Donald Trump has a message for Tim Cook: If elected, you’re going to begin making all of your devices in the United States.
The Republican front-runner made the boast on Monday near the end of a speech at Liberty University in Virginia (video here, comments just after 1:07 mark):
“I think we’re going to get things coming. We’re going to get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries.”
Trump has regularly bashed U.S. companies for manufacturing their products elsewhere. A regular target ― including in his Monday speech ― has been Ford Motor Co. (F), with Trump threatening a 35% import tariff on any cars made in Mexico (while simultaneously calling himself a “free trader”).
But this seems to be the first time Apple (AAPL) has entered his crosshairs, and Trump provided no suggestions for how he would convince Tim Cook to abandon his company’s primary manufacturing base. Then again, it’s also unclear how a president ― any president ― would unilaterally impose a 35% tariff…