Apple CEO Tim Cook faces staff backlash after attending Melania Trump gala

Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent a personal memo to employees following a wave of backlash over his attendance at a VIP White House event hosted by Donald and Melania Trump.

The 65-year-old executive attended a private screening of a Melania Trump documentary on Saturday night, just hours after Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse in Minneapolis, was shot and killed by federal ICE agents. Apple customers also voiced frustration over Cook’s presence at a gala for a $75 million documentary funded by Amazon—a rival streaming competitor—with some threatening to boycott Apple products or cancel services. Other high-profile tech leaders in attendance included Zoom CEO Eric Yuan and AMD CEO Lisa Su.

In his memo to staff, Cook adopted the same phrasing used by the president regarding the situation in Minneapolis, disclosing that he held a “productive conversation” with Trump earlier this week.

“This is a time for de-escalation,” Cook wrote. “America is at its strongest when we remain faithful to our highest ideals—treating everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of who they are or where they come from, and embracing our shared humanity.”

Cook noted that he spoke with the president earlier this week to share his perspective on the “events in Minneapolis.”

“I had a good conversation with the president this week and shared my views,” Cook stated. “I am grateful for his openness to discuss the issues that matter to all of us. I recognize this is an incredibly emotional and difficult subject for many. I am proud that our teams care so deeply about the world beyond our own walls.”

Other tech leaders close to the administration have also weighed in on the recent immigration enforcement actions. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who has met with Trump at the White House on several occasions, addressed the issue in a Slack message to his employees.

“The actions taken by ICE are an overreach,” Altman wrote. “There is a profound difference between deporting violent criminals and what is currently transpiring; we must ensure that distinction is correctly maintained.”

While Altman expressed his love for the country and its democratic values, he added that “part of loving one’s country is the duty of American citizens to oppose practices that go too far.”

“President Trump is a very strong leader, and I hope he can navigate this challenging moment to unify the country,” Altman continued. “I am encouraged by the response over the last few hours and hope that transparent investigations will restore trust.”

The fallout comes as more than 450 employees from Google, Meta Platforms, and OpenAI signed a joint letter following Pretti’s death on Saturday. The petition urges senior executives to pressure the Trump administration to withdraw ICE agents from US cities and to formally condemn the recent surge in enforcement-related violence.