Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, speaks at the 2019 Dreamforce conference in San Francisco on November 19, 2019.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with “CBS This Morning” that anyone who plays a role in the U.S. Capitol uprising last week should be held accountable. Cook did not exempt President Donald Trump from that statement.
“I don’t think anyone is above the law,” Cook told CBS Gayle King in a clip that aired Tuesday. “I mean this is the most important thing in our country, that we are a country of the rule of law. I think everyone involved has to be responsible.”
Cook said the events are not something the country should just look for to move forward, though he ultimately said “we need to move forward.”
“I don’t think we should let it go,” Cook said. “I think it’s important to hold people accountable.”
Apple on Saturday removed Parler, an alternative social networking app, from its App Store after it was found to be used to spread violent calls following Capitol riots, in violation of its rules against nasty content.
Cook has maintained a relatively close but balanced relationship with Trump during his tenure in office. While Cook has criticized key Trump policies such as his decision to end DACA, the Obama-era program that protects some immigrants from deportation, and has led a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in 2016, she has managed to get Trump’s support more than the leaders of many other Big Tech companies have.
Undoubtedly, the relationship has paid off by allowing Apple to repatriate cash at lower tax rates and exempt its products from tariffs on goods imported into China.
King said the interview with Cook was scheduled to release a “big announcement” on Wednesday when the full interview airs. King said the ad is not about a new product.
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