Meta Appoints Former Trump Adviser Dina Powell McCormick as President and Vice Chair

Meta Platforms has appointed former Trump adviser Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chair, as the company ramps up investment in artificial intelligence and seeks closer ties with the Trump administration.

The appointment was announced in Meta’s official newsletter, with chief executive Mark Zuckerberg citing Powell McCormick’s experience in global finance and government as key to guiding the company through its next phase of growth. President Donald Trump welcomed the move, praising Powell McCormick in a social media post.

The leadership change comes as Meta accelerates spending on AI infrastructure, including a $27 bn data centre project in Louisiana and deals to secure nuclear power for its facilities. The company has faced setbacks in its AI division over the past year, including layoffs and delays to key projects, prompting a strategic shift away from some metaverse initiatives toward advanced AI development.

Powell McCormick’s appointment echoes Meta’s earlier strategy under former COO Sheryl Sandberg, leveraging deep political and financial connections as the company navigates regulatory scrutiny and intensifies its focus on AI.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Iranian authorities have for the first time acknowledged that roughly 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in two weeks of nationwide protests