What you need to know

  • President Donald Trump praised Apple CEO Tim Cook in new comments.
  • Trump appears impressed that Cook calls him directly.
  • Trump said he wants to help Apple because it's a "great American company."

President Donald Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook have been in frequent contact lately, recently sitting down to discuss tariffs over dinner. Turns out, Trump is happy to speak with Cook, saying the two chat "whenever there is a problem."

In comments to press on Wednesday (via CNBC), Trump said Cook's constant communication is what makes him a great executive. "He calls me and others don't," Trump said.

"Others go out and hire very expensive consultants," Trump said. "Tim Cook calls Donald Trump directly."

Recently, Cook sat down with Trump to discuss the tariffs that go into effect next month. The Apple CEO apparently made a great argument for excluding Apple products from the tariffs, saying it would prevent Apple from staying competitive with Samsung.

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"The problem was that Samsung, a competitor, his competitor, wouldn't be paying tariffs, and Tim Cook would," Trump said. "I gotta help him out short-term, because it's a great American company."

While products like the Apple Watch and AirPods could face tariffs in September, other products like the iPhone won't be affected until December 15.