Trump called gay CEO Tim Cook ‘Tim Apple’ in cringeworthy meeting
Donald Trump stunned people by calling Tim Cook “Tim Apple.” (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty)
President Donald Trump called gay Apple CEO Tim Cook “Tim Apple” during a meeting on Wednesday (March 6), sparking hilarity online.
Addressing Cook in a White House meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, Trump said: “You’ve really put a big investment in our country.
“We appreciate it very much, Tim Apple.”
Watch President Donald Trump call Tim Cook “Tim Apple” here:
The White House, which live-streamed the meeting on its official website, has since transcribed the apparent slip-up as Trump saying “Tim—Apple.”
This didn’t succeed in changing the minds of countless people who were convinced Trump slipped up while talking about the Apple CEO, who came out publicly in 2014.
Donald Trump torn apart for “Tim Apple” mistake
Trump was mercilessly mocked on Twitter for the mistake, which came after he last year called Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson “Marillyn Lockheed.”
One person tweeted: “Donald Trump called Tim Cook (Apple’s CEO), ‘Tim Apple’ during a White House visit. His next set of guests include Bill Microsoft, Jack Twitter, Sergey Google, Elon Tesla, and Mark Facebook.”
Donald Trump was mocked for his slip-up. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty)
There were many posts like this, from tweeters suggesting famous entrepreneurs who Trump could misname.
“Tim Apple is an American icon just like the famous innovators Thomas Lightbulb and Henry Car” was one particularly funny tweet.
Another person wrote: “I’m surprised no one mentioned Bill Windows or Jeff Packages,” to which a commenter replied: “I think you meant William Microsoft and Jeff Amazon.”
Others pointed out that Trump’s new name for Cook sounded like the contact you would create on your phone to remind you of how you met an acquaintance.
“‘Tim Apple’ is the contact in your phone for the hot guy who asked you out at the Apple store.”
— @DanaSchwartzzz
One of these people tweeted: “The President of the United States just called the CEO of Apple ‘Tim Apple’ like you would list John Accountant or Vanessa Hairstylist in your iPhone contacts.”
A different user wrote: “‘Tim Apple’ is the contact in your phone for the hot guy who asked you out at the Apple store.”
Some had a small amount of sympathy for Trump, like the tweeter who said: “Tim Apple! In fairness, there are people in my phone as Tim Grindr or John Scruff or worse, so who am I to judge?”
Another person wrote: “Calling Tim Cook Tim Apple to his face is my version of the American dream. I want to look Bill Gates in the eye and call him Jim Microsoft.”
One commenter joked: “Reminder that any Apple employee found to be calling Tim Cook ‘Tim Apple’ will be fired on the spot, in person, by Tim Cook.”
