This rings so true!
I interviewed for a few different teams at Apple and got an offer from one (they make you choose a team before you get an offer).
There were echos of nepotism, scapegoating, and toxic treatment even during the interview process.
Based on the answers I got during the “ask us some questions” portion at the end of each interview, it seemed like a very political and tense environment for a few of the interviewers.
Thank you for sharing, this validated that I made the right choice.
I’m sorry you had to go through this.