Pat Trudeau
Marco ArmentSo what are everyone’s excuses for Tim Cook’s behavior this time?
Wake up. He’s an overt Trump supporter, and has been the entire time.
Warner Crocker@marcoarment IF he's not, he's certainly doing a fine imitation of one.
Adam Overholtzer@marcoarment And yet Trump is only his second-favorite dictator.
TheEJJ 🇨🇦@marcoarment no no no, he’s forced to do it you see. For the greater good of *checks notes* stock prices.
I don’t know entirely how I’m going to disentangle from the ecosystem, but this is a tipping point for me. I at least won’t be buying any new Apple hardware as long as Cook is CEO.
Francisco Tolmasky@marcoarment This is so much funnier when you remember how guarded Tim Cook is about displaying *any preference*. We don’t even know what his favorite Watch band is, but I guess we now know who his favorite president is. Careful what you wish for I guess. Monkey’s paw and all that.
SwampYankee@marcoarment He just wants iPhones to be exempt from tariffs. He would suffer many humiliations to make that happen.
Kornel@SwampYankee @marcoarment So USA is at the stage where openly bribing the head of the ruling party is a wise and necessary business decision.
USA oligarchs used to do it more subtly via fundraising dinners and PACs.
It's also insulting how cheap the politicians have gotten. Gold-plated trinket?!
@kornel yup, this is where we are and I am not certain we will recover. People always think it can't happen here, it can't happen now, but never in modern history never has a wealth gap so large existed. And never has a large wealth gap existed for long. History has show that these sorts of things always correct. The bodies that are making peaceful change impossible will make violent change inevitable.
@kornel @marcoarment Once we stop fighting the culture wars and start fighting class wars there are going to be a lot of surprised people up against the wall. It didn't happen in 1905 but simmered until 1917....but it happened
FreediverX@marcoarment
I really hate parsing this sort of shit, but would you categorize him on the same level as, say, Musk, Thiel, Bezos, or Zuckerberg?
I don't see him as a fascist ideologue, but more of a shameless capitalist who is willing to disgrace himself if he thinks it will help the business.
This is not meant as a defense or justification. I have zero respect for anyone who prioritizes wealth over human dignity.
Kuba Suder • @mackuba.eu on 🦋@freediverx @marcoarment yeah, I wouldn't say he "supports" him as in prefers this side, it's just "business is business" 💰
Chris
toastedmilk
Edwin G. 
@marcoarment Luckily I don’t need to replace devices anytime soon.
For sure, my next device… probably not Apple.
Kevin Patrick Doyle 🍅🥫@marcoarment he thinks he is saving the company. It’s misguided, but that’s what it is
CharlieG@marcoarment I dunno if that’s true. It would be incongruous given his clearly genuine commitment to accessibility and environmental benefits. This episode is fucking embarrassing though.
AdamHe's lead a company which is now synonmous with planned obsolescence for over a decade, not exactly consistent with genuine commitment to environmental benefits. And now he's bringing us #LiquidGlass which throws both accessibility and the environment under the bus
Sachin@marcoarment Why single him out, the fact is that majority of Americans are quiet/closeted supporters
@ssachin @marcoarment most Americans can’t be bothered, only ~25% of the voting age population voted for him
@Kevin @marcoarment If you want your voice to be heard in a democracy people should vote (or be mandated to like in Australia where participation rates in our last election was >90%). Ignoring/Being quiet won't being any meaningful change and everyone will have to learn to live with that regret! This is no pass on anyone here, but I had the same discussion with my American colleagues back in 2016 who choose not to vote then, and in 2024!
@ssachin @marcoarment
Nope, maybe 30% at most. And that’s only “likely voters”, not people.
And judging from what I’ve seen in some of those red state town halls, some of those same people have done a 180 and are saying things we on the left have been sayjng the whole time about class warfare.
Republican Gets His Cheeks Clapped at BRUTAL Town Hall Over and Over Again
Ryan@marcoarment ugh what'd I miss this time
@marcoarment exactly marco. He’s been CEO longer than Steve was, he could invoke succession today and leave this situation to someone else. He’s staying because he wants this.
Andrew LeaheyThe excuses are far worse than reality, in my opinion. If he's cozying up to like ... ensure supply chains, or something, that is infinitely more execrable than his actions reflecting his actual politics.
Drab@marcoarment god, it’s getting so embarrassing to be an Apple user.
Diego Barros@marcoarment It’s embarrassing is what it is. I’m wearing a top with the Apple logo on it as I type. May as well start wearing a MAGA cap. Make Apple Great Again.
Jeff C. 🇺🇦🇬🇱@marcoarment His spine is made of #LiquidGlass?
Chad Marriotti@marcoarment this is how you have to run a business in an authoritarian regime. Nothing more, nothing less.
George Liquor, American@Cmarriotti @marcoarment You could make a principled stand and bow out, leave it to some other asshole to do the dirty.
But no capitalist even sees that as an option.
TinDrum@liquor_american @Cmarriotti @marcoarment publicly traded company, he'd get sacked if th board felt strongly about it and given trump's ability and inclinations to spite and punitive gestures he can massively interfere with their ability to do business
@marcoarment If only we lived in the idealist world. I think it’s ok to not approve of his behavior, but to assume you know Tim Cook’s mind and what he thinks of President Trump…that’s a reach. What he has been “the entire time” is a pragmatic, numbers-driven CEO who will make moves that protect the company, no matter who the President is. People can be mad at that, for sure — but let’s not conflate the issue.
your auntifa liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦@marcoarment ohgawd what did he do now?
Daniel@marcoarment Apple fanboys and most Apple platform developers will simply look the other way, as usual.
Dame_@danielinoa @marcoarment just like you and others. Or would you like to go down a list of every company you interact with and conduct a purity test and see if you still utilise their products and or services
@Dame_ @marcoarment Fair to list other companies, except Apple is particularly egregious at virtue signaling.
@danielinoa @marcoarment show me others that don’t. I can show plenty that are just as egregious, be it cultural awareness, LBGTQ+ idk anyone more particularly egregious that they’re so flamboyantly different than the rest
Jonathan HendryBUT THE SHAREHOLDER VALUE MARCO
hardie@marcoarment It’s subtle mockery. “Guys, make me the cheesiest gold trophy we can get away with.” And put a listening device in it.
@marcoarment what happened now?
Justin Saucier@marcoarment I’m from the same county in Alabama as Cook. Went to the same college too… I’m not remotely surprised he’s a Trumper. And it’s so depressing.
Jon_Alper@marcoarment He’s pandering to get the company tariff and regulatory favor. He CLEARLY knows Trump’s a nutter. That gift is soaked in empty sycophancy Trump will fall for hook, line and sinker. A lot of people would suffer if Cook didn’t play the game. Including us even if we can afford a 50% markup from tariffs, most people can’t. Pension funds can’t afford AAPL tanking because Tim makes a show of rebellion.
maclean@marcoarment The internet is an amazing place. I’m instantly surrounded by the bravest CEOs of multi trillion dollar companies. People who know no fear as their company and employees are targeted by arguably the most powerful autocrat in the world.
I’d like to think I’d’ve made a different call in this scenario. But limber up before making the reach that he is a full on Trump supporter.
🕊️ I try not to tell anyone how to feel. Anger is a right. And I suppose we should all be more angry.
Isaac Freeman@moarjava @marcoarment He's supported Trump with a million dollar donation. He is a Trump supporter.
Whether he feels good about that in his heart, or whether there are circumstances beyond his control, none of us can know. But we do know that he is a Trump supporter.
Stephan@marcoarment
„What would Steve Jobs have done?“ is usually a stupid argument. Not this time. Steve would never have debased himself like this.
„What would Steve Jobs have done?“ is usually a stupid argument. Not this time. Steve would never have debased himself like this.
Michael Goc@marcoarment I'm old enough to remember communism in my country (Poland). This gives me vibes of how adults would act in public to avoid trouble. You have to face it, the US is now run by an autocrat who's old and senile and faces no consequences for his actions.
If your company was big enough to get his attention and he said he would ruin you on a whim, what would you do? And I do mean ruin. If Trump keeps crazy tarrifs on China AND India, iPhones are going to cost 50% more in the US.
If your company was big enough to get his attention and he said he would ruin you on a whim, what would you do? And I do mean ruin. If Trump keeps crazy tarrifs on China AND India, iPhones are going to cost 50% more in the US.
Rainer M Krug@marcoarment seriously - this is bad. Unbelievable bad. But what ere the alternatives? Tom resigns - the new CEO is doomed - he can only do bad in regards to shareholders and employees. Tim is going into neutral or opodition to Donald? Well - bad for Apples shareholders, likely employees, but they will have the moral high ground. Would be great, but who seriously would care if everything else gets worse?
Don’t get me wrong - This is bribery and not acceptable. Tim has to go. But in the interests of the CEO following him, I guess he will leave together with Donald.
Mustapha Hamoui@marcoarment you’re like one of those naive people who believe ads. Cool was a Biden “supporter”. Now he’s a Trump “supporter”. It’s just business.
Torstein@marcoarment it's not just Cook, it's Apple. I mean the gift has a giant Apple logo on it.
Abazigal@marcoarment It’s either that or the company gets slapped with a ton of tariffs. What’s your solution to tackling that issue? Expect everybody to pay more for iPhones because their CEO found it beneath him to present a plaque to Trump?
Illegal tariffs. Lawsuits are a thing.
Elliott@marcoarment This is the new normal for, get used to it. It isn't just Apple it's any company that wants to survive.
dtrain@marcoarment I think he doesn’t support anything other than his bottom line
Find That Pod@marcoarment it's pretty bad isn't it? An unfortunate and pathetic display from the head of a company that is supposed to stand for practically everything Trump despises.
But alas, in America, 💰 is the religion that sits above everything else.
Vinnie123@marcoarment c’mon. This gratuitous little gift and the investment announcement got them exempted from tariffs that would have cost the company a lot more. 🤷🏻♂️
jkdelauney@marcoarment there is no excuse. When a Trump supporter can’t tell the difference between an action supporting Trump and an action protecting a company from Trump then there is no difference.
When a billionaire protects the interests of billionaires by sucking up to a fascist then they’ve done what they’ve done.
Marc Robinson 
iamchrismays@marcoarment The number of people replying to you defending bribes as the cost of doing business actually shocks me.
Moritz Dietz@marcoarment I *can't* wait for rhe upcoming ATP episode. 🍿
Drew Pickard@marcoarment better to join the navy than to be a pirate
Calamity Jan 🐍@marcoarment I don’t think he is, but I think it’s worse: he simply doesn’t care. He’ll lick the boots of whoever he needs to. He has no moral compass, he’ll support dictators from the left and right in equal measure. He believes in nothing, just making money.
Jon Mullins@marcoarment 100% agree with your take on this. I get what @siracusa is saying but I think what Cook is doing now is way worse than if he campaigned for Trump during elections. In campaign season it would have been Tim Cook, Apple CEO but with this it’s Apple CEO Time Cook. If that makes sense.