Trump implausibly claims his 'Tim Apple' flub was a time-saving measure


When President Trump called Apple CEO Tim Cook "Tim Apple," everyone laughed for a good five seconds and moved on. Trump, on the other hand, just can't let it go.
Trump bungled Cook's name last Wednesday, prompting the tech CEO to adopt the moniker on Twitter. Yet two whole days later, Trump reportedly insisted to Republican donors at Mar-a-Lago that the "fake news" had gotten it all wrong. Trump insisted he actually said "Tim Cook Apple" quickly, but just said the "Cook" part too quietly for anyone to hear, Axios reports.
People at the event reportedly didn't "understand" why Trump countered something that was literally on video, with one donor telling Axios: "It doesn't even matter!" Trump begged to differ, then insisted in a Monday morning tweet that he cut out Cook's last name for efficiency's sake.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump neglected to explain the inconsistencies between his excuses, or why he's so fixated on a simple slip-up.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
Trump takes over DC police, deploys National Guard
Speed Read The president blames the takeover on rising crime, though official figures contradict this concern
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crime
Speed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additions
Speed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline