Politics
Leading Tech CEO Meets With Trump At Mar-A-Lago
Apple CEO Tim Cook became the latest business leader to meet with President-elect Trump at his Mar-A-Lago estate in south Florida, according to a report from the New York Times.
Trump and Cook were scheduled to have dinner this past Friday on the patio of Trump’s sprawling Palm Beach estate, where he has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and top CEO’s since winning re-election last month. Cook met with Trump on a number of occasions during his first term in the White House, though he also criticized Trump for questioning the results of the 2020 election.
(POLL: Should Pelosi Be Banned From Trading Stocks?)
According to the report, Trump has been open to listening about Cook’s concerns about European regulation. In October, Trump and Cook discussed a $2 billion fine levied against Apple due to what European regulators classified as unfair practices. EU officials accused the technology company of unfairly thwarting its competitors in the music streaming industry, most notably the Sweden-based platform Spotify. Regulators also took issue with what they viewed as Apple’s major power disparity in controlling the App Store.
“I’m not going to let them take advantage of our companies,” Trump told Cook in reference to the pending litigation. “That won’t be happening.”
The Apple CEO also maintains a close relationship with the president-elect’s daughter, Ivanka, as well as her husband, Jared Kushner. The couple is not expected to play a role in Trump’s second term after being heavily involved in his first administration.
Last night at Mar-a-Lago: Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/GaM6g6xxCd
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 14, 2024
Cook is the latest CEO of a major technology to make his way to Mar-A-Lago after Trump’s historic re-election victory. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg — who donated tens-of-millions of dollars towards voter turnout operations that greatly benefited Democrats in 2020 — met with Trump in November. The meeting signals a potential political shift for Zuckerberg, who recently expressed frustration with advisors who pushed him to get involved in Democratic Party politics.
The Facebook founder has reportedly hired Republican strategist Brian Baker in an effort to improve his image with the right and guide him on his shifting political opinions. The report, citing sources close to Zuckerberg, noted that he has also spoken out against left-wing dogma and more closely aligns with “libertarianism” and “classical liberalism.”
The president-elect is also scheduled to meet with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos next week.
(FREE REPORT: Take Advantage Of Trump’s New “IRS Loophole” ASAP)