Apple back in the White House’s crosshairs as Trump aide slams Tim Cook over China

11 hours ago 2

On today’s “Squawk on the Street” on CNBC, White House Senior Counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro reignited criticism of Apple’s dependence on China, calling out CEO Tim Cook for what he described as years of delayed efforts to move iPhone production elsewhere. Here’s the full quote.

‘The longest running soap opera in Silicon Valley’

During a wide-ranging exchange on tariffs, the FED and Apple, CNBC’s Jim Cramer and Navarro discussed Tim Cook’s recent challenges in pleasing the Trump administration.

When Cramer noted that “no matter where Apple goes, we find that they have to be taxed high,” and asked, “What is enough for you?” Navarro responded:

“Going back to the first Trump term, Tim Cook has continually asked for more time in order to move his factories out of China. I mean, it’s a it’s the longest running soap opera in Silicon Valley. And my problem with Tim Cook is he never takes the steps to actually do that. And with all these new advanced manufacturing techniques and the way things are moving with AI and things like that, it’s inconceivable to me that Tim Cook could not produce his iPhones elsewhere around the world and in this country.”

Today’s interview came on the heels of the end of Trump’s 90-day tariff pause, which was followed by a new round of tariffs targeting countries like Japan and South Korea. Apple’s shares followed the broader market’s downward trend, closing the day down 1.69%.