Former President Donald Trump is once again wading into the corporate world’s most consequential boardrooms—this time setting his sights on Apple. In a move that underscores his longstanding “America First” manufacturing philosophy, Trump is publicly urging the Cupertino-based tech giant to halt its gradual relocation of iPhone production to India. The remarks, delivered during a recent campaign event and echoed in a follow-up interview with Fox Business, reignite a familiar theme in Trump’s political messaging: bringing jobs back to U.S. soil, even if that means applying pressure to one of the world’s most valuable companies.
“Apple should be making their products in the United States, not moving more operations to India,” Trump said, reiterating concerns over domestic job losses and U.S. technological dependency on foreign labor. “They’ve got all the money in the world, and they need to be patriotic about where their devices are made.”
In the middle of this recent push is an overall shift within Apple’s supply chain. Since the beginning of time, Apple has been quietly expanding its manufacturing facilities and attempting to decrease its dependence on China due to growing geopolitical tensions, as well as the unstable COVID lockdowns. India, with its vast labor pool, government incentives, and improving tech infrastructure, has quickly emerged as the company’s top alternative. Apple has already begun assembling some iPhone models—like the iPhone 13, 14, and most recently, the 15—in India via its key suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron.
While the company hasn’t confirmed plans to fully relocate iPhone production out of China, analysts agree the trend is clear: Apple is investing heavily in Indian capacity. According to Bloomberg, Apple aims to shift up to 25% of all iPhone production to India by 2026, a massive leap from just 3% in 2021.
This reconfiguration hasn’t gone unnoticed. For Trump, it’s an opportunity to reframe Apple’s global strategy as a symbolic failure of U.S. industrial policy—one that could cost American workers. “We gave Apple the foundation to grow into a $3 trillion company,” he said. “Now they want to offshore our future.”
But the reality is far more complicated than the rhetorical slogans in the media would suggest. Apple’s expansion plan in India is the result of strategy-based risk management as well as hard economics. With U.S.-China relations remaining tense and Washington ramping up tech export restrictions on Beijing, Apple’s boardroom executives have grown increasingly wary of being too dependent on a single geopolitical theater. India offers not only operational breathing room but also access to a fast-growing consumer base that could one day rival China’s.
For its part, Apple has remained silent on Trump’s remarks. The company rarely comments on political matters, and even during the Trump presidency, CEO Tim Cook walked a careful line—sometimes engaging directly with the administration while steering clear of public confrontations. Behind the scenes, however, insiders say Apple’s leadership views diversification as non-negotiable. “This isn’t about turning our back on the U.S.,” one Apple executive told CNN on background. “It’s about making sure our supply chain survives the next 20 years.”
Still, Trump’s comments are likely to resonate with a portion of the electorate that feels left behind by globalization and automation. Manufacturing jobs have declined in the U.S. over the last few decades. Although tech companies like Apple have created millions of high-paying jobs in software and retail, those roles often cluster in specific regions and require specialized education. To Trump’s base, the idea of Apple assembling iPhones in Texas or Michigan might feel both logical and just.
However, experts caution against oversimplifying the supply chain. “You can’t just snap your fingers and build an iPhone factory in Ohio,” said Marc Zwillinger, a global trade analyst. “These are highly complex ecosystems involving thousands of suppliers, skilled technicians, and deeply entrenched logistics. India isn’t just cheaper—it’s now equipped to handle the scale Apple demands.”
There’s also the reality of cost. American labor, while more regulated and protected, is significantly more expensive than its Indian counterpart. Passing those expenses on to consumers could make already pricey iPhones even less affordable, especially in emerging markets where Apple is trying to grow.
This isn’t the first time Trump has targeted Apple’s overseas manufacturing. During his presidency, he famously asked Tim Cook to “build those damn computers in the U.S.” and once floated tariffs on Apple’s Chinese-made products. While those efforts saw limited success, they did contribute to a broader discussion about reshoring and supply chain resilience—topics that have taken on renewed urgency in a post-pandemic world.
The bigger question now is whether Trump’s comments will influence policy should he return to office. While presidents can’t directly force private companies to alter their business strategies, they can shape the regulatory and tax environment in ways that encourage or punish certain decisions. A future Trump administration could, for example, reinstate tariffs on imported electronics or offer tax breaks to firms that relocate production domestically.
For now, though, the pressure remains rhetorical. Apple continues its expansion in India, with Foxconn announcing plans to build multiple new plants in the country, including a $1 billion facility in the state of Karnataka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed Apple’s investment as a “milestone moment” for India’s digital future, and Indian authorities are keen to establish the nation as a global manufacturing base.
Back in the U.S., Trump’s comments may be more about politics than policy. With the 2024 election heating up and the economy still a dominant issue for many voters, calling out tech giants like Apple provides an easy soundbite. It allows Trump to appear tough on outsourcing, protective of U.S. jobs, and in tune with working-class frustrations.
Yet whether Apple listens is another matter. As the global economy continues to evolve, so too does the complex web of supply chains that power it. The intersection of technology, politics, and globalization has never been more delicate, and Apple finds itself walking a tightrope between shareholder expectations, geopolitical realities, and domestic scrutiny.
For now, one thing is clear: the iPhone may still be “Designed in California,” but where it’s made will remain a hot-button issue, especially when voices as loud as Donald Trump’s weigh in.