Tim Cook may have met with Trump during WWDC to discuss second term priorities

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in AAPL Investors edited June 14

Apple CEO Tim Cook may have left WWDC extremely early on Thursday morning to meet with presidential candidate Donald Trump, in what has been described as a meandering discussion.

Tim Cook left, Donald Trump right, Cook with a neutral expression, the other speaking into a microphone.
Tim Cook and Donald Trump in a meeting at the White House in 2018



The meeting with Trump was reportedly attended by 80 CEOs. However, what has been more news-making is how ex-president and now presidential candidate Trump attempted to make his case to US big business.

The meeting reportedly repeated Trump's promises of how his intention is to cut taxes for businesses, and pare back business regulations if he is re-elected. No details of how the proposals would be fulfilled were provided.

However, according to multiple reports from CNBC, one on Thursday, and one on Friday, the CEOs did not necessarily walk away with a good impression. Ross Sorkin, one anchor of Squawk Box, reported on what he had heard from some CEOs in attendance.

On Friday morning's show, Sorkin said that he was told that "[Trump] was remarkably meandering, could not keep a straight thought [and] was all over the map."

"These were people who I think might have been actually predisposed to [Trump, but] actually walked out of the room less predisposed," Sorkin added in his report.

At the meeting Trump said he was planning on ending taxation of tips, which was reportedly met with some scorn by the gathered CEOs.

The report on Thursday cites two people who claim that Tim Cook was at the meeting along with Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. A spokesman for Cook declined to comment on if the Apple CEO attended the meeting.

If the report of Cook's attendance is accurate, the Apple CEO had an incredible travel turn-around time. Cook was spotted at WWDC on Thursday at assorted events and sessions throughout the day.

Cook and Trump have met several times. The pair have shared several dinners, and also dined together during the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos in January 2020.

Earlier in the Trump presidency, Cook had a call with the then-president in August 2019 explaining why the tariffs would hinder the iPhone's ability to compete against rivals. It prompted the administration to delay tariffs against the iPhone until later.

That conversation also led to public praise of Cook by Trump as a "great executive," with the reason "because he calls me and others don't."

There have also been times when Cook declined to address matters that Trump brought up, such as the claim from Trump in 2018 that Cook had promised to construct "three big plants, beautiful plants" in the United States. While Cook had discussed manufacturing around that time, he never mentioned three plants, and a trio have not developed since.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 70
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 2,726member
    The 2017 tax cuts that CEOs used for stock buybacks are due to expire. These are the same tax cuts that the Fed predicted would increase inflation. Go figure…
    gatorguylordjohnwhorfinOfermacxpressdavwilliamlondonronnbaconstangsmcartermaggot777
  • Reply 2 of 70
    XedXed Posts: 2,677member
    foregoneconclusion said:
    The 2017 tax cuts that CEOs used for stock buybacks are due to expire. These are the same tax cuts that the Fed predicted would increase inflation. Go figure…
    Just wait until you see Trump's plan to cut income tax and increase tariffs which will hurt nearly all Americans while benefiting the most wealthy to a huge degree.
    dewmelordjohnwhorfinOfermattinozAlex_Vmuthuk_vanalingamdavkillroybyronlwilliamlondon
  • Reply 3 of 70
    lordjohnwhorfinlordjohnwhorfin Posts: 859member
    They must have worked very hard to find the one picture where Tim doesn't look good and Mango Mussolini looks almost human.
    OferdavkillroyOnPartyBusinesswilliamlondonsconosciuto9secondkox2
  • Reply 4 of 70
    XedXed Posts: 2,677member
    They must have worked very hard to find the one picture where Tim doesn't look good and Mango Mussolini looks almost human.
    When I see that pic I can't help but think of Curb Your Enthusiasm music playing after Tannibal Lecter referred to Cook as "Tim Apple" or saying something else stupid.
    edited June 14 OferAlex_VkillroyOnPartyBusinesswilliamlondonbaconstangsconosciuto
  • Reply 5 of 70
    Cesar Battistini MazieroCesar Battistini Maziero Posts: 359member
    Trump winning its a given at this point.

    The world needs it.
    AllM40domiwilliamlondond_2Michae1kdupuis77
  • Reply 6 of 70
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,891administrator
    Cesar Battistini Maziero said:
    Trump winning its a given at this point.

    The world needs it.
    It's close, I agree, but your statement about it being "a given" is demonstrably false.
    lordjohnwhorfinFred257SpitbathdavOnPartyBusinessbyronlwilliamlondonronnbaconstangBart Y
  • Reply 7 of 70
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,273member
    The 2017 tax cuts that CEOs used for stock buybacks are due to expire. These are the same tax cuts that the Fed predicted would increase inflation. Go figure…
    Reducing the corporate tax rate to compete with other countries allowed  US companies to repatriate billions of dollars back to the United States. 
    According to the CBO those tax cuts increased federal tax revenue because the economy grew. Inflation came from all the crazy spending congress has done over the last few years, starting during the pandemic. 
    edited June 14 40domi9secondkox2marklark
  • Reply 8 of 70
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,273member
    Xed said:
    foregoneconclusion said:
    The 2017 tax cuts that CEOs used for stock buybacks are due to expire. These are the same tax cuts that the Fed predicted would increase inflation. Go figure…
    Just wait until you see Trump's plan to cut income tax and increase tariffs which will hurt nearly all Americans while benefiting the most wealthy to a huge degree.
    Cancelling all those student loans and passing it to the tax payers, for people who already have great jobs helps the wealthy also. 
    williamlondon9secondkox2marklark
  • Reply 9 of 70
    PemaPema Posts: 49member
    Cook's normal demeanour is either holding his hands prayer-like when things are looking rosy for Apple or just smiling warmly. This is Cook's equivalence of holding his nose without doing it. 
    lordjohnwhorfinOnPartyBusinessBart Y
  • Reply 10 of 70
    XedXed Posts: 2,677member
    hexclock said:
    Xed said:
    foregoneconclusion said:
    The 2017 tax cuts that CEOs used for stock buybacks are due to expire. These are the same tax cuts that the Fed predicted would increase inflation. Go figure…
    Just wait until you see Trump's plan to cut income tax and increase tariffs which will hurt nearly all Americans while benefiting the most wealthy to a huge degree.
    Cancelling all those student loans and passing it to the tax payers, for people who already have great jobs helps the wealthy also. 
    LOL  That's a ridiculous false equivalency.
    lordjohnwhorfinSpitbathAlex_VdavdewmewilliamlondonronnbaconstangBart Ybeowulfschmidt
  • Reply 11 of 70
    lordjohnwhorfinlordjohnwhorfin Posts: 859member
    Cesar Battistini Maziero said:
    Trump winning its a given at this point.

    The world needs it.
    The world needs a felon with 34 criminal convictions who is incapable of stringing two sentences together in charge of the US? I don't think so.
    shrave10ilarynxAlex_Vmuthuk_vanalingamdavOnPartyBusinessmikethemartianjibwilliamlondonronn
  • Reply 12 of 70
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,371member
    They must have worked very hard to find the one picture where Tim doesn't look good and Mango Mussolini looks almost human.
    They've cut off the place card but isn't this the Tim Apple photo?
    Doesn't seem like they had to work hard at all.

    Trump winning its a given at this point.

    The world needs it.
    The world needs a felon with 34 criminal convictions who is incapable of stringing two sentences together in charge of the US? I don't think so.
    Hopefully, the Judge can string 34 sentences together. That would help the world.



    edited June 14 ilarynxAlex_VjibwilliamlondonronnbaconstangBart Y9secondkox2
  • Reply 13 of 70
    XedXed Posts: 2,677member
    Trump winning its a given at this point.

    The world needs it.
    The world needs a felon with 34 criminal convictions who is incapable of stringing two sentences together in charge of the US? I don't think so.
    Not that Biden is dong any better with speaking these days, but at the end of the day I'm going to vote for the person who actually believes in a democracy, not a fascist and wannabe dictator.
    edited June 14 shrave10ilarynxAlex_Vmuthuk_vanalingamdavdewmeOnPartyBusinessjibwilliamlondonbaconstang
  • Reply 14 of 70
    shrave10shrave10 Posts: 52member
    They must have worked very hard to find the one picture where Tim doesn't look good and Mango Mussolini looks almost human.
    Reminds me of Beaker from Muppets

    Beaker Muppet Wiki Fandom


    williamlondon
  • Reply 15 of 70
    shrave10shrave10 Posts: 52member
    hexclock said:
    The 2017 tax cuts that CEOs used for stock buybacks are due to expire. These are the same tax cuts that the Fed predicted would increase inflation. Go figure…
    Reducing the corporate tax rate to compete with other countries allowed  US companies to repatriate billions of dollars back to the United States. 
    According to the CBO those tax cuts increased federal tax revenue because the economy grew. Inflation came from all the crazy spending congress has done over the last few years, starting during the pandemic. 
    There will always be spending need but this doesn't account for jump in inflation.  Recent jump may be proving stubborn because of money printing during pandemic coupled with increasing trade deficit with a certain manufacturing monopolist country > increased money printing each year to help cover deficit.  Trump thinks he can deal with the problem by raising tariffs and letting the average consumer pick up the tab.  Biden thinks the better way is to raise taxes on the very wealthy and corporations and use these revenues to fund U.S. jobs.  Biden's approach hurts the average consumer less and makes more sense.  Plus, Biden is encouraging friend-shoring of manufacturing out of China while Trump has come out against friend-shoring for some weird reason he is not disclosing.  All the while he maintains his personal bank account in Hong Kong.  Biden has no personal bank account in HK. 
    williamlondonronnbaconstang9secondkox2
  • Reply 16 of 70
    Fred257Fred257 Posts: 244member
    Trump is going to lose in an absolute landslide. Both candidates are senile. Is this the best as a country we can do? Sad…
    XedmacxpressAlex_VdavdewmewilliamlondonbaconstangBart Ykillroy9secondkox2
  • Reply 17 of 70
    doggonedoggone Posts: 386member
    Mango Mussolini - that's a good one. Hope it's okay to use that in the future.

    Sadly I suspect he will win the election in Nov.  Correction he will win the electoral college but will lose the actual vote tally.

    On taxes - Trump's policies will reduce the tax burden for the wealthy whilst the poor sods that voted him in will get shafted.  

    On the meandering comment, I wonder if the media or Democrats can may some hay with that.  It is possible to convince the electorate that Trump is simply self obsessed and has no real idea how to make the US great again.
    OnPartyBusinesswilliamlondon9secondkox2
  • Reply 18 of 70
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,849member
    Fred257 said:
    Trump is going to lose in an absolute landslide. Both candidates are senile. Is this the best as a country we can do? Sad…
    One can only hope that he loses in a landslide...the country is very very divided right now. If there's one thing Trump is really good at it's dividing people and being an excellent bullshitter. He's created a societal civil war in our country and it's sad. Everything is us versus them and you're either with me or against me. The country will not be well at all if he wins the election and is in office for another 4yrs. He doesn't know WTH he's doing. He doesn't know how to deal with actual issues. This is why he completely flopped the pandemic. Even people that worked with him says he's really stupid and just doesn't have a clue. I will gladly take 4 more years of President Biden. After Biden I think we'll have some pretty decent candidates. 
    edited June 14 ilarynxAlex_VdavOnPartyBusinesswilliamlondonbaconstangBart Ybeowulfschmidt9secondkox2
  • Reply 19 of 70
    ilarynxilarynx Posts: 104member
    Mike Wuerthele said:
    Cesar Battistini Maziero said:
    Trump winning its a given at this point.

    The world needs it.
    It's close, I agree, but your statement about it being "a given" is demonstrably false.
    Even when Trump loses, he claims victory. So, Trump claiming a win is "a given."
    Alex_VdavwilliamlondonronnbaconstangBart Y9secondkox2macxpress
  • Reply 20 of 70
    KierkegaardenKierkegaarden Posts: 234member
    I don’t know how accurate this assessment is.  First off, Sorkin is no fan of Trump.  And what was the political affiliation of the CEOs that supposedly were “less predisposed” (whatever that means) after the meeting?
    40domiwilliamlondon
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