Peter Navarro, a trade adviser in the White House, has accused Tim Cook of Apple of being dishonest regarding the move of iPhone production from China to the U.S. Navarro claimed that Cook was “outright lying” about his intentions during Trump’s first term.
In an appearance on “Pod Force One” with Miranda Devine, Navarro labeled Cook as “the king of tariff evasion,” arguing that he had failed to deliver on promises to relocate iPhone production.
“We let him off the hook during his first term because he basically lied about moving production out of China,” Navarro stated.
“And he appears to be at it again, which seems fitting,” he added.
When Devine inquired if U.S. manufacturing was seeing a revival during Trump’s second term—pointing out Apple’s current factory in the U.S. and plans for expansion—Navarro was skeptical. “Apple’s branching out to India isn’t really an improvement over China,” he responded. “It’s more of an exception that confirms the rule.”
Former President Trump has also criticized Cook, whom he humorously called “Tim Apple,” for producing products in India. Last May, he threatened Apple with a hefty 25% tariff unless production shifted back to the U.S., although reports suggest some products are indeed being made domestically, with estimates indicating iPhone prices could skyrocket to $3,500 if entirely manufactured in the U.S.
Shortly after returning to the White House, Apple announced a massive $500 billion investment focused on the U.S. In February 2025, the company revealed plans to expand operations in several states, including Texas and California, adding a new plant in Texas.
The company claimed this move could generate around 20,000 new American jobs. Cook mentioned, “Apple is fully dedicated to American manufacturing and is excited to enhance our presence in Houston with Mac mini production starting later this year.”
Cook also highlighted that they have started shipping advanced AI servers from Houston ahead of schedule.
Moreover, Apple has increased its total investment to $600 billion over the past year, aiming to have all new iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass produced at their Kentucky facility by late 2026.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court recently challenged Trump and Navarro’s tariff policies, ruling 6-3 that Trump exceeded his authority to implement tariffs for trade imbalance reasons. Despite this setback, Navarro mentioned he has a “Plan B” in mind to maintain the trading system.
He added that while some tariffs related to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were withdrawn, various other authorities delegated to the President by Congress remain intact.
Navarro has previously berated Apple’s continued production in China, labeling it “Silicon Valley’s longest-running soap opera.” He expressed disbelief over the situation during his conversation on “Pod Force One,” emphasizing, “This is mind-boggling.”
He noted that due to the tariffs, nearly $18 trillion in new investments have been committed, reinforcing Trump’s message that producing within the U.S. would eliminate the need to pay tariffs.
Apple representatives have not yet responded to requests for a statement on these issues.
