President Trump: Apple is a great company; should build big, beautiful plants in America

President Trump today delivered remarks in the White House Rose Garden following a meeting with congressional leaders that failed to break the impasse over border security funding to end the 14-day-old government shutdown.
President Trump confirmed that he told Democratic Leaders at a meeting today that the government shutdown could last months or years. He also admits that the meeting was “contentious,” but he also says it was “productive” and that talks would continue into the weekend to end the two-week-old government shutdown. During the remarks he said the U.S. President has the power to fund a border wall along the border with Mexico via a national emergency declaration.
Regarding Apple, the president said, “They’ve gone up hundreds of percent since I’m president. Apple was at a number that was incredible and they’re gonna be fine; Apple is a great company.”
“Don’t forget this: Apple makes their product in China,” he said. “I told Tim Cook who’s a friend of mine, who I like a lot: ‘Make your product in the United States. Build those big, beautiful plants that go on for miles, it seems. Build those plants in the United States.’ I like that even better. Apple makes it products in China. China is the biggest beneficiary of Apple, more than us because they build their product, mostly, in China. But now he’s investing $350 billion because of what we did with taxes and the incentives that we created in the United States… My focus in the United States. I want to get those companies to come back into the United States. I want Apple to make their iPhones and all of the great things that they make in the United States, and that’ll take place.”
On China, the president remarked, “I will tell you, China’s not doing well now and it put us in a very strong position. We are doing very well… I think we will make a deal with China. I really think they want to. I think they sort of have to. And I think we’re going to have a great relationship.”
President Trump’s remarks about Apple begin at the 53:43 mark:

Full video via C-CPAN here.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and U.S. President Donald Trump at tech summit in June 2017MacDailyNews Note: Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent comments on China:
If you look at our results, our shortfall is over 100% from iPhone and it’s primarily in greater China. And so as we look at what’s going on in China — it’s clear that the economy begins to slow there for the second half. And what I believe to be the case is the trade tensions between the United States and China put additional pressure on their economy… I’ve had obviously many, many discussions [with the Trump administration] over the course of many months to be constructed and to give sort of my perspective on trade and the importance of it to the American economy as well. And I feel like I’m — that I’m being listened to in that respect. And so I’m actually encouraged by what I’ve heard most recently coming from the U.S. and from China and hopefully we’ll see some changes. – Apple CEO Tim Cook, January 2, 2019
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I’m cognizant that in both the U.S. and China, there have been cases where everyone hasn’t benefited, where the benefit hasn’t been balanced. My belief is that one plus one equals three. The pie gets larger, working together. — Apple CEO Tim Cook, March 24, 2018
SEE ALSO:
Apple plans to add $350 billion to U.S. economy and create over 20,000 new jobs over next 5 years, pay $38 billion in repatriated taxes, the largest ever made – January 17, 2018