President Donald Trump is leaning into one of his most viral moments.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump praised departing Apple CEO Tim Cook by using the nickname “Tim Apple,” a line that first drew attention in 2019.
“When I got the call I said, wow, it’s Tim Apple (Cook!) calling, how big is that?” Trump wrote, referring to one of his early experiences of Cook.
The comment points back to a widely shared moment during a White House meeting in March 2019 when Trump was speaking alongside Cook and other executives on his American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.
While praising Apple’s US investment at the time, he said: “We appreciate it very much, Tim Apple.”
The remark quickly went viral. While some saw it as a simple slip-up, others said Trump may have meant to thank both “Tim” and “Apple” separately. Either way, the phrase stuck.
Cook later joked about it by briefly changing his Twitter display name to “Tim” alongside the Apple logo.
Trump’s post on Tuesday comes as Cook prepares to step down as Apple’s CEO after 15 years in the role.
He said he will leave the position on September 1 and transition to the role of executive chairman, with Apple hardware chief John Ternus set to take over.
In his farewell letter, Cook reflected on his time leading the company and thanked customers for their support. He called Ternus “the perfect person for the job.”
Trump ended his post with emphatic praise: “Tim Cook had an AMAZING career, almost incomparable, and will go on and continue to do great work for Apple, and whatever else he chooses to work on. Quite simply, Tim Cook is an incredible guy!!!”
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