Trump Calls Apple CEO 'Tim Apple' During White House Meeting
WASHINGTON (CBS SF) – An awkward moment took place between President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook when the president called the tech titan "Tim Apple" during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday.
Cook was sitting next to Mr. Trump during a business roundtable on workforce changes.
"We're going to be opening up the labor forces because we have to. We have so many companies coming in," Trump said. "People like Tim -- you're expanding all over and doing things that I really wanted you to do right from the beginning. I used to say, 'Tim, you gotta start doing it here,' and you really have, you've really put a big investment in our country. We really appreciate it very much, Tim Apple."
Cook, who has led the Cupertino-based tech giant since 2011, did not appear to react after the president's statement. Meanwhile, social media lit up following the president's gaffe.
The gaffe did not go unnoticed by Trump's daughter and White House advisor Ivanka, who was also sitting next to the president at the meeting.
Gaffe aside, Cook told the president that it was critical to get U.S. students ready for jobs in the digital economy.
"We believe strongly that it should be a requirement in the United States for every kid to have coding before they graduate from K-12 and be somewhat proficient at it," said the Apple CEO. "
"We realize, for something this large, it takes government, private sector and education all kind of oaring in the same direction," Cook went on to say.
On Thursday, Cook changed the name on his Twitter bio to Tim with an Apple emoji, in an apparent nod to the flub.
It was not the first time Trump has mixed up the names of business executives. Last year, the president introduced Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson as "Marillyn Lockheed" during an announcement on tariffs.
