It’s not hard to imagine Donald Trump descending into a rant against a political opponent, but this time he has chosen a surprising target: Tim Cook.
Taking to Twitter overnight, Trump wrote to the Apple CEO that he likes the Home button on the iPhone more than “the Swipe”.
To Tim: The Button on the IPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2019
It’s not clear why Donald Trump brought up the iPhone design now. Apple first replaced the physical button with a virtual Home bar in 2017, when it introduced the iPhone X, so users now have to slide their fingers across the screen to unlock the phone and navigate between the apps rather than tap the button.
The latest line-up of iPhones, released last month, also has the bar, which has allowed Apple to achieve the edge-to-edge display.
The White House’s chief social media manager, Dan Scavino, tweeted back in March 2017 that Trump had switched from Android to iPhone. Whatever model it was, it had to have a Home button because the iPhone X wasn’t around at that time.
.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump has been using his new iPhone📱for the past couple of weeks here on Twitter. Yes, it is #POTUS45 reading & tweeting!
— Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) March 29, 2017
Trump’s feedback on the iPhone design apparently hasn’t resonated well with quite a few Twitterati, who mocked the president in every imaginable way.
To Tim Apple:
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) October 25, 2019
I’m getting senile and delirious and just realised today that all iPhones since 2017 had the home button removed and replaced with a swipe. It was very shocking to me here in 2019, two years later because it feels like it just happened.
Sincerely,
Dear Leader
Tim Apple: “Well boys, I guess that’s that, we’re gonna step backwards three generations because Stubby McGreasyfingers can’t swipe.” 📱
— Santa Claus, CEO (@SantaInc) October 25, 2019
Wow! Technical feedback from the guy who can't operate an umbrella.
— Translate Trump (@TranslateRealDT) October 25, 2019
To Donald: The last President of the United States was FAR better than this Asswipe.
— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) October 25, 2019
Too easy to butt-dial now?
— HumanScumHat (@Popehat) October 25, 2019
Trump and Cook have met at least half a dozen times in the past year to discuss tariffs and trade in light of the never-ending US-China economic tensions. In an August interview, Trump said that Cook would give him a call “whenever there is a problem”.
“That’s why he’s a great executive,” he added. “Because he calls me and others don’t. Others go out and hire very expensive consultants. Tim Cook calls Donald Trump directly.”
It remains to be seen whether Apple heeds Trump’s design advice.
