Apple Pulls Out Of Republican National Convention Due To Donald Trump’s Comments
Donald Trump’s comments about women, minorities, and immigrants have resulted in a decision by Apple to not provide any form of support for the Republican National Convention, according to a report by Politico. They will not provide either monetary support or technology for the event taking place next month in Cleveland. Donald Trump has previously called for a boycott of Apple products and has specifically condemned CEO Tim Cook for the company’s decision not to create a backdoor on its products that could be used for intelligence purposes. In response to the news, an RNC spokeswoman stated that, “We are working with a variety of major tech partners who are focused on being part of the American political process.” A request for comment from a spokeswoman for the Donald Trump campaign did not receive a response. There has been no news so far regarding the technology company’s level of involvement in the Democratic National Convention.
Technology companies generally try to evenly support both conventions, but Donald Trump’s rise in the Republican Party this year has upset that balance. Although Apple is not a huge player politically, this is the first time they have not supported a national convention of either of the two major political parties. Campaign finance records indicate that they provided about $140,000 worth of MacBooks and other technology each to the DNC and the RNC in 2008 and lent equipment to both conventions in 2012.
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Among other companies who have pulled out of the Republican Party due to Donald Trump’s prominence are Hewlett-Packard and BuzzFeed. PressTV reports that although Hewlett-Packard supported the Republican National Convention in 2012, it has announced it will not do so this year. BuzzFeed also terminated an advertising campaign with the RNC earlier this year, stating, “We don’t run cigarette ads because they are hazardous to our health, and we won’t accept Trump ads for the exact same reason.”
Donald Trump’s derogatory remarks about women, immigrants, and minorities are not the only reason for his dwindling support by the tech industry. Several major technology companies have made efforts to attract highly-skilled workers from other countries into the U.S. Donald Trump’s platform includes the deportation of undocumented immigrants and the creation of a wall along the Mexican border, steps the tech industry views as barriers to their strategies.
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There are technology companies, however, who have expressed their support of the Republican National Convention regardless of Trump’s platform. Google has announced that it will be present at the RNC next month, and Microsoft has committed to providing technological support but not monetary support. In spite of Mark Zuckerberg’s attacks on Donald Trump’s stance on immigration, Facebook has stated they will provide both monetary and other support to the RNC.
Among anti-Trump groups is the Free Press Action Fund. Their field director, Mary Alice Crim, said this about corporate decisions about whether or not to support Donald Trump by supporting the RNC.
“We want them to divest from hate. We want them to pull all their money and support… [they need to be] thinking hard about where they put their brand, and whether they want to align their brand with racism, hatred and misogyny.”
Donald Trump’s comments have created a divide within the Republican Party itself, with many who are usually large donors during presidential elections hesitant to do so with Trump as the presumptive nominee. Trump has recently commented that he is considering self-funding his campaign as a result. The New York Times quotes him as saying,
“If the Republican Party, and I hope they all come together, because I want them all to come together, but if for any reason, they get a little bit like they don’t want to help out as much, then I’ll fund my own campaign. I’d love to do that.”
[Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]
