U.S. President Donald Trump has reacted to the news that Tim Cook will step down as Apple CEO in September, praising Cook’s leadership of the company.
Speaking after Apple announced the leadership change, Trump said he had “always been a big fan” of Cook, adding that Apple had performed better under his leadership than many expected.
Trump also referenced Cook’s relationship with the White House, saying he had been impressed that the Apple CEO would regularly call him directly.
“I was very impressed with myself to have the head of Apple calling to ‘kiss my ass,’” Trump said.
“I have always been a big fan of Tim Cook, and likewise, Steve Jobs,” he continued. “But if Steve was not taken from the Planet Earth so young, and ran the company instead of Tim, the company would have done well, but nowhere near as well as it has under Tim.”
Cook is set to step down on September 1, 2026 after nearly 15 years as Apple CEO. He will become executive chairman of Apple’s board, with John Ternus taking over as chief executive officer.