Report: Apple CEO Cook attends GOP meeting on ‘how to stop Donald Trump’

Dan Pye
By Dan Pye - News Editor
Report: Apple CEO Cook attends GOP meeting on ‘how to stop Donald Trump’

Tim Cook was one of several technology CEOs who attended last weekend’s American Enterprise Institute World Forum, an annual gathering of top Republicans and influential business leaders that this year primarily focused on how to deal with Donald Trump, The Huffington Post reports. The secret meeting was closed to the press, but sources familiar with the discussions said leaders from Apple, Google, Tesla and other tech giants sat alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and other prominent Republicans as political guru Karl Rove presented focus group findings about Trump exposing the business mogul’s weaknesses.
Trump has publicly criticized Apple for refusing to aid the FBI in breaking the encryption on the San Bernardino terrorist’s phone, so Apple has a particularly strong interest in efforts to ensure the businessman doesn’t become the GOP’s eventual nominee.

Report: Apple CEO Cook attends GOP meeting on ‘how to stop Donald Trump’

But the room wasn’t exactly a friendly one for Cook, with GOP Senator Tom Cotton reportedly taking the CEO to task regarding Apple’s recent battle with the FBI. Sources said the fierce debate about cell phone encryption made “everyone was a little uncomfortable about how hostile Cotton was.” Neither Cook nor Apple has publicly commented on the meeting.

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By Dan Pye News Editor
Dan Pye was a news editor at iLounge. He's been involved with technology his whole life, and started writing about it in 2009. He's written about everything from iPhone and iPad cases to Apple TV accessories.