Ahead of 2020, Facebook ensnared in heated political climate

Mark Zuckerberg is defending meetings he’s reportedly had with conservative leaders after #DeleteFacebook began trending on social media.

Politico reported this week that the Facebook CEO held private meetings with, among others, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Zuckerberg says he meets with “lots of people across the spectrum on lots of different issues” and suggested others do the same.

Facebook has fought allegations since the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election that it’s not doing enough to stop bogus accounts and political ads on its platform.

Those charges are surfacing again ahead of the 2020 election, with Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren demanding that Facebook remove Trump campaign ads that make false claims.

Facebook has refused, saying it’s not a political gatekeeper.

Conservatives have long accused Facebook of suppressing conservative political views.