Apple’s CEO Tim Cook dinner made quite a lot of jaws drop when he introduced a golden present to President Donald Trump at a White Home press occasion on Aug. 6. It was an engraved piece of Apple glass mounted on an expensive pure gold base.
Throughout the assembly within the Oval Workplace, Cook dinner gave Trump a hearty handshake and exclaimed, “Congratulations, Mr. President!” after describing the present as “a singular unit of 1” created by a former Marine Corps corporal who now works at Apple. “He designed it for you,” mentioned Cook dinner.
It’s customary for overseas leaders visiting the White Home to come back bearing conventional presents, however not so for U.S. CEOs, who sometimes don’t have interaction in performative or diplomatically delicate gift-giving exchanges.
However Trump’s tariffs kicked within the subsequent day, on Aug. 7, slamming greater than 90 international locations. Overseas semiconductor and pc chip producers have been hit the toughest, dealing with tariffs of one hundred pc. Whereas corporations all over the world are scrambling to strike offers, Apple took a unique technique that seems to have paid off.
Apple dedicated to investing in America over the subsequent 4 years and acquired tariff exemptions on each chips and smartphones. This can be a main win for Apple, as most of its iPhones are manufactured in India (now dealing with a 50 p.c levy) and China (dealing with 30 p.c).
On the press convention, Cook dinner pledged to speculate a further $100 billion in america, bringing the whole promised to an eye-popping $600 billion. Because the Apple CEO assembled the gold present on Trump’s desk, the feedback got here pouring in.
“So cringe. That is completely pointless and Steve Jobs can be ashamed at what you’ve achieved to his legacy,” wrote one individual on CNN’s official Instagram. “Congratulations for what?? Why is he getting an award? Cease kissing the effing ring, @apple,” mentioned one other. Calls to modify from Apple to Android have been rampant: “Time to boycott Apple,” acknowledged an irritated viewer. “This makes me dislike the cellphone I’m typing this on … dangerous transfer, Apple.”
The show didn’t escape the discover of outspoken comic D.L. Hughley, who wrote “THE GROVELING IS DISGUSTING” on his Instagram account, prompting 7,000 likes and counting.
However some noticed it as a savvy transfer. With the iPhone 17 launch simply across the nook, seemingly in September, Apple wanted to sidestep the tariff menace. “They’re going to supply within the US the most cost effective element they’ve of their telephones and made him a cheesy Present to make him really feel particular for a minute,” wrote one. “Ultimately, each earned one thing out of it.”
