On Wednesday , Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote a stinging letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook , play up what she describes as the “ especial carve - out ” which the troupe has been given by the Trump administration , and seeking clarification about the procedure by which these were secure .
“ I write regarding my concerns about the extent to which you ‘ go to work behind the vista ’ to receive exceptional granting immunity from President Trump ’s new tariffs originally this month , ” Warrensays to Cookin a varsity letter seen and covered byBloomberg . Trump ’s trade policy , she adds , “ kick upstairs fresh headache about influence - peddling by huge well - connected corporations , and their ability to gain special favour from President Trump . ”
Despite being perceived as loosely reform-minded in political outlook ( on social issues at least ) , Cook has been surprisingly supportive of Trump . The Apple party boss reportedlydonated $ 1mfrom his personal fortune to the committee for the chairperson ’s startup , which he attended , and has met with him and posed for picture opportunity on multiple occasion . Whether or not this friendly glide path was intended to lead in favorable intervention for Apple , it has been followed by some political win , most notably thecrucial exemptionfrom this calendar month ’s penalize Taiwanese duty which could have seen the toll of an iPhone balloon to more than $ 2,000 .
“ fit in to the Washington Post , ” Warren goes on , “ when the April 12 tariffs were announced by President Trump , you almost immediately ‘ went to work behind the scenes , ’ using your ‘ very respectable family relationship ’ with President Trump and the Administration , contacting top Administration functionary , and ultimately , successfully obtaining massive tariff carve - outs that President Trump himself take down , ‘ help Tim Cook … and that whole commercial enterprise . ' ”
At best , she debate , all of this “ creates the appearance of impropriety , ” as well as raising “ serious questions about the extent to which it is possible for massive bodied peculiar interest to use their money and influence to secure tariff freedom that are unavailable to Main Street small clientele . ” In this spark , the senator reason out her letter of the alphabet by asking for details of any and all discussion between representatives of Apple and the Trump establishment relating to the tariff and promise of political or financial support , and an estimate of additional profits that Apple will gain from the granting immunity . Cook ’s response to all of this is as yet unknown .
