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Apple and the return of Donald Trump
A tech’ giant, the White House and China
In the aftermath of the 2024 US Election, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, posted a a message of congratulations to President Elect Donald Trump on X:
‘We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity’.
Cook was not alone among tech’ CEOs in sending their wishes to Trump after his election victory, but Apple is uniquely placed to be affected by Trump 2.0. As Trump’s cabinet picks have included figures who actively see China as the USA’s key enemy in the next two decades — some even articulating a potential Cold War between the two powers — Apple may make some moves to insulate itself — and its stock price — against this new, Trumpian, reality. Let’s explore some of Apple’s options.
Manufacturing
The last Trump presidency included a rather awkward moment where the President stood next to Apple’s Tim Cook to celebrate the opening of a manufacturing facility in Texas. While the facility had been there for years — being part of the ill-fated ‘trashcan’ Mac Pro manufacturing run — the message was clear: Apple wanted to be seen as meeting Trump’s American First agenda, while showing a willingness to talk…
