UFC CEO Dana White explained he joined Meta’s board due to a request from Mark Zuckerberg, specifically noting how the Meta CEO cited the need for his company to have “a backbone.”
Zuckerberg announced earlier this year that White, an ally of President Donald Trump, would be joining the company’s board as part of a shakeup happening at Meta, which also saw the company ditch its fact-checkers in favor of community notes. In reflecting on joining Meta’s board, White suggested that many Silicon Valley billionaires are relieved that “the woke nutty madness” that took place throughout the COVID-19 era is ending. He also said he received Zuckerberg’s invitation following his 2024 Republican National Convention speech.
“And I flew back to Italy with my vacation with my family, and I got a text from Mark that said ,‘Hey, can you talk for a minute?’” White told Tucker Carlson. “I call him back and he said, this is what he said to me: ‘I think you’re a great businessman, you always seem to be on the right side of everything, and my company needs a backbone. I would be honored if you would sit on the board for Meta.’”
Dana White on Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump.
(0:00) Professional Slapping
(1:30) Dana White’s Friendship With Donald Trump
(11:28) Dana Joining the Board of Meta
(18:32) How Dana Responded to the Bryce Mitchell Controversy
(22:22) Will the Anti-Censorship Movement Last?… pic.twitter.com/RN7egSUAOB— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 3, 2025
Carlson noted how Zuckerberg gave $350 million to then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020 and found it “kind of wild” how the tech giant offered White a board position right after his RNC speech. White, meanwhile, suggested that Zuckerberg is “not as bad as everybody thinks he is.”
In reflecting on what the future of free speech looks like going forward, White suggested that social media platforms, such as Facebook or X, are “the new media,” likening the owning of a social media platform to owning a major news network. When asked if social media platforms will continue to support free speech, White laughed and suggested they will “for the next four years,” referring to the duration of Trump’s second term in the White House.
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White also reflected on how “awesome” it was to attend Trump’s inauguration last month. The UFC president suggested that Trump has changed “for the better” after the first assassination attempt in July and that he thinks Trump believes “to his core” that God saved his life “to run this country for the next four years.”
Trump has reflected on the attempt on his life, stating during his inauguration speech that he was “saved by God to make America great again,” drawing applause from those in attendance.
