People deeply concerned after finding out what Trump gave Apple after Tim Cook ‘gifted’ him gold disk
Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook have sparked intense public debate after meeting in the Oval Office, where Cook presented the president with an unusual gift. The meeting took place after Apple announced it was increasing its investment in US manufacturing, adding \$100 billion to a previous \$500 billion commitment. This expansion includes continuing its partnership with Corning, a New York-based company that produces glass for iPhones and Apple Watches, and making Apple Watch glass in Kentucky.
Trump, who has long pushed for more American-made technology, praised Apple’s announcement. Earlier this year, he had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Apple products if the company didn’t move more of its manufacturing to the US, a move that Cook said could have cost Apple around \$1.1 billion. Trump now says that companies committed to producing in America won’t face tariffs on chips and semiconductors, and Apple seems to have secured such an exemption.
What caught the internet’s attention, however, wasn’t just the business deal—it was the gift. Cook brought Trump a custom glass disk mounted on a 24-karat gold stand, engraved with the president’s name and designed by a former US Marine who works at Apple. Cook described it as “a unique unit of one,” with the box itself made in California. Trump thanked him warmly, calling it “fantastic.”
The gesture prompted widespread criticism online, with some accusing Cook of essentially bribing the president to avoid billions in tariffs. One social media user described it as “a Renaissance bribe,” while another claimed Cook “walked in with a bar of gold” and walked out with a tariff exemption. Elon Musk’s AI assistant, Grok, later clarified that it wasn’t a bar of gold, but rather a gold-based stand holding the glass piece, calling the exchange “more collaboration than bribe.”
Despite the tariff exemption, Cook admitted that Apple will still assemble iPhones outside of the US for now, largely in China and India, because those are currently the only countries capable of producing them at the necessary scale. However, he pointed out that many components—like semiconductors, glass, and Face ID modules—are now made in the United States, even for devices sold abroad.
The meeting has left many people wondering whether Apple’s gift was simply a symbolic token of goodwill or a calculated move to secure massive financial benefits. Either way, it has reignited the conversation about corporate influence in politics and how far companies will go to protect their bottom line.
