President Donald Trump extended his congratulations to Powell McCormick on his Truth Social account shortly after the announcement of her promotion. He praised her as a “fantastic, and very talented, person” who served his administration with “strength and distinction.”
Her appointment marks the latest in a series of adjustments Meta has made over the past year to align more closely with Trump. The company is ramping up investments in advanced AI and personal superintelligence. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is seeking Trump’s backing to develop data centers and energy resources for these initiatives.
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Prior to Trump’s second inauguration, Zuckerberg visited him at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Additionally, Meta discontinued its US fact-checking program, promoted Republican Joel Kaplan to chief global affairs officer, and terminated its diversity initiatives—actions that resonate with Trump. In early January, Meta appointed former Trump trade adviser C.J. Mahoney to head its legal team, replacing General Counsel Jennifer Newstead, who also held a position in the Trump administration.
Meta has chosen not to comment on whether Powell McCormick’s appointment aims to attract Trump’s favor.
She will assist Meta in expanding its data centers, establishing new strategic capital partnerships, and enhancing the company’s “long-term investment capacity,” as stated by the company.
Powell McCormick has 16 years of experience in senior leadership roles at Goldman Sachs. During Trump’s first term, she held the position of Deputy National Security Adviser and served as a senior White House adviser under former President George W. Bush. Her husband, US Senator David McCormick, is a Republican from Pennsylvania and chairs the Senate subcommittee overseeing energy policy, an area where she will play a role at Meta.
According to his spokesperson Katy Montgomery, the senator will “continue to comply with all US Senate ethics rules.”
“Senator McCormick should recuse himself from any votes or committee actions that involve Meta’s business,” stated Sacha Haworth, executive director at the Tech Oversight Project, a group critical of the industry.
Powell McCormick’s position mirrors the efforts of former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who utilized her strong connections within the Washington establishment and the Democratic Party to aid the company in addressing scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators.
Powell McCormick stepped down from Meta’s board in December, merely eight months after her appointment.
Meta has been working hard to maintain its relevance in Silicon Valley’s AI competition following the unfavorable reception of its Llama 4 model. The company has committed up to $72 billion in capital expenditures for 2025.
