Cecilia Kang

Yeah, I had to run to my car because I'm on a lunch break during an antitrust trial where the Federal Trade Commission is seeking to break up Meta. And this is a really high-stakes case for Meta and for Mark Zuckerberg because this case really threatens the company's entire existence. It's existential because... The government is trying to break up this company that he co-founded two decades ago.

Yeah, I had to run to my car because I'm on a lunch break during an antitrust trial where the Federal Trade Commission is seeking to break up Meta. And this is a really high-stakes case for Meta and for Mark Zuckerberg because this case really threatens the company's entire existence. It's existential because... The government is trying to break up this company that he co-founded two decades ago.

And I have just spent the first half of this week watching Zuckerberg testify as the first and star witness in the government's case against Meta. And when I go back, he will finish up and then we will have the former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, testify. What's the first week been like? It's been pretty crazy. Long lines to get into the courtroom.

And I have just spent the first half of this week watching Zuckerberg testify as the first and star witness in the government's case against Meta. And when I go back, he will finish up and then we will have the former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, testify. What's the first week been like? It's been pretty crazy. Long lines to get into the courtroom.

The courtroom itself is full of Meta's many, many lawyers, as well as the FTC's lawyers and media, and a lot of just people from the public. And it's interesting because up until really the minutes before the trial began, I wasn't even sure that it was going to happen. Why is that? In recent weeks...

The courtroom itself is full of Meta's many, many lawyers, as well as the FTC's lawyers and media, and a lot of just people from the public. And it's interesting because up until really the minutes before the trial began, I wasn't even sure that it was going to happen. Why is that? In recent weeks...

Senior Facebook officials have been trying to get the White House to stop this case from going to trial. And recently, as reported, Mark Zuckerberg was at the White House himself meeting with the president and his top aides, trying to get the president to drop this case before it could go to trial. And so this case...

Senior Facebook officials have been trying to get the White House to stop this case from going to trial. And recently, as reported, Mark Zuckerberg was at the White House himself meeting with the president and his top aides, trying to get the president to drop this case before it could go to trial. And so this case...

which has huge implications, can be seen as a reflection of this ongoing and strange relationship between these two men, Zuckerberg and President Trump.

which has huge implications, can be seen as a reflection of this ongoing and strange relationship between these two men, Zuckerberg and President Trump.

So it's interesting, the story of Zuckerberg and Trump really goes back almost a decade. And their relationship has really changed and evolved over those years. I think it's fair to say that what started as a story of two very powerful, but very different and maybe even opposing figures has turned into something quite different. Lately, Zuckerberg has been very positive about Trump.

So it's interesting, the story of Zuckerberg and Trump really goes back almost a decade. And their relationship has really changed and evolved over those years. I think it's fair to say that what started as a story of two very powerful, but very different and maybe even opposing figures has turned into something quite different. Lately, Zuckerberg has been very positive about Trump.

He's really tried to get into Trump's inner circle. But Trump at this point has not returned the same sort of interest nor affection. I would say that the relationship is pretty one-sided at this point. Zuckerberg, for most of Facebook's history, has never been overtly political. It's actually sort of a mystery as to how he votes. He donates to both parties.

He's really tried to get into Trump's inner circle. But Trump at this point has not returned the same sort of interest nor affection. I would say that the relationship is pretty one-sided at this point. Zuckerberg, for most of Facebook's history, has never been overtly political. It's actually sort of a mystery as to how he votes. He donates to both parties.

He's not particularly vocal about politics generally. Things get a little bit more complicated when it comes to Trump's first election victory in 2016. That was a huge deal for Facebook, but not necessarily in a positive way.

He's not particularly vocal about politics generally. Things get a little bit more complicated when it comes to Trump's first election victory in 2016. That was a huge deal for Facebook, but not necessarily in a positive way.

That's right. The left blamed Facebook for Trump's victory. They say that there was a surge of political misinformation that really helped Trump in winning. And Zuckerberg reacts to these concerns by creating new policies and new changes to the platform, instituting things like fact-checking, all with the purpose of trying to slow the spread of misinformation on the site. And the right hates this.

That's right. The left blamed Facebook for Trump's victory. They say that there was a surge of political misinformation that really helped Trump in winning. And Zuckerberg reacts to these concerns by creating new policies and new changes to the platform, instituting things like fact-checking, all with the purpose of trying to slow the spread of misinformation on the site. And the right hates this.

They say that these actions are essentially censorship and censorship of conservatives. They say that the Companies' leaders and their employees are liberal and they have a bias that's against conservatives in Trump. And Trump comes out for the first time as anti-Facebook. It sounds like hating Facebook basically becomes like a bipartisan issue at this point.

They say that these actions are essentially censorship and censorship of conservatives. They say that the Companies' leaders and their employees are liberal and they have a bias that's against conservatives in Trump. And Trump comes out for the first time as anti-Facebook. It sounds like hating Facebook basically becomes like a bipartisan issue at this point.