Tim Cook will have a private meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office later today, according to Trump’s official schedule.
While it’s not clear what they will be discussing, the 1:45 p.m. meeting comes a day after Cook was among the guests present at Trump’s first official state dinner.
At the dinner, Cook reportedly sat at the head table with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron. Cook previously interacted with both, having met with Macron at the end of last year during a trip to France.
A complex relationship
Tim Cook sat at the state dinner table tonight with Trump and Macron. And now this on the president’s schedule tomorrow:
1:45PM THE PRESIDENT meets with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, Inc.
Oval Office
Closed Press— Jon Passantino (@passantino) April 25, 2018
Cook’s relationship with Trump has been somewhat contentious, with plenty of ups and downs. Earlier this year, Trump singled out Apple during his State of the Union address, describing it as one of the companies to have benefitted from new Republican tax plans.
Shortly following the implementation of the tax law, Apple told employees that it planned to give them all $2,500 worth of restricted stock. Trump applauded Apple’s moves on Twitter, saying, “Great to see Apple follow through as a result of TAX CUTS. Huge win for American workers and the USA!”
Trump also referred to Cook as a “great guy” during a speech at a factory in Pennsylvania.
Nonetheless, the two have clashed as well. During Trump’s campaign, he suggested boycotting Apple products due to Cupertino’s privacy standoff with the FBI. Apple also ramped up its lobbying spend last year, shelling out $7 million to battle many of the immigration-related regulations and proposed new laws issued by the Trump administration.
The left-leaning Cook was reportedly once considered as a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton, although this never went any further than the idea phase.
Make sure to check back later today for any details that emerge about Cook’s meeting with Trump.
