Joel Kaplan, Mark Zuckerberg's US policy advisor, leaves Meta after 15 years

Joel Kaplan, Mark Zuckerberg’s top Washington advisor and Meta’s chief global affairs officer, is leaving after 15 years at the company. In a post on X, Kaplan announced that he was set to vacate his role with plans to spend more time with his family. “I’ve decided the time is right for me to move on from my role as Chief Global Affairs Officer,” he added.Kaplan, who joined Meta (then Facebook) back in 2011, is seen as a close aide of Mark Zuckerberg. During his time at the company, Joel Kaplan helped establish a strong relationship between Zuckerberg and US President Donald Trump. The company ended its US fact-checking programme, rolled back diversity initiatives, and sought closer engagement with the Trump administration.Mark Zuckerberg is now considered an ally of President Trump. The Meta CEO attended Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, and was previously spotted sitting next to him at luncheons with other tech leaders.In the post, Joel Kaplan added that he would continue his role through the US midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3. He is expected to leave Meta sometime in 2027. “I’ll be at the company for a few months to help with the transition, and then look forward to catching my breath,” Kaplan explained. Joel Kaplan announced his exit on X. In a statement to Axios, Mark Zuckerberg thanked Joel Kaplan for his time at Meta. The Meta CEO pointed out that since 2011, Kaplan had helped shape Meta’s global policy. “When he arrived, there was no playbook for ensuring our products would be available to the billions of people around the world who now rely on them,” Zuckerberg said. The Meta chief added that Kaplan had “been a strong advocate for our policies, and a friend to me.”Who is Joel Kaplan?Joel Kaplan was responsible for Meta’s US policy and lobbying operations. At Meta, Kaplan, who is a longtime Republican strategist, guided Mark Zuckerberg through changes in party control in the US Congress and the White House. He also advised the company during controversies including the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which Facebook users’ data was used without their consent to create voter profiles. Kaplan faced accusations of favouring conservative interests in content decisions, which Meta denied. He also received criticism from employees after attending Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing in 2018. Joel Kaplan became Meta’s chief global affairs officer in January 2025, succeeding former British deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.A Harvard University and Harvard Law School graduate, Joel Kaplan previously served as deputy White House chief of staff for policy under President George W Bush from 2006 to 2009. He was also a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and spent four years as an artillery officer in the US Marine Corps.While Joel Kaplan has mentioned that he wants to spend more time with his family, he has not closed the door for another career move. He wrote on X, ”Somewhere in there will also find some time to figure out what I want to do next–will let you know when I do!”Meta will pass on Kaplan’s responsibilities among senior executives. President and Vice-Chairman Dina Powell McCormick will add external affairs to her portfolio, while Chief Legal Officer CJ Mahoney will take on policy duties. McCormick also co-leads Meta’s AI infrastructure initiative, while Mahoney oversaw Meta’s $17.1 billion teen safety settlement with 52 US state and territory attorneys general.Meanwhile, Brian Rice, a former aide to former US Secretary of State John Kerry, leads Meta’s US government affairs. Tucker Bounds, a former spokesman for the late US Senator John McCain, was named global head of communications and public affairs in September 2026.- Ends