NYT: "Tim Cook Refuses to Join Middle East Tour"
"Trump Responds with Critical Messages"
"Apple Now One of the White House's Top Targets"
Reports have emerged that the relationship between Apple CEO Tim Cook and US President Donald Trump has deteriorated after Cook declined to accompany Trump on his Middle East tour. According to Yonhap News on the 26th (local time), citing the New York Times (NYT), "Cook was one of the most favored CEOs by President Trump over the past eight years, but now he has become one of the White House's top targets."
According to the NYT, ahead of President Trump's visit to three Middle Eastern countries from the 13th to the 16th, the White House encouraged several American corporate CEOs to join the trip, but Apple reportedly declined. As a result, President Trump was said to be angered, and suspicions have been raised that he issued several critical messages about Apple and CEO Cook during the Middle East trip. In fact, at an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Trump praised Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, remarking, "Tim Cook is not here, but you are," and in Qatar, he stated, "There was a bit of an issue with Tim Cook."
On the 23rd, President Trump posted on his social networking service (SNS) Truth Social, "I told CEO Cook a long time ago that I want iPhones sold in the United States to be manufactured in America, not in India or any other country," adding, "Otherwise, Apple will have to pay at least a 25% tariff." Since taking office in January, President Trump has imposed tariffs on China, where about 90% of iPhones are assembled, pressuring Apple to move its factories to the United States. In response, Apple announced plans to invest over $500 billion (about 714 trillion won) in the US over the next four years, but President Trump's pressure for a 'Made in America' iPhone has not ceased.
The NYT commented, "Cook was one of the most favored business leaders by President Trump over the past eight years, but now he is a top target for the White House," adding, "As Apple has faced several difficulties this year, CEO Cook's external influence appears to have weakened." However, neither Apple nor the White House has commented on the refusal to accompany President Trump on his trip.
In addition to tariff pressure from the Trump administration, Apple also lost a lawsuit last month regarding App Store payment fees. Furthermore, legendary designer Jony Ive, who left the company in 2019 due to a rift with CEO Cook, recently joined OpenAI and has begun developing artificial intelligence (AI) devices in earnest, posing a threat to Apple. In March, Apple also announced a delay in launching some of the core functions of its AI-powered voice assistant Siri, raising concerns in the market.
Cook has led Apple since 2011. According to Yonhap News, Apple's corporate value has increased by $2.5 trillion (about 3,425 trillion won) over the past 14 years, but this year, its stock price has fallen by nearly 20%, marking its worst year yet.
However, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 23rd, "CEO Cook frequently called and held meetings with the White House last week," analyzing that "he appears to have made a new proposal for peace negotiations with President Trump."
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