Donald Trump

Mark Zuckerberg Upholds Peter Thiel's $1.25 Million Trump Donation

"We can't create a culture that says it cares about diversity and then excludes almost half the country because they back a political candidate," Zuckerberg says

Despite shaking up the Silicon Valley political landscape by donating $1.25 million to support Donald Trump's race to the White House, venture investor and Facebook board member Peter Thiel has received support from the Menlo Park company's CEO, according to The Verge.

Thiel is the only high-tech guru to support the Republican nominee, according to The New York Times, but Mark Zuckerberg sent a memo to his employees notifying them that Facebook stands by Thiel's right to political expression.

"We can't create a culture that says it cares about diversity and then excludes almost half the country because they back a political candidate," Mark Zuckerberg told his employees in a letter obtained by The Verge.

Zuckerberg understands his decision may be contentious, but he maintains that Facebook is a platform that promotes diversity and open discussion.

"I know there are strong views on the election this year both in the (United States) and around the world," he wrote. "We see them play out on Facebook every day. Our community will be stronger for all our differences -- not only in areas like race and gender, but also in areas like political ideology and religion."

Y Combinator, a successful startup incubator that employs Thiel as a part-time adviser, lost a non-profit partner after the investor's political decision became public, The Verge reported.

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