President Trump Calls Apple a Great American Company run by a Great Executive who's smart enough to Call him Directly
President Donald Trump likes Apple CEO Tim Cook. But it’s not necessarily because he’s running a big and successful business. Rather, Trump said Cook calls him "whenever there is a problem." Trump made his comment this afternoon, live on TV, before he went on the Marine One helicopter.
President Trump added "That’s why he’s a great executive, because he calls me and others don’t. Others go out and hire very expensive consultants, Tim Cook calls Donald Trump directly."
The President further added that "The problem was that Samsung, a competitor wouldn’t be paying tariffs, and Tim Cook would. I gotta help him out short-term, because it’s a great American company."
Last week, Cook joined Trump for dinner at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Their warm relationship stands in stark contrast to Trump’s position on other top executives, who he frequently antagonizes.
Cook may be willing to reach out because Apple has a lot at stake when it comes to policy decisions. The company does the majority of its final device assembly in China, putting products like the iPhone at risk when the Trump administration announces tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump has said he wants Apple to make its products in the U.S.
Apple’s iPhone was in line to get a 10% tariff starting Sept. 1, before Trump announced a temporary reprieve for laptops and cellphones, pushing the start date for the duties back to Dec. 15.
According to Trump, Cook recently argued that the 10% tariff would be unfair to Apple, especially compared to its primary competitor Samsung, which does most of its manufacturing in South Korea. Trump suggested on Wednesday that Cook directly influenced the administration’s decision to waive the tariff on cellphones and laptops.
Despite their many differences, the lines of communication are always open. As Trump said at the White House in July, "A man I have a lot of liking for and respect is Tim Cook, and we’ll work it out."
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