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Trump's awkward moment; Apple rant gets disturbed by repeated calls on his own iPhone | Watch
As Donald Trump slammed Apple on Friday his iPhone rang twice
President Donald Trump had an awkward moment in the Oval Office on Friday. As the 78-year-old slammed Apple for its ‘Make in India’ plans, his own iPhone rang, not once. The president cut at least two calls in front of reporters, saying congressmen were ringing him to congratulate his administration.
This comes as Trump was talking to reporters on his plans to levy additional tariffs on Apple products if the tech company decides to manufacture iPhones outside the United States.
Read More: Donald Trump warns Apple of 25% tariff if iPhones are made in 'India or anyplace else'
Earlier in the day, President Trump said that he expects Apple to make iPhones in the US. “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US," he wrote on Truth Social.
The 78-year-old later clarified that all smartphones made abroad will be taxed and the tariffs could be coming as soon as the end of June.
“It would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product,” Trump said. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair.”
Read More: After Trump’s 50% tariff warning, EU demands trade deal based on 'respect', not 'threats'
Trump's Apple criticism was in response to Apple CEO Tim Cook saying that most iPhones sold in the US during the current fiscal quarter would come from India, with iPads and other devices being imported from Vietnam. This was after the administration announced steep tariffs on China-made products.
The Associated Press cited analysts to report that Trump's tariffs could send the price of a $1,200 iPhone to anywhere between $1,500 to $3,500.
In a May 15 statement, Trump spoke about Apple CEO Tim Cook, stating that they had a ‘little problem’.
He recounted how he told Cook: "We're not interested in you building in India... we want you to build here and they're going to be upping their production in the United States."
