President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Apple chief Tim Cook once phoned him to 'kiss my a**,' posting a lengthy tribute on Truth Social a day after Cook announced he would step down as chief executive of the world's most valuable company.
Trump said Cook contacted him early in his first term with 'a fairly large problem' that only he could fix. He did not specify the issue.
'When I got the call, I said, wow, it's Tim Apple (Cook!) calling, how big is that? I was very impressed with myself to have the head of Apple calling to 'kiss my ass,' Trump wrote onTruth Social.
The post revived the 'Tim Apple' moniker Trump accidentally used at a 2019 White House meeting with Cook, a gaffe that became one of the more memorable moments of his first term.
Trump went on to describe a working relationship built over years with the Apple exec. 'During my five years as President, Tim would call me, but never too much, and I would help him where I could,' he wrote. He claimed to have assisted Cook with '3 or 4 BIG HELPS' and called the departing CEO 'an amazing manager and leader' with 'an AMAZING career, almost incomparable.'
Trump also compared Cook favourably to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, saying the company 'would have done well' under Jobs but 'nowhere near as well as it has under Tim.'
Cook's relationship with Trump has been one of the more closely watched dynamics in corporate America. Cook attended Trump's second inauguration in January 2025 and Apple donated $1 million (£755,000) to the inaugural committee. When Trump rolled out sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports in April 2025, Cook spoke directly to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the impact on iPhone prices,CNBCreported. Apple subsequently secured exemptions covering iPhones and other key products from the steepest levies.
In August 2025, Cook stood beside Trump in the Oval Office to announce an additional $100 billion (£75.5 billion) in US investment, bringing Apple's total domestic spending commitment to $600 billion (£453 billion) over four years. Trump used the same event to threaten 100 per cent tariffs on imported semiconductors while offering exemptions to companies building in the United States.
As executive chairman, Cook will continue engaging with policymakers worldwide. Apple said the transition followed a 'thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.' It came just weeks after Cook had publicly downplayed retirement rumours, telling ABC he had not said he was leaving and that he 'loved every day' of his 28 years at the company.
Trump's Tuesday post ended with a blanket endorsement. 'Quite simply, Tim Cook is an incredible guy!!!' he wrote.
Source: International Business Times UK
