Apple CEO Tim Cook decried the shocking scenes that took place Wednesday in Washington, D.C., as supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building.
“Today marks a sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history,” Cook wrote on Twitter. “Those responsible for this insurrection should be held to account, and we must complete the transition to President-elect Biden’s administration. It’s especially when they are challenged that our ideals matter most.”
Cook was one of the first big tech executives to comment on the extraordinary events that left the world spellbound, as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop November’s presidential election results from being ratified. One person was shot dead Wednesday (and three others died after unspecified “separate medical emergencies“) during the melee.
Meanwhile, other tech giants took steps to quiet the civil unrest. Twitter, for instance, stopped a video message posted by Trump from being shared or responded to. Both Twitter and Facebook blocked Trump’s accounts temporarily amid the chaos.
Today marks a sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history. Those responsible for this insurrection should be held to account, and we must complete the transition to President-elect Biden’s administration. It’s especially when they are challenged that our ideals matter most.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 7, 2021
Tim Cook and Donald Trump
Trump and Cook have had a mixed relationship during the president’s four years in office. Cook, like most Apple employees, is a Democrat, and was even briefly considered as a possible running mate for Hilary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Before Trump took office, the businessman-turned-politician publicly called for an Apple boycott. This was because Apple refused to help investigators unlock the iPhone belonging to a San Bernardino terrorist involved in a fatal shooting. Apple refused due to the dangerous precedent it would set in creating an iPhone security backdoor.
However, things were patched up after Trump became president. Trump praised Cook numerous times. He described the Apple CEO as a “great executive” who would call him whenever he needed something.
Cook was one of the CEOs Trump consulted with on various issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, Trump even singled out Apple during his State of the Union address. He referred to it as one of the companies that benefitted from Republican tax plans.
Cook remains very outspoken when it comes to social issues. He has talked about making Apple a “force for good” in the world, and has freely spoken out about issues of race, discrimination and more.
