The president does this kind of photo op all the time as a way of promoting US manufacturing jobs (recent trips include a Louis Vuitton workshop near Dallas and a paper mill south of Toledo, Ohio), and Apple seems to be eagerly playing along. Without a content empire to moderate or an ad network to maintain, Apple has largely stayed out of the contemporary political maelstrom, which has done so much damage to Google and Facebook. The company entered 2017 with more than $230 billion in offshore holdings, waiting for a Republican president to lower corporate taxes so it could be brought into the US at a substantially lower rate. When Cook speaks in the name of the company, he does a disservice to those who are forced to become a party to political and social causes with which they disagree. They must have discussed golf or the weather, but definitely not “politics.”. He added that the company only weighs in where it has a “legitimate position or lens on the issue,” like climate change, education, immigration, and transgender restroom policies. Beyond public meetings, the two men appear to be in regular contact. These are the kinds of compromises powerful people make all the time. Apple CEO Tim Cook will be spending the afternoon of November 20th making conversation with President Donald Trump. “We do them out of believing deeply that they’re right and we do have a unique lens. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. How about lobbying? Faced with the startling challenge of the Trump era, Cook’s response has been to push for tax cuts and tariff exemptions. In the wake of the Muslim ban, Musk was heavily criticized for cozying up to Trump — I called him a crony capitalist — but somehow, Cook never came in for the same criticism. Cook has a self-serving definition of “politics.” It apparently does not include raising money for candidates, lobbying Congress, or plunging the company into some of the most controversial and divisive issues of the day. But not under Tim Cook. Then there’s the electoral system. Apple’s public policy positions perfectly match Cook’s own personal social and political views. Apple CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump will tour the Austin, Texas plant where Apple’s new Mac Pro is being manufactured in a photo op … iPhones are still mostly manufactured in China, which means Apple will suffer immensely if the proposed electronics tariffs are ever actually put into place. The president has reciprocated, mentioning Cook in dozens of public statements in the three years since he was elected. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. In Trump’s speeches, Cook often plays a more aggressive role. Here's Why a County Election Official in PA Admitted Poll Workers Violated State Law, Latest: Trump Team Slaps Arizona SOS with a Lawsuit Over Rejected Ballots, LIVE BLOG: Trump Campaign Files Another Lawsuit, Townhall.com is the leading source for conservative news and political commentary and analysis.