Trump’s relationship with Apple CEO Tim Cook is one of the most congenial the former president has shared with a Silicon Valley leader. Cook maintained a relationship with Trump during his time in office, often meeting with the president and serving on advisory panels influencing policy decisions that affect Apple’s business, such as tariffs and immigration.
Cook has not publicly confirmed that this most recent call took place. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Shortly after the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, this summer, the former president claimed that Zuckerberg called him. In an interview with New York magazine, Trump claimed that Zuckerberg said, “‘I will never vote for people running against you after watching what you did.’”
A Meta spokesperson contested what Trump told the magazine, saying, “As Mark has said publicly, he’s not endorsing anybody in this race and has not communicated to anybody how he intends to vote.” (Zuckerberg did not endorse any candidate in the 2016 and 2020 elections and has said that he won’t this cycle either.)
While Meta wouldn’t detail the contents of the call, Zuckerberg confirmed he had called Trump after the assassination attempt, calling the former president “bad ass” in July.
“Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Zuckerberg said.
Under Trump, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sustained countless attacks from the Trump administration and conservative lawmakers over censorship allegations. In 2020, Zuckerberg donated $350 million in pandemic support to election departments around the country. Republicans accused these “Zuckerbucks” donations of being unfairly distributed to Democratic districts. In 2021, following the January 6 riot at the Capitol, Trump was banned from Facebook and Instagram.
Blue Origin CEO and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos
Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has been under fire in recent days after he decided that the Washington Post would no longer endorse presidential candidates, despite the paper having a Harris endorsement in the works.
Trump has long criticized Bezos for his ownership of the Washington Post, but Trump said that Bezos had called him after this summer’s assassination attempt. “It is the most incredible thing I’ve ever watched,” Trump said Bezos told him. “I said, ‘Despite the fact you own the Washington Post, I appreciate it.” Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, reportedly called Trump after the July shooting as well.
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