A few weeks ago, I was running along the Hudson River when I had to pause as a duck strutted across the walkway, its head held high as if it owned the pavement. Behind her, a couple of ducklings scurried, scrambling to keep up. It was sweet and charming, despite what they leave behind and what I step in constantly.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate’s email newsletter.

And then this week, I saw something eerily similar, but instead of charm, it reeked of desperation and groveling. On Wednesday, there was Tim Cook, the 5’9″ CEO of Apple, trailing 6’3″ Donald Trump into the Oval Office. 

All I could think of was that duck and her ducklings, but in this version, the duckling was a sycophant, and the air was thick with something much fouler than duck droppings.

Now, when I put Trump and stench in the same sentence, I know what you’re thinking. Thank God I’ve never been close enough to him to verify whether said rumor is true, but it seems like lots of people like to talk about it.

However, this isn’t about physical odor. Instead, it’s the moral malodor of Trump’s vicious attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and on migrants, many of whom make up the very labor force that assembles Apple’s devices across the globe. And what Trump is doing just stinks.

Further, Cook, as a gay man and as CEO of a company that benefits from cheap labor in countries Trump would refer to as “shitholes,” turned his back on both communities by debasing himself to this odorous man.

And if that weren’t bad enough, Cook presented Trump with a gift, an opulent sculpture made of glass with the Apple logo and 24-karat gold. Presumably, so it would feel right at home among the other tacky, gilded ornaments Trump has offensively nailed to the walls of the Oval Office. 

It was as if Cook were auditioning for one of the three wise men, who offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the self-appointed messiah of MAGA. Remember, Trump thinks he’s akin to the second coming of Christ. But in this case, there’s no room for Christ, who was humble, Trump’s bloated ego just thinks he’s God.

Cook has now arguably dethroned Elon Musk as Trump’s favorite corporate CEO, and just like everyone else who tries to cozy up to Trump, this Cook is going to get burned. People are already trashing him on social media. 

I’m sorry, but did anyone in Apple PR have the gonads to say to him, “Um, Mr. Cook, it’s probably not a good idea to present his majesty with more gold, lest the court jesters mock thee as the enemy.”

But Cook is such a coward, because if he doesn’t indulge and appease his majesty, Cook will also get burned on Trump’s Truth Social.

Just a side note, I always thought it was ironic that “musk” was close to the stink bomb Trump. But “cook” makes sense as the new heir to the throne because MSNBC’s Alex Wagner once said Trump smelled like “cooking oil.”

OK, now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Cook has a history of schmoozing and groveling before Trump, but this latest stunt was way over the top. The gift, the photo op, the Nancy Reagan gaze, it was all too much. 

I say this all the time because it’s always true: Cook’s toadiness was all about the money. If Trump told Cook to help build the new White House ballroom, Cook would have worn overalls with a tool belt to the White House on Wednesday. Like Cook or Apple needs more money.

Cook is one of the richest men alive, at the helm of one of the most powerful and lucrative companies in human history. Based on what happened this week, Cook apparently can’t get enough money. So he stoops low enough to inhale the gaseous fumes of Trump in exchange for favor and profit. 

It’s an overtly sickening sight, especially if you’re a queer employee at Apple or a poorly paid worker in South Asia making the very devices Cook uses to buy power and access.

Instead of issuing a dignified press release on Wednesday to announce Apple’s latest U.S. investment, which, if it even materializes, won’t show results anytime soon, Cook chose to deliver it in person so Trump could bask in the announcement’s glow. As if he had anything to do with it.

Well, he did, by extorting companies with tariff threats. Trump bullies corporations into making splashy investments on U.S. soil to avoid the wrath of tariffs, while conveniently scoring political points along the way. Like he did on Wednesday with Cook. The optics and location suggest Trump made this happen.

And while these announcements might sound good in headlines, they mostly serve wealthy multinational corporations that can afford to throw money at Trump and weather the tariff storm. Small businesses will suffer mightily. They can’t curry favor with golden trinkets and billion-dollar press conferences. They just try to survive.

Under Trump, the rich are thriving, wealthy individuals are profiting off tax breaks from the “big beautiful bill,” and corporate empires are handing him 24-karat gold as tribute. Meanwhile, Trump’s war on higher education means only the wealthy will soon be able to afford a degree. 

His war on truth means the media bends to his lawsuits with huge financial gifts. Just like law firms. And courts, ruling in favor of migrants and the marginalized, are frustrated that the Justice Department won’t adhere to rulings.

If Cook’s foaming at the pulpit with Trump showed anything, it’s that only the rich survive in the era of the gilded Donald. 

When all else fails, as it was my hope that corporate America would step up, or step in and rescue democracy. But honestly, since so many companies caved to Trump by scrapping their DEI programs (Apple didn’t, but it can get away with having DEI because of Cook’s money and tricks), they’ll most likely continue to bend their knees, or get on their knees.

All hope is gone that they would be the grown-ups in the room. The institutions with resources, independence, and influence. But if Tim Cook, one of the most prominent CEOs in the world, is any indication, then we’re in freefall. 

If this is what leadership looks like, then we will be living under authoritarian rule faster than you can say “iPhone.” And that’s the kicker. We can all say what we want about Tim Cook. We can ridicule him. We can protest his prostration to Trump. We can threaten to boycott…

No, we can’t. Because we are all addicted to our iPhones, our iPads, and our Macs, and so when push comes to shove, we’ll laugh, shrug, shake our fists, and then turn our heads back toward our phones.

Cook may come across as approachable and chill, but make no mistake, he is, at his core, a ruthless money-monger. He showed us who he is. He proved he’s no different from Mike Johnson, Sam Altman, Shari Redstone, or any of the others handing Trump their loyalty in the form of adulation, power, and, yes, gold.

And he feeds our addiction, while ducking out of responsibility for capitulation to a dictator.

Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit Advocate.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, equalpride.