"Time to de-escalate": Apple CEO Tim Cook commented on the events in Minneapolis

Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed employees in connection with the events in Minneapolis. He said he was "deeply shocked" and called for a de-escalation of the situation. Cook's comments followed those of a number of other business leaders, including billionaires Ray Dalio and Bill Ackman.

"I am deeply shocked by the events in Minneapolis. [...] Now is the time for de-escalation. I believe America is strong when we live up to our highest ideals and treat everyone with dignity and respect, no matter who they are or where they come from," Cook shared in a letter to Apple employees. The text was published by Bloomberg.

The head of the company also said that this week he discussed the situation with US President Donald Trump. "I had a good conversation with the president during which I shared my views, and I appreciate his openness to discussing issues that are important to all of us," Cook said.

That said, Cook did not directly mention the two fatal shootings by federal agents, CNBC noted.

Trump resorted to similar language on Tuesday, January 27: he said in an interview with Fox News that he wants to achieve "de-escalation" in Minnesota by changing the leadership of the operation to identify and deport illegals, Bloomberg writes. The president sent his running mate Tom Howman to Minneapolis to effectively replace Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, the agency explained. "Bovino is very good, but he's a pretty eccentric person. In some cases that's a good thing. That may not have been the case here," Trump said in the same Fox News interview.

Two people have died at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis in one month: Renee Nicole Goode was killed by an ICE immigration police officer and Alex Pretty was killed by Border Patrol agents. This sparked protests in the United States.

Bridgewater Associates founder and billionaire Ray Dalio, commenting on the events, wrote on LinkedIn that the U.S. could cross "over the brink of a more overt civil war" if Trump decides to keep fighting.

Billionaire Bill Ackman, who supported Trump in the 2024 election, pointed to the extreme polarization of American society. He noted in X that there are "only two sides to any incident," and people find themselves convicted or exonerated by politicians and the public before the investigation is complete. Eckman also criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, saying that inciting confrontation with law enforcement inevitably leads to tragedies.

A number of Minnesota CEOs, including the CEOs of Target, 3M and General Mills, have also collectively called for immediate de-escalation and cooperative action by all levels of government.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor