According to a report by NBC on the 2nd, citing sources, during a meeting between President Trump and senior U.S. military officials discussing the sixth-generation fighter jet F-47, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of social media giant Meta, suddenly entered the Oval Office of the White House and was then asked to leave.
Several anonymous sources reported that Zuckerberg’s entrance into the president’s office surprised military officials because he did not have the necessary security clearance for attending a confidential meeting. Subsequently, Zuckerberg was asked to wait outside. According to the sources, the attendees expressed concerns about the White House’s secrecy, finding the atmosphere “unsettling and perplexing.” Some discussed whether visiting guests and Trump making calls during the meeting could compromise information, with one questioning whether there should be “concerns about leaks,” with one official even describing the meeting as “strange.”
The exact timing of this incident has yet to be determined. The disclosure came in a lengthy report on insider details of the Trump administration’s White House published by NBC on July 2nd. The report mentioned that the incident occurred last winter when Zuckerberg was visiting the White House.
Following the publication of the report, a senior White House official denied claims that Zuckerberg had been “ejected” from the Oval Office, stating that the reports were “distorted.” According to the official, Zuckerberg had been “invited in to greet the president and then left,” waiting outside to meet with Trump, who was scheduled to meet after a discussion involving fighter jets. A Trump administration official also refuted claims that Zuckerberg had “illegally entered a classified White House meeting and was expelled.” The Guardian sought comment from Meta but was refused.
As previously reported by the Guardian, on March 21st this year, Trump announced at the White House that he had officially awarded Boeing the contract for the “Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD)” program, which includes the sixth-generation fighter jet project. As the 47th President of the United States, Trump declared the new generation of American fighters to be named F-47.