Apple is a corporate donor to Donald Trump's White House ballroom project, the project that led to the sudden and shocking demolition of the East Wing of the White House.

And this giant corporation doesn't look like it's funding the ballroom debacle out of a sense of civic pride — in fact, it looks like a major conflict of interest:

• Apple has recently faced allegations from the federal government of trying to monopolize the smartphone market, violate worker rights, and misclassify hazardous waste — under Trump, the National Labor Relations Board withdrew its worker rights claims

• Trump recently announced 100% tariffs on semiconductors (including cellphones and parts) — but said Apple doesn't have to pay due to forthcoming U.S. investments

• And Apple has been awarded $1.8 million in government contracts since October 1, 2020 — so the company has an incentive to make Trump happy to keep the contracts coming

Apple has seen that currying favor with the Trump Administration leads to great rewards, so Apple opened up its pocketbook and supported Trump's latest vanity project.

(This isn't the first time Apple gave Trump a gift, either. Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook travelled to the White House to announce a new investment and gave Trump an engraved plaque with a 24-karat gold base.)

No matter the rewards, Tim Cook and Apple are normalizing Trump's authoritarian, pay-to-play project by cozying up to him.

Add your name to tell Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple:

Take back your contribution to Trump's ballroom debacle. By paying a tribute that could lead to favorable treatment, you're betraying your customers to further Trump's authoritarian ambitions.

Thanks for taking action,

- Robert Weissman & Lisa Gilbert, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen
 
 
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