Whoa. Mark Zuckerberg Just Hired David Plouffe, AND A Clinton Strategist (VIDEO)

The list of potential 2020 challengers to President Donald Trump is growing fast.

Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) is the first and so far only official contender.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says a run for the White House is “not off the table.”

Other names floating about are Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), although none have officially spoken about running.

How about a Silicon Valley tech mogul? Someone young, with business savvy, who knows social media’s influence over people’s political tendencies?

How about Mark Zuckerberg?

Yes, the founder and CEO of Facebook.

Despite reportedly hiring pollster Joel Benenson, former top adviser to President Barack Obama and chief strategist to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and traveling the country to “challenge” himself to meet ordinary people, Zuckerberg insists he is not running:

“Some of you have asked if this challenge means I’m running for public office. I’m not.”

So why the speculation?

Compliments of former White House photographer Charles Ommanney, Zuckerberg posts pictures of his travels around rural America, including Iowa, a crucial first stop for would-be candidates.

He visited a Detroit Ford assembly plant, and Ohio.

He announced last year he is no longer an atheist, and  passed a proposal that allows him to maintain voting control of Facebook should he serve in public office.

Earlier this year the couple enlisted Amy Dudley, former communications adviser to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

And he hired President Barack Obama’s former campaign chair, David Plouffe, who will serve as president of policy and advocacy.

According to Politico, Joel Benenson’s company, Benenson Strategy Group, will carry out research for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic organization Zuckerberg runs with his wife, Priscilla Chan.

A spokeswoman for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative told Politico:

“As a philanthropic organization focused on a number of substantive issues including science, education, housing, and criminal justice reform, any research efforts we undertake is to support that work.”

Sitting on the Chan Zuckerberg board is Ken Mehlman, who ran President George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign.

In 2010, Zuckerberg announced on Oprah he was donating $100 million to Newark, New Jersey City schools.

As the list of Democratic candidates increases, Zuckerberg will have to prove to voters he can take on the Republican establishment intent on keeping Trump in the White House for another four years.

And voters will have to ask themselves if they want another businessman as president.

 

Featured image courtesy of Independent UK.

Ted Millar is writer and teacher. His work has been featured in myriad literary journals, including Better Than Starbucks, The Broke Bohemian, Straight Forward Poetry, Caesura, Circle Show, Cactus Heart, Third Wednesday, and The Voices Project. He is also a contributor to The Left Place blog on Substack, and Medium.