OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
11:53 AM – Thursday, February 26, 2026
White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, Peter Navarro, called out Apple CEO Tim Cook during a Wednesday appearance on the “Pod Force One” podcast, accusing the tech executive of deceptive practices and false promises regarding the relocation of iPhone production to the United States.
In a candid interview with host Miranda Devine, Navarro asserted that Cook has repeatedly misled the White House to secure favorable trade treatment while keeping Apple’s core manufacturing infrastructure overseas.
“Tim Cook… he’s the king of evading tariffs,” Navarro told Devine. “We let him get away with it in the first term, because he promised he would basically bring his iPhone production here — or out of China — and he lied through his teeth.”
“And he’s doing it again. That’s quite par for the course,” he added.
Devine then asked him whether American manufacturing is undergoing a renaissance in President Trump’s second term, pointing out that Apple already operates factories in the U.S. and has committed to further expanding its domestic production footprint.
“Not with Apple. I mean, they’re going to India, and to me, that’s not a whole lot better than being in China,” Navarro shot back. “But, that’s the exception, I think, that proves the rule.”
The comments come as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Silicon Valley to buy American and hire American.
Navarro has previously described the ongoing negotiations with Apple as the longest-running soap opera in Silicon Valley. While Apple recently announced a $500 billion investment in the U.S. economy over the next four years — including a new facility in Houston, Texas, to assemble AI servers and the Mac mini — Navarro dismissed these moves as “performative.”
The friction follows a recent Supreme Court decision that limited the executive branch’s ability to impose certain “emergency tariffs.” Navarro further signaled that the administration is already moving toward a tariff “Plan B,” utilizing alternative statutory authorities, such as Sections 232 and 301, to ensure that companies like Apple cannot bypass trade barriers.
Key points of the trade dispute:
- India expansion: The White House has expressed frustration over Apple’s move to manufacture nearly 20% of iPhones in India, with President Trump stating he wants production in the U.S., not just “anywhere but China.”
- Automation: Cook has previously indicated that advanced robotics are the only viable path to large-scale U.S. assembly, a transition that remains in its infancy.
Apple has since defended its record, pointing to its status as the “largest taxpayer in the U.S.” and its support for “over 2.4 million American jobs” across all 50 states.
As the administration prepares for its next round of trade negotiations, Navarro’s comments suggest that the “honeymoon phase” between the White House and Cupertino may be reaching a breaking point.
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