What's happened
Meta’s chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan has announced his departure, staying through the midterms and exiting next year after more than 15 years at the company. The move follows a shift in policy leadership and leadership changes at Meta.
What's behind the headline?
Critical analysis
- Kaplan’s departure marks a significant pivot in Meta’s external affairs leadership as the company prepares for the midterms and a broader AI push. The change could shift how Meta engages with U.S. policymakers and the Trump administration going forward.
- With Kaplan stepping down, Dina Powell McCormick and CJ Mahoney are positioned to consolidate influence over policy, legal, and external affairs, potentially accelerating Meta’s strategic priorities around data center expansion and regulatory settlements.
- The timing raises questions about how Meta will balance political risk with aggressive AI infrastructure growth amid ongoing scrutiny of platform harms and child safety issues.
- Readers should monitor how the company communicates policy stances during the transition and whether any new playbooks emerge for addressing political content and misinformation.
How we got here
Kaplan has long been a trusted adviser to Meta’s leadership, guiding policy through controversies including Cambridge Analytica and the company’s evolving stance on misinformation and censorship. He will leave after a transition period in 2027, with responsibilities likely distributed to Dina Powell McCormick and CJ Mahoney among others.
Our analysis
According to the New York Times, Kaplan has led Meta’s policy efforts and will depart after the midterms, with Zuckerberg praising his advocacy. The New York Post notes Kaplan’s role in aligning Meta with conservative perspectives. Bloomberg highlights Kaplan’s long tenure and prepared successors. Business Insider and Axios have reported upcoming leadership transitions. The Times notes Kaplan’s earlier leadership during Cambridge Analytica and policy challenges.
Go deeper
- What does Kaplan’s departure mean for Meta’s approach to US policymakers?
- Who will assume Kaplan’s duties and how might that affect policy messaging?
- What upcoming AI and data-center initiatives could see faster progress during the transition?
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Joel Kaplan - American political advisor and lobbyist
Joel David Kaplan (born 1969) is an American political advisor, lobbyist, and attorney. In January 2025, Kaplan was announced as president of global affairs of Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, succeeding Nick Clegg. He was previously the company's vice president of global public policy since 2014. A longtime Republican political operative, Kaplan served eight years in the George W. Bush administration, including as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Within Facebook, Kaplan has been described as a strong conservative voice. He has helped place conservatives in key positions in the company, and advocated for the interests of right-wing websites Breitbart News and The Daily Caller within the company. He has successfully advocated for changes in Facebook's algorithm to promote the interests of right-wing publications and successfully prevented Facebook from closing down groups that were alleged to have circulated fake news, arguing that doing so would disproportionately target conservatives.
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Nick Clegg - British politician and media executive (born 1967)
Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015, and president for global affairs at Facebook from 2022 to 2025. He was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015 and Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Hallam from 2005 to 2017. He was then a public relations officer at Facebook from 2018 until his promotion in 2022. An "Orange Book" liberal, he has been associated with both socially liberal and economically liberal policies. Born in Buckinghamshire, Clegg was educated at Westminster School before going on to study at the University of Cambridge, University of Minnesota, and College of Europe. He worked as a journalist for the Financial Times before becoming a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 1999. After his election to the House of Commons in 2005, Clegg served in a variety of leadership roles in the Liberal Democrats, most notably as spokesperson for Home Affairs, before being elected to succeed Menzies Campbell as party leader in 2007. During his tenure as leader, Clegg said that the Liberal Democrats had transcended left and...
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