- President Trump praised Apple CEO Tim Cook in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek published on Tuesday.
- Trump said Cook reached out to him directly in 2019 to discuss tariffs on Chinese imports.
- President Trump has previously said Cook would call him directly, unlike other CEOs.
Former President Donald Trump had some nice things to say about Apple CEO Tim Cook in a recent interview with Bloomberg Businessweek.
The interview, published Tuesday, took place at Mar-a-Lago in late June, before a disastrous debate defeat for his opponent, President Joe Biden, and before Trump survived an assassination attempt.
During the interview, Trump recalled his exchange with Cook in 2019, when he announced he would impose 25% tariffs on Chinese imports.
After Bloomberg reported that Apple had sought exemptions for Chinese-made parts used in its Mac Pro computers, President Trump publicly rejected the idea.
“Apple cannot get a tariff exemption or relief on Mac Pro parts made in China,” President Trump said in a post on Twitter (now X). “Make it in the USA and get no tariffs!”
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Trump said Cook had reached out to him asking to meet in person, so he declined. Trump said he was “impressed” and asked him to come meet him.
“He told me: ‘I need help, the tariffs are 25% and 50%. [on Apple products imported from China]”He said, 'That would be a huge blow to our business. It would potentially destroy our business,'” Trump recalled, according to Bloomberg.
Trump said he was fighting back against Cook by forcing Apple to manufacture in the United States.
“I said, 'I'm going to do something for you,'” Trump said. “But you've got to do something in this country.”
Representatives for Trump and Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.
A few months later, Apple announced it would begin construction on a campus in Austin, but Bloomberg noted that plans for the campus had been announced a year earlier, making it unlikely that Trump was responsible for its construction.
Cook then presented Trump with a Mac Pro worth $6,000.
Though the two maintained a good working relationship during Trump's presidency, it wasn't all love between the two billionaires. Cook appeared to distance himself after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, calling it “sad and shameful” and saying he believes those responsible should be held accountable.
Still, Trump has previously described Cook as a great manager because “he calls me when he has a problem and no one else does.”
“Other companies hire expensive consultants,” Trump said in 2019, CNBC reported. “Tim Cook is calling Donald Trump directly.”
