Trump Says He Had ‘a Little Problem’ With Tim Cook in Heated Call

President Donald Trump says he had “a little problem” with Apple CEO Tim Cook, as he recounted pressuring the tech giant to abandon plans to build in India and bring jobs back to the U.S.

Trump relayed the conversation to the press during a meeting early Thursday in Qatar, where he is currently on a multi-stop tour of various nations within the Middle East. The president explained how he called Cook directly to confront him on the “problem” and that, while Apple currently does not manufacture iPhones in the U.S., Cook signaled to him that the company would increase domestic operations.

I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. I said to him: ‘Tim, you’re my friend. I treated you very good. You’re coming in with $500 billion. But now I hear you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India. You can build in India if you want to take care of India.’

Because India is the highest, one of the highest tariff nations in the world, it’s very hard to sell into India. And they’ve offered us a deal where basically they’re willing to literally charge us no tariff. So we go from the highest tariff… You couldn’t do business in India. We’re not even a top 30 in India because the tariff is so high to a point where they have actually told us, I assume you to Scott [Bessent], you were working on that also that there will be no tariff, right. Would you say that’s a difference there, the highest and now they’re saying no tariff.

According to Trump, Cook caved. The president continued:

But I said to Tim, I said: ‘Tim, look, we’ve treated you really good. We put up with all the plants that you built in China for years. Now you got to build us. We’re not interested in you building in India. India can take care of themselves. They’re doing very well. We want you to build here.’

And they’re going to be upping their production in the United States, Apple. So Apple is already in for 500 billion, but they’re going to be upping their production. So it will be great.

That blunt message came as Apple ramps up iPhone production in India – up nearly 60% year over year to $22 billion. The move is part of Apple’s strategy to reduce reliance on China, especially after Trump’s own tariffs and the pandemic-era supply chain chaos.

But Trump sought to throw a wrench into Apple’s India pivot, especially with the company planning to produce the bulk of U.S.-bound iPhones there by late 2024.

Trump also took a swipe at India’s trade barriers, though he conceded that tariff reductions may be on the table in ongoing talks.

Watch above via Fox News.