Relations between Apple and the US government have never been simple. Each presidential term brings its share of challenges for the Apple firm, which must juggle regulation, customs tariffs and protection of its interests. You may remember tensions with the Trump administration during his first term, particularly around taxes on products made in China.
Faced with the return of Donald Trump to the White House, Tim Cook does not intend to sit idly by. The CEO of Apple has already taken steps to establish good relations with the future president. A dinner reportedly took place last month at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beacheven if no details have filtered out about their conversation.
@ Reuters
A well-established personal strategy
Tim Cook decided to invest a million dollars of his personal fortune in Donald Trump’s January 20 inauguration ceremony. This symbolic gesture shows the Apple CEO’s desire to preserve a cordial relationship with the president-elect. Apple as a company does not directly participate in financing the event, leaving its manager to manage this diplomatic approach on his own behalf.
The Alabama native sees this inauguration as a great American tradition that deserves to be supported. This approach is part of a spirit of unity, beyond the political divisions that divide the United States. Tim Cook is not an isolated case in Silicon Valley.
Massive support from tech
While Trump tries to save TikTok which is threatened with banning by Uncle Sam, other tech giants also pitched in for the inauguration. Meta, Amazon, and Uber are among the companies that have made similar contributions. These companies are all seeking to ensure attentive listening to the future administration.
GAFAM have learned the lessons of Trump’s first term, marked by tensions and threats of regulation. Companies now prefer to take a different proactive approach in order to have political powers on their side.
Tim Cook was also able to maintain an open dialogue with Trump between 2016 and 2020, allowing Apple to avoid certain trade sanctions that could have impacted its activities. The Apple CEO also went to complain to Donald Trump last October about the sanctions that Cupertino received from European commissioners, and the future American president revealed the content of the discussion.
By : Keleops AG
