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Donald Trump said Tim Cook called him to complain about two EU actions involving Apple, but Apple had not confirmed the call in Reuters’ October 17, 2024 report. The amounts Trump cited relate to separate proceedings: a €13 billion tax recovery dispute involving Ireland and a separate App Store antitrust fine Reuters described as about $2 billion.
Did Tim Cook call Trump about the EU fining Apple?
Trump said Cook called him shortly before Trump’s appearance with podcaster Patrick Bet-David. Reuters reported on October 17, 2024 that Apple had not responded to its request to confirm whether the call took place. The reviewed reporting does not independently confirm the call or Cook’s alleged words.
Reuters quoted Trump saying, “Two hours ago, three hours ago, he (Cook) called me,” and recounting his own response: “Tim, I got to get elected first. … But I’m not going to let them take advantage of our companies. That won’t be happening.” Those quotations are Trump’s account, not verified statements by Cook. The remarks appeared in a program released Thursday, October 17, during an appearance Reuters described as nearly 90 minutes long. Reuters’ report.
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What were the two EU matters Trump described?
Trump’s retelling combined two distinct legal matters and used rounded dollar amounts. The EU did not impose one combined $17 billion fine: one case concerned recovery of tax benefits, while the other concerned competition in music streaming.
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| Proceeding | What it concerned | Amount reported |
|---|---|---|
| Apple-Ireland tax recovery | The European Commission’s 2016 finding that Ireland had granted Apple unlawful state aid, which Ireland was required to recover; Apple’s appeal ended with a 2024 EU top court decision. | €13 billion in back taxes, as described by the Associated Press. Trump rendered this as about $15 billion. AP’s account of the court outcome. |
| App Store antitrust fine | Apple’s restrictions affecting competition from music-streaming rivals using the App Store. | About $2 billion, as Reuters described the separate fine. Reuters’ report on the antitrust fine. |
Was Apple fined $17 billion by the EU?
No single $17 billion fine is established by these reports. Trump described the tax recovery dispute as a $15 billion hit and then referred to another $2 billion fine. The underlying figures were reported in different currencies and belong to different proceedings: €13 billion in the tax case and a separate antitrust fine Reuters described as about $2 billion. The $15 billion figure is Trump’s rounded dollar rendering of the €13 billion tax recovery amount, not the legal amount in that case.
Why the distinction matters
The tax dispute concerned Ireland’s treatment of Apple and the recovery of aid the European Commission said was unlawful. The antitrust case concerned Apple’s App Store rules and their effect on music-streaming competitors. They have different legal bases, conduct, and counterparties; adding Trump’s rounded figures together obscures those differences.
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