As expected, Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared in Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace this morning. In the interview, Cook justified Apple’s decision to remove Parler from the App Store, talked about Apple’s new investments in its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative and more.
When asked by Wallace about the motivation behind the newest ads from Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, Cook explained:
So this initiative is about opportunity and about giving opportunities to communities of color, and we couldn’t be more excited about its potential. Last year, with the assassination of George Floyd, it brought urgency to that. And so we are excited to be able to do our part here and hope that more people will follow us.
We hope to make the Propel Center an innovation center that serves all HBCUs, but becomes a source of information and a source of inspiration for the entire HBCU footprint.
The Apple CEO also mentioned what he witnessed growing up in Alabama, and how it affects things today and the new REJI projects.
I remember periods of time, Chris, when, whether you were in high school or college or beyond, you looked around and there were only whites in, in, whether at a college or university or a graduate school or something. It doesn’t seem right. And then, and then you ask, why is that? And I think it’s the lack of opportunity. This goes back to that. And what we’re trying to do with this program is to give people the opportunity.
Cook also justified Apple’s definition of suspending Parler from the App Store, which we covered for the first time earlier this week, when the Fox News interview was announced.
Wallace also asked Cook what it was like to take Steve Jobs’ place in 2011 and what he is “most proud of” in the past decade.
My focus then was on grieving, on grieving and leading the company for a very, very difficult period of time. And so I wasn’t really thinking about how scary it was.
I am very proud to have kept its DNA as the core of the company. And that the company remained focused on innovation and the manufacture of really excellent products that empower people and enrich their lives.
I love it every day here. It is a lifetime privilege to work with the people I work with. It is difficult for me to imagine my life without Apple. What’s next for Apple? We will continue to make the best products in the world. Not the best, but the best.
Wallace asked a question about the Apple Car, which Cook kindly dodged:
Wallace: Does that include an Apple car?
Cook: Well, I can’t comment on rumors and the like.
Wallace: Well, you can. You can choose not to, but certainly – you are the boss
Cook: You are right. I choose not to. Touché.
Looking ahead, Cook said Apple wants to use its platform to “help solve some of the country’s biggest problems”, without going into details. “We have always seen a company as having a bigger role than just making money, but, in fact, also making a difference,” he explained. “And that’s what motivates me, gets me up in the morning and keeps me working”.
You can watch the full interview included below or by visiting the Fox News Sunday website.
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