Zuckerberg lobbies Trump to avoid Meta antitrust trial

Mark Zuckerberg is lobbying President Trump and White House officials to agree to a settlement that would prevent Meta Platforms from facing an antitrust trial later this month, according to people familiar with the matter.

- Josh Dawsey, Rebecca Ballhaus & Dana Mattioli

Meta and its representatives have met with the president and his senior advisers ahead of an April 14 Federal Trade Commission trial that could force the company to unwind its acquisition of the messaging platform WhatsApp and image-sharing app Instagram. The terms of a potential settlement weren't immediately clear.

Zuckerberg, Meta's chief executive, was at the White House on Wednesday, his third visit during Trump's presidency, the people said. Some of Trump's aides have grown frustrated at the company's lobbying strategy, believing it has been too aggressive, some of the people said.

"We regularly meet with policymakers to discuss issues impacting competitiveness, national security and economic growth," said Andy Stone, a Meta spokesman.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, declined to comment. An FTC spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump hasn't yet decided whether the administration will settle to make inroads with Trump and improve a relationship that has been rocky for years. Meta donated $1 million last year to Trump's inaugural fund, and Zuckerberg made two trips to Mar-a-Lago during the transition.