When he’s not too busy “bullying” Nickelback or suing native Hawaiians in order to expand his already massive private estate, Facebook co-founder turned billionaire Mark Zuckerberg sometimes wades into the torrential waters of American politics. Recent rumors even go so far as to suggest the 32-year-old Harvard University dropout may run for political office one day, and if his response to President Donald Trump’s latest executive order are any indication, said rumors could prove more convincing than not.
In what appeared to be a prepared statement published soon after Trump announced he would be “establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America,” Zuckerberg said he was “concerned” about its potential impacts. He was especially concerned with how “expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources”:
“We should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help. That’s who we are. Had we turned away refugees a few decades ago, Priscilla’s family [refugees from China and Vietnam] wouldn’t be here today.”
Along with his wife, Priscilla Chan’s example, Zuckerberg opened the Facebook post with a reference to his “great grandparents… from Germany, Austria and Poland,” adding that “the United States is a nation of immigrants, and we should be proud of that.” Yet despite the inviting appeal of the Facebook co-founder’s words, he admitted he was “glad” to hear Trump say he would “work something out” for DREAMers — immigrants brought into the U.S. as children who were afforded protections by President Barack Obama’s executive order regarding the DACA program.
Zuckerberg concluded the simultaneously critical and laudatory statement with an anecdote about his work teaching undocumented middle school students. It added a nice, again inclusive touch to his remarks, though it may ultimately further stoke the rumor mill regarding whether or not the young businessman is considering a run for office.