NEED TO KNOW
- Trump threatens Apple with a 25% tariff unless it moves iPhone production to the U.S.
- Tim Cook reportedly blinked 17 times during their meeting, unsure if Trump was serious or just hungry.
- Experts say U.S.-made iPhones would cost $3,500 and still autocorrect “covfefe” to “confuse.”
Trump Wants iPhones Made in America, Even If They Cost Like a Used Sedan
President Trump issued a sharp warning to Apple on Friday. He said the company must move iPhone production to the United States or face a 25% tariff. According to his Truth Social post, Trump has “long informed” Apple CEO Tim Cook of his expectations.
This follows Cook’s recent statement that most iPhones sold in the U.S. would soon be made in India. Trump didn’t like that. He said building iPhones “in India or anyplace else” is unacceptable. He also added, “If that’s the case, a tariff of at least 25% must be paid.”
Cook Gets Called Out in Qatar, and Probably Regretted Everything
During his recent trip to the Middle East, Trump expressed frustration. “Tim, you’re my friend,” he said. “But now I hear you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.” He repeated this concern in a follow-up meeting at the White House.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later backed Trump’s push. He claimed Apple’s global supply chain is a national security risk. He also said it’s time to bring precision manufacturing back to the U.S.
Experts Say: Great Idea, But Welcome to $3,500 iPhones
Industry analysts think Trump’s plan may sound patriotic, but it’s wildly impractical. Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities estimates U.S.-made iPhones could triple in price. That would bring the total to about $3,500 per phone.
Why? Apple relies on hundreds of thousands of highly skilled workers in China and India. The U.S. simply doesn’t have the infrastructure or workforce to match that level of production. Even moving 10% of Apple’s operations to the U.S. would cost $30 billion and take years.
Apple has tried to meet Trump halfway. Earlier this year, it announced a $500 billion investment in U.S. facilities. These include new data centers, AI server manufacturing in Texas, and Apple TV+ production expansions.
Still, none of these involve making iPhones in West Virginia, which Trump has apparently suggested more than once.
Meanwhile, Trump Thinks the iPhone Can Be American Again
Trump believes Apple is missing an opportunity. He sees the tariff threat as motivation, not punishment. “We have strong hands in America,” he said. “We’ve got fingers, folks. Great fingers. The best. I’m not even sure India has fingers that good.”
Critics say this rhetoric is disconnected from economic reality. Supporters say it’s just Trump being Trump. Either way, Tim Cook is probably already pricing out what a stainless steel Apple Pencil costs to manufacture in Ohio.
Meanwhile, Trump’s new plan to “Americanize Apple” includes:
- Forcing Siri to say “Y’all” in red states
- Replacing Apple Pay with “Cash From Dad”
- Turning Apple’s Genius Bar into a literal bar (only serving Miller Lite, not the “woke one”)
Quote of the Moment
If I can build a tower in Manhattan, Apple can build a phone in Montana
Trump, while Googling “where is Montana” on an iPad Pro
