Apple’s CEO Tim Cook made more than a few jaws drop when he presented a golden gift to President Donald Trump at a White House press event on Aug. 6. It was an engraved piece of Apple glass mounted on a luxurious 24-karat gold base.
During the meeting in the Oval Office, Cook gave Trump a hearty handshake and exclaimed, “Congratulations, Mr. President!” after describing the gift as “a unique unit of one” created by a former Marine Corps corporal who now works at Apple. “He designed it for you,” said Cook.
It’s customary for foreign leaders visiting the White House to come bearing traditional gifts, but not so for U.S. CEOs, who typically don’t engage in performative or diplomatically sensitive gift-giving exchanges.
But Trump’s tariffs kicked in the next day, on Aug. 7, slamming more than 90 countries. Foreign semiconductor and computer chip manufacturers were hit the hardest, facing tariffs of 100 percent. While companies around the world are scrambling to strike deals, Apple took a different strategy that appears to have paid off.
Apple committed to investing in America over the next four years and received tariff exemptions on both chips and smartphones. This is a major win for Apple, as most of its iPhones are manufactured in India (now facing a 50 percent levy) and China (facing 30 percent).
At the press conference, Cook pledged to invest an additional $100 billion in the United States, bringing the total promised to an eye-popping $600 billion. As the Apple CEO assembled the gold gift on Trump’s desk, the comments came pouring in.
“So cringe. This is absolutely unnecessary and Steve Jobs would be ashamed at what you’ve done to his legacy,” wrote one person on CNN’s official Instagram. “Congratulations for what?? Why is he getting an award? Stop kissing the effing ring, @apple,” said another. Calls to switch from Apple to Android were rampant: “Time to boycott Apple,” stated an annoyed viewer. “This makes me dislike the phone I’m typing this on … bad move, Apple.”
The display did not escape the notice of outspoken comedian D.L. Hughley, who wrote “THE GROVELING IS DISGUSTING” on his Instagram account, prompting 7,000 likes and counting.
But some saw it as a savvy move. With the iPhone 17 release just around the corner, likely in September, Apple needed to sidestep the tariff threat. “They’re going to produce in the US the cheapest component they have in their phones and made him a tacky Gift to make him feel special for a minute,” wrote one. “In the end, both earned something out of it.”
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