Apple has taken a YUUGE stance against Trump by not providing any money or technology to the Republican National Convention.
Unlike Facebook, Google and Microsoft, which have all said they will provide some support to the GOP event in Cleveland next month, Apple decided against donating technology or cash to the effort. Apple’s overtly political stance against Trump is a sign of the tensions between Silicon Valley and the GOP’s presumptive nominee.
I guess the move isn’t that unsurprising, given Trump’s Tweet about boycotting of all Apple products earlier this year over CEO Tim Cook’s refusal to develop software to unlock the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino terrorists.
You’d think that giants like Google, Facebook, & Microsoft, which are all about protecting their brands, would not want their logos anywhere near Trump at the GOP convention, as he represents everything that the tech sector should be opposing.
But some corporations seem to be learning that associating their products with Trump in any way will tarnish their brands in the eyes of consumers. Other big brands reducing their commitment or opting out entirely this year:
• Coca-Cola donated just $75,000 to the Republican convention this year, a steep drop from the $660,000 it gave to the party for its convention in Tampa four years ago.
• Hewlett-Packard announced last month that it would not be contributing to the RNC this year, despite having a long-standing tradition of contributing to the party.
• MetLife, one of the Tampa convention’s biggest sponsors, is not giving any money to the RNC this year either.
• Wells Fargo, which gave $500,000 to each party’s convention in 2012, will only provide assistance to the Democrats’ convention this year.
However, despite these boycotts, a spokesperson for the RNC told said that they are still on track to meet their $64 million goal. But the main money that has been coming in has been underwritten almost exclusively with private cash from billionaires, corporate lobbyists and Super PACs. This is the direct result of a series of recent federal rule changes that eliminated public funding for conventions and made it MUCH easier for parties to rake in unlimited sums of private cash.
So, they don’t really need these corporate sponsors anymore, it seems.
(via Politicus USA, Independent Journal)
