Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'I'm Not a Political Person'

[dwsolberg]

His goal is making Apple successful, and he works in any political environment to make that happen. My guess is that Cook didn't vote for Trump, and contributes to causes that Trump is against.

Many people chose to get angry; he chooses success. It's hard to argue with results.

 

[citysnaps]

Calling Tim Cook a sellout for engaging with the current administration is a misunderstanding of what a CEO’s job actually is. When you’re running a trillion-dollar company like Apple, maintaining relationships with government regardless of party isn’t optional, it’s part of the role. You don’t have to like how an administration operates, and you don’t have to agree with its policies but at that scale, you still have to work with whoever is in power. That’s just basic business. Policy, regulation, trade, manufacturing, and privacy all directly impact Apple. Any competent CEO is going to engage with leadership to protect the company, its employees, and its customers.

Spot-on assessment. But many here will disagree apparently being OK with paying for the large tariffs that would need to be passed down to the consumer.

Cook can't win, even though he took a personal $$$$$$$ hit in order to keep Apple products from being subject to tariffs that would have been ultimately paid by people purchasing Apple products.

 

[ridgero]

"I’m not a political person" says the CEO of the world’s most valuable company, while appearing alongside politicians.
That’s like a fish saying water doesn’t really affect it.

 

[swingerofbirch]

I would say their values are progressive only with social and environmental matters, rather than particularly. A company that tries to stamp out unions and where most of the people who labor for it are not employees but are contracted laborers in countries chosen on the basis of low wages is not truly progressive.

 

[Slash787]

So in my imaginary world where I am the owner of Apple, If I don't like certain political people and don't agree with them, can they create problems for a big company like Apple?

 

[cjsuk]

Gargle gargle ... "I'm not political!" ... gargle gargle.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Tim may not be political, but he is all about Presidents. Especially dead ones like Washington, Lincoln, Grant, and Jackson.

Don't forget Cleveland 😉

 

[Mr_Ed]

Not a fan of Cooks’s leadership in terms of what I perceive as diminished quality of product, but I don’t see anything wrong with how he has handled interactions with the present administration. Just good business, for the benefit of shareholders, as I see it.

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

Of course he says that since he is the CEO of a company. Virtue signalers worldwide don't understand it since most don't run businesses. It is bad business to put down or alienate half your potential customers no matter how you feel.

 

[iMac The Knife]

I just learned what’s glazing was from my 13 year old the other day. Thanks for brining Gen Alpha language to the board!

You need to get your glaze on, my friend! 😂

 

[applicious84]

I guess if people worked with Hitler or Netanyahu, they could say the same 🤷‍♂️

 

[Jeremy3292]

Do people not understand that even if you hate Trump he is still the president of the United States and wields immense power? All businesses and CEO's snuggle up to every president to get stuff done that they need done. Just part of how the world works.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

He's playing the game. That's all this is.

He can't say he's not political and then personally donate $1mil to the Trump inauguration fund.

Do I think he supports Trump on a personal level? I don't know, so maybe he's right there in that he doesn't get into politics. But he most definitely plays the game and does it well as CEO of a company. He's careful to not make waves against whoever is in office.

While I dislike who he is being careful with right now, I can understand his role as the CEO is to make business as profitable and as easy to accomplish as he can - which he does.

I don't hate the player, I hate the game.

While I'd personally love it if he told the current leadership to shove it - Apple's role is that of a company, not as that of an activist group.

This is 100% correct.

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

Tim may not be political, but he is all about Presidents. Especially dead ones like Washington, Lincoln, Grant, and Jackson.

No way, a CEO of a publicly traded company cares about money and profits???? SHOCKING

 

[SRQrws]

So attending the "Melania" debut was about policy?

 

[cardfan]

He's just doing his job and looking out for Apple no matter who's in office. On a personal level (if he can be because he's still the face of Apple), he's self serving but so are many of us. I'll do what serves my family and myself best regardless of politics involved.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Here we are less than 30 minutes in and already Godwin's Law was fulfilled.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

"I'm not a political person on either side," he added. "I'm not political. And so I'm kind of straight down the middle and I focus on policy. And so, I'm very pleased that the President and the administration is accessible to talk about policy."

Nobody likes a fence sitter, Tim.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

And every issue is political, such as LGBTQ issues.

The fact that people live their life this way is just depressing. If everything is political you have to always look at the other side as an enemy to be defeated. Regular society just cannot function under those rules of engagement. We can't all be opponents just because we have differing opinions on how much the government should collect in taxes or what it spends that money on day to day.

 

[Jeremy3292]

Calling Tim Cook a sellout for engaging with the current administration is a misunderstanding of what a CEO’s job actually is. When you’re running a trillion-dollar company like Apple, maintaining relationships with government regardless of party isn’t optional, it’s part of the role. You don’t have to like how an administration operates, and you don’t have to agree with its policies but at that scale, you still have to work with whoever is in power. That’s just basic business. Policy, regulation, trade, manufacturing, and privacy all directly impact Apple. Any competent CEO is going to engage with leadership to protect the company, its employees, and its customers.

Best comment on here yet. Lot of people grandstanding and clearly have no idea how running a bazillion dollar company works.

 

[anthonymoody]

With the exception of actual clergy who preach in a tax-exempt church, if you live in a place then you're a political person no matter what your job is, full stop.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Nobody likes a fence sitter, Tim.

As a CEO of a publicly-traded company? You want a CEO to take any side or one that you agree with? What if you are a "fence sitter" too? Would you want the CEO to join you there?

By the way, while some people are apathetic "fence sitters", others are moderates by choice. They are the ones watching for and guarding against the extremes.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The fact that people live their life this way is just depressing. If everything is political you have to always look at the other side as an enemy to be defeated.

This is a comment we can perhaps make here from our privileged positions of not being impacted by any/all of the negative things happenings in the last year.

I very much include myself in that as a normal, white, upper middle class and middle aged heterosexual American.

 

[citysnaps]

Best comment on here yet. Lot of people grandstanding and clearly have no idea how running a bazillion dollar company works.

It just another day of Cook hate being exposed here every day of the week for the last 20 years. Apparently they'd be OK personally paying for the large tariffs being passed down when purchasing Apple products.

 

[iObama]

God damn, I ****ing hate this dude.