Meta Platforms replaces its previous policy chief Nick Clegg with Republican Joel Kaplan to prepare for Donald Trump's return to the White House. The personnel change reflects the tech giant's strategic shift, adapting to a politically conservative landscape.

Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Liberal Democrats, joined Meta in 2018. After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, he took on the task of repairing the company's damaged image. In 2022, he was promoted to Chief Policy Officer. His successor is Joel Kaplan, a longtime Republican and former advisor to President George W. Bush.

Kaplan has been with Meta since 2011 and is considered a key figure for the company's relations with conservative circles in Washington. He defended Meta against allegations of liberal bias and was present at the controversial hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, which caused internal tensions.

The change at the top of the policy department comes amid a comprehensive political repositioning of Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Kaplan's experience, emphasizing that he is "the right person at the right time.

Meta has made it clear in recent months that it wants to strengthen its ties with Republicans. In the summer, Zuckerberg publicly expressed support for Trump and praised him as a "badass" after he was targeted in an attack. Additionally, Meta promised to resist government interference in content moderation in the future – a clear criticism of the Biden administration.

In November, the Wall Street Journal reported that Meta had invested a million dollars in Trump's inauguration fund. Similar donations were also made by Amazon, Uber, and Sam Altman of OpenAI. Meta's new course clearly shows that the company is ready to closely cooperate with the upcoming Trump administration.