Donald Trump Says Apple CEO Tim Cook Had to 'Kiss My A--' in Odd Truth Social Post 

In his latest Truth Social rant on Tuesday, April 21, President Donald Trump claimed that departing Apple CEO Tim Cook once called him during his first term to "kiss my a--.”

The remark was part of a tribute following Apple's announcement that Cook would step down as CEO in September 2026 to become executive chairman as longtime employee John Ternus succeeds him.

Despite the abrasive phrasing, Trump's overall post was largely celebratory, as he praised Cook as an "incredible guy" who had an "AMAZING career.”

Trump recalled their relationship began when Cook called him to solve a "fairly large problem" that only a president could fix and wrote that he was "very impressed with myself to have the head of Apple calling to 'kiss my a--.”

The 79-year-old POTUS leaned into his own widely mocked history of calling the CEO "Tim Apple," referring to him by that nickname again in the post.

"He had a fairly large problem that only I, as President, could fix,” Trump said in the post. “Most people would have paid millions of dollars to a consultant, who I probably would not have known, but who would say that he knew me well. The fees would be paid but the job would not have gotten done. 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 a--.'”

Cook personally donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee in January 2025 for Trump's second term. Beyond the donation, Cook has maintained a cooperative relationship with Trump, gifting him a customized glass plaque on a 24-karat gold stand following a $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing.

Trump claimed that Apple performed better under Cook’s leadership than it would have if late co-founder Steve Jobs had remained at the helm.

“I have always been a big fan of Tim Cook, and likewise, Steve Jobs, but if Steve was not taken from the Planet Earth so young, and ran the company instead of Tim, the company would have done well, but nowhere near as well as it has under Tim," he said.

He praised Cook for bypassing "expensive consultants" and calling the White House directly to handle issues like tariff exemptions.

Trump noted that while they had a "nice relationship," he didn't always grant Cook's requests because the executive could sometimes be "too aggressive in his ask.”

“Years [sic] latter, after 3 or 4 BIG HELPS, I started to say to people, anyone who would listen, that this guy is an amazing manager and leader. He makes these calls to me, I help him out (but not always, because he will, on occasion, be too aggressive in his ask!), and he gets the job done, QUICKLY, without a dime being given to those very expensive (millions of dollars!) consultants around town who sometimes get it done, and sometimes don’t. Anyway, Tim Cook had an AMAZING career, almost incomparable, and will go on and continue to do great work for Apple, and whatever else he chooses to work on. Quite simply, Tim Cook is an incredible guy,” he concluded.