Apple CEO Tim Cook's attendance at a documentary screening about Melania Trump just hours after a US Border Patrol officer gunned down Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti has sparked outrage among employees. The event was seen as tone-deaf and insensitive, with many workers expressing dismay that the company had not publicly condemned violence perpetrated by Customs and Border Protection agents or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The response within Apple to Cook's attendance has been starkly negative, according to internal Slack logs. A link to an article from The Verge about Cook's interaction with Trump at the White House was met with dozens of vomiting emojis and a chorus of reactions expressing dissent about both Cook and the company's apparent unwillingness to condemn immigration-related violence.
Many workers have pointed out that this is not leadership, but rather an absence of leadership. One employee wondered what their leadership would do if an Apple employee was summarily executed by the government. Another worker joked that they had started wondering what their company's values stood for when Cook presented Trump with a golden trophy at the White House.
Apple employees have long professed to be committed to progressive values, but some argue that this commitment is now in doubt. The company has recently announced Black History Month Apple Watch bands, yet many workers feel that this gesture rings hollow given Cook's cozy relationship with the Trump administration.
The lack of a public statement from Cook on this issue has also been criticized. Some argue that he should take a stand for basic human rights and morals, or at least not be seen smiling and hobnobbing with people who are trampling those values.
Internal debate within Apple has centered around whether Cook should issue a statement internally, publicly, or both. Some have argued that he should acknowledge the concerns of his employees and reaffirm Apple's commitment to human rights and dignity. Others believe that this is not leadership but rather an absence of leadership.
The fact that Cook chose to attend the screening hours after Pretti's death has also raised questions about what kind of values the company truly represents. As one worker put it, "If we never find out how our leadership would react in a situation like that, I seriously started wondering what our leadership would do if an Apple employee was summarily executed by our government."
Cook's relationship with Trump has been well-documented, and many workers have expressed dismay at the company's willingness to cozy up to the administration. One worker noted that Apple has always advocated for "humane" treatment of everyone regardless of who they are or where they're from.
In a public statement, Cook acknowledged Pretti's death but did not address his attendance at the screening. He wrote: "This is a time for deescalation. I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they're from, and when we embrace our shared humanity."
However, some workers feel that this statement does not go far enough in condemning the violence perpetrated by CBP and ICE agents. As one employee pointed out, "This isn’t leadership. This is an absence of leadership."
The response within Apple to Cook's attendance has been starkly negative, according to internal Slack logs. A link to an article from The Verge about Cook's interaction with Trump at the White House was met with dozens of vomiting emojis and a chorus of reactions expressing dissent about both Cook and the company's apparent unwillingness to condemn immigration-related violence.
Many workers have pointed out that this is not leadership, but rather an absence of leadership. One employee wondered what their leadership would do if an Apple employee was summarily executed by the government. Another worker joked that they had started wondering what their company's values stood for when Cook presented Trump with a golden trophy at the White House.
Apple employees have long professed to be committed to progressive values, but some argue that this commitment is now in doubt. The company has recently announced Black History Month Apple Watch bands, yet many workers feel that this gesture rings hollow given Cook's cozy relationship with the Trump administration.
The lack of a public statement from Cook on this issue has also been criticized. Some argue that he should take a stand for basic human rights and morals, or at least not be seen smiling and hobnobbing with people who are trampling those values.
Internal debate within Apple has centered around whether Cook should issue a statement internally, publicly, or both. Some have argued that he should acknowledge the concerns of his employees and reaffirm Apple's commitment to human rights and dignity. Others believe that this is not leadership but rather an absence of leadership.
The fact that Cook chose to attend the screening hours after Pretti's death has also raised questions about what kind of values the company truly represents. As one worker put it, "If we never find out how our leadership would react in a situation like that, I seriously started wondering what our leadership would do if an Apple employee was summarily executed by our government."
Cook's relationship with Trump has been well-documented, and many workers have expressed dismay at the company's willingness to cozy up to the administration. One worker noted that Apple has always advocated for "humane" treatment of everyone regardless of who they are or where they're from.
In a public statement, Cook acknowledged Pretti's death but did not address his attendance at the screening. He wrote: "This is a time for deescalation. I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they're from, and when we embrace our shared humanity."
However, some workers feel that this statement does not go far enough in condemning the violence perpetrated by CBP and ICE agents. As one employee pointed out, "This isn’t leadership. This is an absence of leadership."
It's so tone-deaf and insensitive. The fact that he chose to hang out with Melania Trump (who's like super connected to Trump anyway) while everyone else in the country is grieving... it's just so cringeworthy 
Like, what's the deal? Is this some kind of PR stunt? It feels like they're trying to play it both ways. "We care about human rights!" vs. "Hey, we'll hang out with Trump and pretend like that's cool" 
. Cook's attendance at the screening hours after Pretti's death just screams tone-deafness 
. How can you attend a documentary about Melania Trump and expect to be seen as empathetic towards victims of immigration-related violence? It's like he's saying, "Hey, let's celebrate our shared humanity... with the people who are killing others." 
This isn't leadership, it's just being a buddy to the wrong crowd 
.
That's some performative wokeness 
about Apple's CEO Tim Cook attending a documentary screening about Melania Trump just hours after Alex Pretti's tragic death 
. I don't get it, isn't that what leadership is all about? 
. What would Cook do if an Apple employee was gunned down by the government? 
It just feels like more of the same, trying to smooth over things without making any real changes.
. What about actual change? 
.
.
. What happened to their values? It's like they lost sight of what matters most 
n not everyone agrees on how 2 do that. maybe ur apples values r more nuanced than a simple "we're progressive" label 
. what if tim cook's trying 2 create space 4 constructive dialogue w/ people from different backgrounds? u cant just reduce it 2 "he's friends w/ trump" 
. It's like he's more concerned with maintaining good relations with the Trump administration than standing up for human rights 
. Cook's silence is deafening, especially when you consider that he was smiling & hobnobbing with Trump at the White House earlier 
.
. Are those progressive values really as important as maintaining a good relationship with a certain politician? 
. I mean, Tim Cook shows up to a doc screening about Melania Trump, hours after some US Border Patrol agent kills an innocent person, and no one batted an eye? 
.
. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take - if an Apple employee was killed by the government, would Cook even bat an eye? 
. But instead of doing just that, Cook chooses to smooth things over with a watered-down statement that doesn't really address the issue 
.
.