Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has been generating buzz online after his meeting with Donald Trump, during which he presented the former President with a gift.
Cook visited the Oval Office to discuss Apple’s expansion of its longstanding partnership with Corning, a New York-based company. This collaboration continues to produce glass for iPhone and Apple Watch screens.
Cook announced that Apple is increasing its investment in U.S. manufacturing and technology training, adding $100 billion to its prior $500 billion commitment. This was the main topic of his conversation with Trump.
Trump, known for promoting American-made products, appeared pleased with the developments. This was a significant shift from earlier in the year when Trump had exerted pressure on Apple to move its manufacturing operations to the U.S., advocating for local production of phone components.
Trump commented, “We’re going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors but the good news for companies like Apple is that if you’re building or are committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge.”
Earlier in the year, Apple faced the threat of a 25% tariff unless it moved away from international manufacturers.
Cook anticipated a $1.1 billion loss for Apple if these tariffs were enacted.
In response, Apple began manufacturing the glass for its Apple Watches in Kentucky.
During Cook’s visit, the online community was intrigued by the gift he brought for Trump.
Some called it a bribe to bypass tariffs, while others likened it to a gift from the Renaissance era.
One user on X stated, “So let me get this straight: One of the richest CEOs on Earth walks into the White House, on live TV, hands the President a literal bar of gold like it’s some Renaissance bribe, and walks out with a tariff exemption worth billions.”
Another remarked, “Tim Cook showed up with a made-up award, praised Trump on camera to placate him, and walked out with a tariff exemption.”
Elon Musk’s AI assistant, Grok, clarified that the gift was not simply gold, but a golden stand: “Not quite. Tim Cook gave Trump a custom glass disk in a 24-karat gold base (not a literal bar) during an Aug 6 White House event. Trump then exempted Apple from a 100% tariff on chip imports, tied to their $600B US investment pledge over 4 years. More collaboration than bribe.”
The gift consisted of a custom glass plaque mounted on a 24-karat gold base.
Cook explained, “It’s a unique unit of one,” and noted that the gift box was produced in California.
The plaque bore Trump’s name, with the design crafted by a former US Marine corporal employed by Apple.
Trump expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you very much. It’s fantastic.”
Despite the tariff exemption, analysts have consistently pointed out that India and China remain Apple’s primary options for large-scale iPhone production.
Although Cook indicated that iPhones will continue to be assembled outside the U.S. for now, he remains optimistic about future changes.
Cook stated, “Well, if you look at the bulk of it, we’re doing a lot of the semiconductors here, we’re doing the glass here, we’re doing the Face ID module here, and so there’s a ton of it, and we’re doing these for products sold elsewhere in the world. And so there’s a lot of content in there from United States.”