U.S. President Donald Trump revealed today on Twitter that he is reversing former President Barack Obama’s decision to allow transgender men and women to serve in the military. And he’s already drawing tons of fire from Silicon Valley.
Apple CEO took to Trump’s favorite social network to blast the decision saying it’s discrimination. Other tech icons are joining his side too with their voices of descent for the president’s actions.
We are indebted to all who serve. Discrimination against anyone holds everyone back. #LetThemServe
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) July 26, 2017
Trump vs. Silicon Valley
Trump and Apple have butted heads continuously during his political career. During his campaign for the presidency, Trump called for a boycott on iPhones. The two sides have had a number of meetings and phone calls since Trump took office, but are obviously far apart on a number of important issues.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai joined Cook in blasting Trump on Twitter, saying Google is “grateful to transgender members of the military for their service.” Mark Zuckerberg showed his support for transgenders serving in the military too saying “everyone should be able to serve their country — no matter who they are.”
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
81 responses to “Tim Cook takes high road after Trump’s transgender military ban”
Here we go again, Tim Cook mouthing off about politics. The guy is the embodiment of tediousness and irrelevancy. Until he gets some skin in the game, i.e. by running for office, he should STFU about anything not to do with Apple.
What an ignorant thing to say
I think you are the ignorant one. Tim Cook is a CEO of a Fortune company, NOT a politician. He should keep his views to himself. Target CEO and Kelloggs are learning this the hard way.
So if wants to mouth off his unpopular views, let him step down and run for office! HALF this country voted for Trump and support him. Apple does not need to be in the middle of EVERY political statement!
Cook has not done a great job keeping Apple innovative or ahead of the competition and has left Apple mostly an iPhone company… Maybe he needs to FOCUS on business!
half of the country did not vote for Trump. Less than half voted for him.
That goes for Hillary too
no it doesn’t…. she won the popular vote.
Kaplan….Hillary lost 30 states, Only won counties 487 (16%); Donald Trump won 2,623 (84%)
Tim Cook is setting a great example by defending what is right. I bet if he had said, »Oh, I just loooove God and the KKK!«, you would have had a different tune…
Yes, my “tune” is to point out that KKK, Jim Crow Laws, Segregation and Slavery were ALL Democrats…. Funny isn’t it.
Especially since you think LOVING God is bad, LOL Shows just how out of touch you are with middle America! Just in case you didn’t know the KKK hated Catholics and Jews as well!
I am sure the stockholders will be thrilled when the politics start affecting Apple’s business! If Cook wants to to do the RIGHT thing it would be to set down at Apple and use his millions to pursue what he thinks is right, have him run for office! THEN and only then would I respect him!
Otherwise Cook should focus on Apple business and innovation which has slipped quite a bit under him! Steve Jobs was a liberal, but never pushed his political views!
You really are a complete imbecile. Asserting your nationalism with an obnoxious picture of a bald eagle covering an American flag… The democratic and republican party totally flipped platforms in between the 1860s and 1930s…. A democrat during the time of the Jim Crow Laws would be a republican today.
Typical name caller.
hmm. so it is ok with you that cook sells you a product for $700 that cost him about $250.
greedy capitalism is good
libertarian?….
he isn’t taking an unpopular view…. it’s the correct one. Hillary won the popular vote never forget that.
TRUMP won and IS the President, don’t forget that. HE IS THE PRESIDENT! HIllary lost and belongs in jail.
IN YOUR OPINION it is popular, Hillary and leftists lost for a reason. Trump won states Obama had won and destroyed Democrats in the Electrol College… WHAT MATTERS.
If we had NO voter fraud and VOTER ID laws Trump would have had the popular vote as well! NEVER FORGET THAT! Millions of illegals, felons, and dead people voted for Democrats. PLUS Hillary had the rich donors and spent more than twice as much as Trump. TRUMP won against MSM, Globalists, RINOs and the establishment. Also notice the Democrats lost 1200 seats since 2010!
Touting the popular vote and claiming that this matters show how ridiculous your argument is.
Let me know if you support VOTER ID LAWS and cleaning the voter registration rolls of dead, illegal and felons off rolls? IF you don’t you support cheating and that is all I need to know, lol
Kaplan….Hillary lost 30 states, Only won 487 counties (16%); Donald Trump won 2,623 (84%) Never forget that!!!!
are you familiar with gerrymandering?….
Gerrymandering is not unconstitutional. All political parties do it. Are you familiar with the Electoral college and why??? The WHY is the most important to understand. Bubbles Clinton LOST. Get over it!
Clinton lost more voters from gerrymandering to silence the voices of those in inner cities than Trump did from so called “voter fraud” which didn’t happen.
Kaplan…..you have a reality distortion aura around you caused by unhingemosis. A hysterical snowflake brainwashed by 40 years of liberal philosophy in the nations schools. Liberal ideology spread by leftist elites in hollywood over decades and you get your daily kos and fake news from liberal media called the msm. I just know it to be true lol.
answer a simple question so I never have to speak with you again just to weed out a total nut job, do you believe Breitbart is a more reliable source than the New York Times or Reuters. If you do there’s no need to continue this dialogue.
wow and name calling, um i thought just the left did that, in my experience, there was so much bashing and name calling from the right when a democrats are in the white house, it is unbelievable, I am a democrat but I do not vote party lines, and I am not far left, Just saying there are many people like me out here. take a deep breath everyone, YOU got who you wanted as president, and he did say it would not be government as usual, I have tried the wait and see how he does, but so far for me, he is not doing so good, not that the would matter to anyone, and my fb feed is very quite because i guess a lot of my friends are republications, and even though they may think trump is shooting himself in the foot they are not saying a word, against or for they are being very quite, but I can guarantee you that if there was a democrat in there that was doing what trump is doing right now, my FB feed would alive with degrading remarks against the democratic president…. just sayin
I’m sorry my name calling was rather harsh, lol. The Kaplan kid is a product of what i described and you can’t think of anything President Trump has done so far in 6 months? Trump’s accomplishments are outstanding if you are not blinded by the opposition. The whole DC globalist establishment is fighting the return to America first, the MSM is also part of the sewer and we have people like you you cannot see through it all. Obama had 3 Chiefs of Staff in 3 years, it was a mess and he couldn’t get his agenda through congress thanks for the 2010, 2012 and 2014 elections where we fired the leftist from the Senate, House and Governorships. Imagine all the lawlessness from 8 years of that leftist administration still embedded in our law breaking sanctuary areas and Justice Department. In 2016 the choice was clear but the deep state and MSM is still embedded. Its going to be a long fight to restore our country.
And Trump isn’t a politician, he is just disgusting. And the USA won’t be great again, this country is a joke, a parody. Sorry for the reamining honest citizens of this once great country.
Try and keep your head from exploding… There are airline seats to Canada. Maybe Cuba suits you better. This joke of a country allowed you to make this silly comment, LOL
MAGA!
how so?
I could not agree more. Tim Cook defenders go away!
Part of running a successful business is retaining quality employees. They work hard, they innovate and adapt to constantly changing environments. They also need to accept that not everyone is the same but they are to be treated with the same respect.
Ever see a business vandalized with rainbow colors? Your car keyed with “Gay Pride” on the side? How about a note on the front door disapproving your 2nd or 3rd marriage? No? Like a river, hate goes in one direction. So stop throwing crap at people who are more successful and happy while you sit on your stump feeling unappreciated.
Most violence these days are committed by liberals and democrats.
Haven’t seen Any conservative blocking roads, beating up Hillary supporters, burning down buildings, or violently protesting speeches at colleges.
But I suppose if we dig enough in the past……
Nice try. I am not sitting on any stump, but Tim Cook is! Nothing here about retaining employees. All I see is Cook pushing HIS own personal views on the world while running Apple. The TWO do not go together. Transgender bathrooms cost SC over $2 Billion. Hope Apple stockholders do not see losses like Target and Kelloggs has.
So seems you are advocating or giving an excuse for violence and destroying property. I am not not throwing crap at anyone. That is a LIBTARD thing.
Seems LIBTARDS think politics MUST be pushed EVERYWHERE even on a tech website, LOL ONE reason you LOST.
MAGA!
when exactly was america great by your standards? when we kicked native americans off their land? when blacks weren’t allowed to sit on the front of the bus? when women couldn’t vote?
Right Davey, you just showed that you HATE America… That is EXACTLY the point that matters. According to you it was NEVER great, LOL
So if it sucks so bad MOVE!
Funny how you had no issues trashing the country. I am sure you hate the Constitution as well, LOL
Please tell me what country is better. Maybe they will let you in right away, LOL
This is exactly why liberals lost…. and can find no shortage of excuses. Maybe you want to TAKE the HIGH road and bow out now as we now all know you hate the country!
wrong….. according to me it was great during Obama’s presidency… All I said was that it wasn’t great during times of mass discriminatory practices and that’s what we’re heading back to.
Hahahaha
OBOZO discriminated against every day Americans… Then ones that voter and why Trump is President now, LOL
So what part of GREAT was it during OBOZO, when he bowed and apologized to the world, when he used drones to kill people after winning the NOBEL peace prize, when he allowed jobs and the economy to stall, when he let in millions of illegals and did nothing to enforce the laws of the land, when he cared more for criminals than working people, when he allowed and helped ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
Maybe is was when he sent assault weapons to the Mexican Drug Cartels, lied about the Muslim Radical violence. How about the IRS scandal, VA scandal where he allowed veterans to die…
Was it when he promised you could KEEP your Doctor, your health plan and costs would lower knowing full well he was lying! Maybe it was when he threw Israel under the bus at every chance and even tried to affect the election there! Maybe when he told Putin he could do more for him after the election….
Maybe you like the spying he did on ordinary Americans, tapping reports phones and their parents phones, spying on Trump during the election….
Did you like his support for Muslims and Sharia law that discriminates agains people especially women….
Letting terrorists, that KILLED our soldiers, go loose only to fight again.
Hypocrisy seems to be something liberals ignore! You would have rather had crooked Hillary that runs her own crime family than an outsider. Trump won OBOZO is gone thank god. All the liberal smugness and ignoring half the country gave us TRUMP.
Sorry the polls and MSM lied to you. BUT OBOZO lied daily and you think America was great under him, LOL
I rest my case. Go hang out with Tim Cook, maybe you can help him run for office.
Obama brought the economy all the way back from recession caused by republican politics on wall street…. he got Bin Laden at huge political risk. He fought for marriage equality. He ended two wars. Cut the unemployment rate from 10% to 4.7%. Saved the US auto industry. Cut veteran homelessness by 50%. Got rid of Bush-era unjust torture policies. Increased nutrition standards on public school lunches and promoted healthy lifestyles. Negotiated a deal with Iran to limit their nuclear programs. Pushed for stem cell research to push the boundaries on new treatment options. More important than anything else, he was thoughtful and was somebody in Washington who you knew may not make a decision you agree with, but would always think it through.
Funny how Wall Street is always brought up by Liberals and they never want to acknowledge that Wall Street is mostly ALL Liberal and supported Hillary and OBOZO! Paying them millions for worthless speeches that we were not allowed to see transcripts for.
BUSH sucked but was better than OBOZO!
OBOZO cut veteran homelessness by allowing the to die waiting for doctor and medical acre while doing NOTHING at the VA! Being a veteran, this is the only reason I bothered to answer you again!
Yeah, he GAVE BILLIONS IN CASH to Iran that go the US and the world NOTHING! Nutrition? That was the failed lunch program OBOZOs wife ran. If this is the best you have after 8 years, LOL
Oh, you left out CASH for clunkers, and FREE phones, giving away BILLIONS to GREEn companies not bankrupt, now all exposed as corrupt!
I have work to do so I am now blocking you as you have added little to the conversation about why Tim Cook should not run his political views while he is a CEO of Apple!
Tolerance goes ONE way.
Liberals are some of the most intolerant people on the planet! Ask religious people, lol
there is extreme christian hegemony in this country…. no group is treated better, ask muslims and jews.
No-one has more freedom that those living here in the US, except many leftists claim otherwise!
why because he has a voice and can influence millions? isn’t that why people voted for Trump? because he was a “successful” businessman and spoke his mind?
Agreed
S0 – it’s ok for Trump to use Apple / Cook in a political way – but not for him to respond in kind?
Quite amazing to see people saying Time Cook can’t express his views but should only say about Apple and only focus on his own work but here we are on Facebook/Twitter, have nothing to do with Apple or Google or Time Cook or Politics and expressing our views. Which, by the way, is fine :)
so it’s okay for some to speak their minds as long as they enter the political ring? no, this is America and we pride ourselves on free speech. If one rich businessman can spew venom for years I’m sure another one has the right to point out “alternative facts”
So if he’s not a politician he hasn’t the right to speech about politics? I guess you’re all congressmen so you can talk about anything right?
I think many customers are not too happy with CEOs on soapboxes pushing views that are not all that popular!
BUT if you guys think this is great… IT will come in handy in 2018 and 2020!
MAGA
I wish Tim Cook would keep his politics to himself.
really really rich (mostly white males) telling me how to think.
You mean the ones that supported crooked Hillary!
“Discrimination against anyone holds everyone back.” What an idiotic thing to say. The military discriminates against lots of people and for good reason. Got flat feet? Can’t join. On antidepressants? Can’t join. Bi-polar? Sorry, move along.
Our military is in place to protect our country, and should not be forced to accommodate the political leanings of a bunch of extremist left wing lunatics who believe it’s possible for women and men to magically switch genders by simply announcing the change.
I didn’t vote for Trump, but he made the absolute correct call today.
Stuff it Tim, and get back to making Apple great again.
You nailed it.
anybody who is physically able to serve should be allowed to. An able-bodied transgender person shouldn’t be denied… not to mention there are thousands of transgender folks actively serving without issue.
In YOUR opinion. Sorry we all don’t agree what able bodied is, LOL
homosexuals and transgenders aren’t disabled…. The opinion of transgender folks in 2017 is the equivalent to the view of gays in 1930. You’ll switch to the side of justice eventually…. maybe.
No one said they were… First off I have no opinion of gays that you claim…
What next call me homophobic, racist, or another tag word liberals like to use. All the name calling and indeed is EXACTLY why CEOs like Cook should NOT shoot of his mouth on hot button political issues as ir will get a blow back! That is called debate. In this country you hate so much, we are allowed this freedom. But that does not mean everyone will agree and still buy your product.
Apple opening factories in America (finally) and kissing up to get tax breaks is helping this blow back, so if Tim Cook wants to keep yelling out his crazy beliefs he may end up on the wrong side of many people.
Saying American was NEVER great makes many Americans throw up…
that’s exactly my point. You aren’t homophobic anymore. But you would’ve been if you were a republican circa 1930. And you’re totally off base with transgender folks in 2017. You’re always 80 years behind.
OK, convince yourself…
Again what is OFF BASE is TIM COOK running his mouth and not doing g a good job running Apple!
I’m not arguing with you I’m pointing something out very simply. I’m quoting you here, “In YOUR opinion. Sorry we all don’t agree what able bodied is, LOL” I then pointed out that being transgender or gay aren’t disabilities. You then said “No one said they were” Well actually you did because of comment #1 that I posted of yours. You’re saying that being transgender isn’t a disability but yet at the same time are saying that a transgender person isn’t able-bodied…. you’re a walking hypocrisy.
As for your second point, Trump wants to drag Cook into politics with job creation in the US, Cook is allowed to be in the arena for what he believes as well. He has a public platform and believes in a fair and just society. Not rocket science.
It think I’ll go ahead and trust the generals and experienced military personnel who set the new policy over the unfounded personal opinion of some pipsqueek internet beta male who denies the scientific facts of biology and evolution.
what the EFF are you talking about, dear ? :)))
that`s not discrimination, it`s practical criteria for being qualified for this or that job. all the more so in the army. gender dysphoria (or ”trannies”, as some misguided numb head called them somewhere in this thread) is not among those criteria. try to do a 2-minute research. as for the ”tremendous costs” Trump tweeted about: ”trannies” would cost the Army about 8-something million max, erectile disfunction coverage costs the Army several times that, and the defense budget is 500-plus billion. give over, dear. nothing far-left here. just common sense.
*voices of dissent ;)
Somethings are better left unsaid, and this is one of them. Tim Cook please be quite about this stuff. Use your platform to advance Apple’s technology and business. Not trying to be a politician. His remark just made it very clear what agenda he wants to push, it really isn’t about discrimination. I see right thru the foolery. Again, stay in your lane of goods and services. You want to push your political/human rights agenda, stop being CEO and run for office.
If it’s not about discrimination, then what is it?
Common sense! JohnnyF1ve said it well above, try reading…
“The military discriminates against lots of people and for good reason. Got flat feet? Can’t join. On antidepressants? Can’t join. Bi-polar? Sorry, move along.
Our military is in place to protect our country, and should not be forced to accommodate the political leanings of a bunch of extremist left wing lunatics who believe it’s possible for women and men to magically switch genders by simply announcing the change.”
Hollywood discriminates as well, when casting a white male part, they hire a white male! Shocking… People with mental disorders are not supposed to carry guns…. IS that discrimination as well, LOL
Clearly you never served or met someone who has defended your right to troll endlessly. In the past, the military ban blacks and women. Even segregating them into their own units. They demonstrated that they are fully capable as all other LGBT service members currently do.
Clearly, YOU have no exposure to military vets! I have they overwhelming agree with this policy.
You just THINK you know me and my background… Actually you have no idea and assume a lot like most LIBTARDS. So next time remember you might be replying to a veteran that DID serve his country… Like myself!
So now STFU as I defended your right to be stupid!
Your idea of common sense falls way below the IQ of 70 line. There are justifications supporting the regulations of who can join the military. For example would you want someone with bi-polar disorder or struggling with depression to operate a remote drone strike? Of course not. Now tell me where the justification is for not allowing transgender people to serve? There isn’t one.
And all of you who are complaining about Tim Cook need to wise up. For one, Apple is a company with liberal values. This won’t change. Get over it or move on. Also, saying that Cook shouldn’t speak his views on politics because he’s not a politician is like saying all of you should stop complaining about your Apple gear because your not an Apple developer. Everyone has a right to speak their opinion, especially regarding basic human rights.
Sure, LIBTARD claiming IQ is low, boy I never heard that before!
Glad to hear you claim Apple has liberal values… This is great and their CEO yelling it from the rooftops every tow minutes will clearly help their business! Especially since Apple seems to be at a standstill lately, LOL
Actually, I used to be an Apple developer and work in tech, so again LIBTARD claiming exactly what he doesn’t know!
Joining the Military has NOTHING to do with basic human rights… It is a privilege to serve and the military rejects people on many criteria. The left brain seems to think that they are ENTITLED all the time, LOL
Your constant name calling tells me you are an easily agitated republican, not an independent.
If a single twitter post regarding a single topic is considered “yelling it from the rooftops” then your president must be screaming like a banshee.
Making an iPhone app is not the same as being an Apple developer.
Calm down and read a little slower. I did not say joining the military had anything to do with human rights. I said everyone is entitled to speak their opinion when it involves human rights.
Hey sensible, seems you are anything but. Your guessing and trying to pigeon hole me into one of the groups you must hate is ridiculous. You can stay uninformed and think what you like. But I am Independent, like to not. I am an Engineer NOT an iPhone developer silly.
I am quite calm, only wish LIBERALS were. But I have to admit watching their heads explode daily over noting and the complete denial that Trump is President and is quite successful is most amusing.
You and Cook are great example… Willing to look silly and in Cooks case willing to lose his stock holders business just to scream his crooked views, LOL
MAGA!
It’s ok if you’re a rightist. Admitting it is the first step to recovery.
It’s funny how you keep accusing people of thinking they know you, when you do the same thing to others. You are so predictable and entertaining I could do this all day.
I’ve got news for you, typing in all caps and calling people names is far from calm.
The only thing Trump is successful at is putting his foot in his mouth. Sure, all politicians have an agenda of some kind and it’s not always benevolent. However Trump seems to always find a way of pulling back the curtain of all his idiotic schemes right there on Twitter, not to mention going back on all his campaign promises. He’s a 71 year old child who is more concerned over his popularity than he is of national security.
Oh, your an actual Apple engineer. That’s great. I’ve got a buddy in Apple HR. When did you work for them?
My recovery is quite complete… OBOZO is gone and Trump is President. The country is being run by an adult and he is Making America Great Again!
If you have a buddy at Apple HR, tell him that Tim Cook needs to STFU on politics and do a better job at running Apple!
I can’t do this all day as I have an actual job! My entertainment for today is over and you have been exposed completely as a LEFTISTS NUT that will be even more unhappy in 2018 and 2020…
Man, if I can’t get you to STFU, how do you expect someone to get their CEO to?
Oh, and thanks for confirming you’re FOS. Have a nice day!
Shut me up, LOL
Oh FREE SPEECH support I see. Do you live in Berkeley? Must as what you typed does not make much sense…. I did shut you up however as I just blocked you from my view!
If only it were that easy. ;)
They are not mentally ill. But they do deal with a mentally stressful situation. They deal with the feeling that they don’t belong in their own body, every day of their lives. This is of course a difficult problem to escape from. And when they try to fix that they deal with the idiotic criticism from pinheads like you who fear things they don’t understand. You should seriously consider why people choose to take their own life before writing it off as being mentally ill. People like you have been making excuses like this for a long time regarding gender and race and holding back progress in human rights. Have you ever met or spoken to someone who is transgender? Doubtful.
Being that Apple employees EVERYONE… I can’t see how one would expect him to be quiet. If anyone here has worked at Apple in the past, they’d know that Apple (while being a technology company) has a focus and core values that are geared at enriching life and making the world a better place. People find anything and everything to complain about smh
Apple isn’t the military and has absolutely nothing to do with it. Trannies are mentally ill. Why would Apple employ the mentally ill (except, you know, having a CEO that is mentally ill, too)? How does that benefit Apple or anyone else? Telling trannies they’re not mentally ill does not enrich anyone’s life or make the world a better place. It destroys their lives and hurts the world.
dissent