During her tenure, Sandberg leveraged her strong ties with the Democratic Party to navigate regulatory challenges. It is expected that McCormick will play a similar role.