Trump Praises Tim Cook, Describes Private Meeting When He Was President

rear Bloomberg Apple has reportedly sought exemptions for Chinese-made parts used in its Mac Pro computers, but President Trump has publicly rejected the idea.

“Apple will not receive tariff exemptions or relief on Mac Pro parts made in China,” Trump said. twitterthen X posts. “If you make it in America, there are no tariffs!”

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Trump said: Retreat Cook reportedly contacted Trump directly, asking to meet him, and Trump said he was “impressed” and asked him to come over.

“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 people hire very expensive consultants,” Trump said in 2019. CNBC “Tim Cook called Donald Trump directly,” the report said.