On Tuesday, CBS This Morning noted liberal outrage over reports that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been conducting meetings with conservative leaders. Surprisingly, co-host and Democratic donor Gayle King was quick to defend the practice, asking, “What’s wrong with that?”
“Mark Zuckerberg is drawing mixed reaction and the #DeleteFacebook picked up steam after a report that he has quietly been holding off-the-record dinners with high-profile conservatives,” correspondent Vladimir Duthiers declared late in the 7:00 a.m. ET hour. He explained that “The meetings, which began over the summer, may fuel speculation from the left that the tech titan is trying to appease the Trump administration.”
After Duthiers read a statement from Zuckerberg acknowledging meeting “with lots of people across a spectrum on lots of different issues all the time,” King observed: “What’s wrong with that? Maybe you’re trying to learn something new. See what other people are thinking.”
Duthiers agreed that people were overreacting to the news: “It is remarkable that people would say delete Facebook. He says he meets with all different people from all different sides of the aisle.” King reiterated: “Yeah, what is wrong with that?”
In May of 2016, NewsBusters publisher and Media Research Center president Brent Bozell, along with several other conservative leaders, met with Zuckerberg to discuss concerns of anti-conservative bias on the social network.
Here is a full transcript of the October 15 report on CBS This Morning:
7:48 AM ET
VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: Mark Zuckerberg is drawing mixed reaction and the #DeleteFacebook picked up steam after a report that he has quietly been holding off-the-record dinners with high-profile conservatives. The meetings, which began over the summer, may fuel speculation from the left that the tech titan is trying to appease the Trump administration.
The President threatened to sue Facebook back in June. He claims it and other social media platforms are biased against conservatives and censor them.
Yesterday, Zuckerberg defended the gatherings, posting a message on his Facebook page. It says in part, “To be clear, I have dinners with lots of people across a spectrum on lots of different issues all the time.”
GAYLE KING: What’s wrong with that? Maybe you’re trying to learn something new.
DUTHIERS: I don't know think – I think that –
KING: See what other people are thinking.
DUTHIERS: It is remarkable that people would say delete Facebook. He says he meets with all different people from all different sides of the aisle.
KING: Yeah, what is wrong with that?
ANTHONY MASON: It’s probably not unusual. But he’s taking heat from both sides right now. Because Elizabeth Warren on the other side is giving it to him, too.
DUTHIERS: Exactly right. So he’s going to be up on the Hill soon. So we’ll see what he has to say about that. But he’s taking those meetings.
