Former President Donald Trump has called on Apple to prioritize American manufacturing over expanding its operations in India, telling CEO Tim Cook that the company should invest more heavily at home after years of building products in China.
“I said to Tim, I said, ‘Tim, we treated you really good, we put up with all the plants that you built in China for years, now you got to build us,’” Trump said during a recent appearance. “We’re not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves.”
Trump’s comments come just days after Cook visited the White House on Tuesday to meet with the former president, according to Politico, which cited a person familiar with the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was not publicly disclosed.
The discussion follows growing concerns in Washington over Apple’s global manufacturing plans. The company has been shifting some of its iPhone production from China to India in response to trade tensions and supply chain disruptions. However, Trump has made it clear he wants that shift directed toward the United States instead.
Despite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to strengthen ties with Trump during his presidency, including a widely publicized joint rally and personal rapport, those efforts appear to have done little to influence Apple’s future investment decisions in favor of India.
Earlier this year, Apple committed to investing $500 billion over four years to expand its manufacturing and artificial intelligence operations within the United States. The company is also navigating high tariffs on Chinese imports, which could increase the cost of its devices for American consumers.