According to Bloomberg Business, Meta has hired Bill McGinley, the former lead counsel for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as a federal lobbyist. The company paid McGinley $120,000 for work in the second half of 2025 to lobby the White House, Treasury, and Commerce Department on tech and trade issues. McGinley was initially named Trump’s White House counsel in November 2024 before moving to lead DOGE’s legal team, and he has a long history as a Republican operative and election attorney. This hire is the latest in a series of moves by Meta to cozy up to Donald Trump’s administration, a pivot that has included private meetings between Trump and Mark Zuckerberg since last November. So far, Meta is McGinley’s only disclosed client.
The Meta MAGA Machine
Look, this isn’t a one-off hire. It’s a pattern. And it’s a breathtakingly rapid political realignment. Since Trump returned to power, Zuckerberg has been building a full-spectrum MAGA influence operation. He put UFC boss and Trump ally Dana White on the board. He promoted longtime Republican strategist Joel Kaplan to a top global role. He’s dialed back diversity initiatives. Now, he’s hiring the lawyer who was literally in the room helping Musk start slashing federal agencies. This isn’t just lobbying; it’s ideological staffing. Meta is systematically installing people from the very heart of Trump’s political and governmental network. The message to the administration is clear: “We speak your language.”
Why This Lawyer, Why Now?
Here’s the thing about Bill McGinley. His value isn‘t just that he knows Trump’s people. It’s that he has a very specific, recent skill set. He helped stand up Musk’s DOGE—an entity designed to disrupt and dismantle government bureaucracy from the inside. Think about what Meta might be facing. Aggressive antitrust scrutiny? Potential trade wars over tech? Regulations they want rolled back? Who better to navigate that than someone who just helped orchestrate a hostile takeover of the federal budget process? He’s not just a door-opener; he’s a tactical operator who understands how this particular administration likes to break things. That’s a powerful signal of intent.
The End of Tech “Neutrality”
Remember when big tech companies tried to play both sides? That era is over, at least for Meta. This is a full-throated bet on one political future. It’s a risky strategy, but you can see the logic. After years of being the villain in DC hearings, Zuckerberg seems to have decided that if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em—forcefully. By embedding itself so deeply with the current power structure, Meta is likely seeking regulatory relief, favorable policy, and maybe a shield against the kind of breakup talk that has swirled for years. But the long-term cost could be immense. What happens if the political winds shift again? They’ve burned a lot of bridges on the other side. This isn’t hedging. It’s going all in.
