Apple CEO Tim Cook presented President Donald Trump a 24K gold gift as Apple pledges $600B in U.S. manufacturing.
- Apple pledged a $600 billion investment in the U.S. over four years, spurred by President Trump's tariff tactics.
- This investment includes a $2.5 billion commitment to manufacturing glass for iPhones and Apple Watches in Kentucky.
- Other tech companies like Nvidia, Merck and IBM have also announced increased U.S. investments following Trump's tariff threats.
Apple, the world's third most valuable company, is the latest to succumb to President Donald Trump's strong-arm tactics. I love to see tech giants bend to Trump's "America First" agenda.
On top of his other tariff and trade-related wins in the past month, the new deal with Apple is more proof that Trump's business prowess has been a boon to our nation, rather than a hindrance.
Apple announced Aug. 6 that it would invest $600 billion over the next four years in the United States. In a speech alongside Apple CEO Tim Cook in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said that his administration's instituting "a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors," but that for any company "building in the United States of America, there's no charge."
Apple will manufacture glass covers for all iPhones and Apple Watch devices, a $2.5 billion commitment, via a firm in Kentucky. Cook said Apple has "already signed new agreements with 10 (manufacturing) companies across America."
That is a significant shift from April. Trump at the time threatened to significantly increase tariffs on China, where 80% of Apple's production takes place, but the company didn't express interest in moving production to the United States.
Apple invests in US manufacturing, thanks to Trump's demands
Apple joins other tech companies that have pledged to increase manufacturing in the United States because of Trump's controversial, but effective, tariffs.
In the spring, Nvidia, the most valuable company in the world, said it would manufacture up to $500 billion worth of AI supercomputers and Blackwell chips in America. Drugmaker Merck said it will invest $1 billion to build a plant in Delaware, after Trump said he would impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals. And IBM pledged to invest $150 billion in U.S. manufacturing over five years.
Those decisions should create thousands of good jobs in the United States in manufacturing, research, development and construction.
Trump's tariff tactics were powerful and effective
It's hard to overestimate just how powerful and effective Trump's tariffs - and threats of tariffs - will be for Americans. I was originally wary of the president's tariffs because the added costs normally trickle down to consumers.
But Trump has imposed tariffs as leverage to change how American products are taxed by other countries and to bring more manufacturing back to the United States. Both goals, if accomplished, would supercharge the American economy, and Trump appears well on his way to making them happen.
I didn't initially support Trump's bid for a second term, but I favored his 2016 run because of his business prowess. I thought Americans would benefit if the president treated government more like a business and not just as a political endeavor.
We are seeing Trump do that now, with European Union, Japan and South Korea trade deals that are highly favorable to America. And with tech giants like Apple and Nvidia returning jobs and investments to our country.
For all his flaws, Trump is operating in his second term more like "The Art of the Deal" and less like "The Apprentice."
Americans will reap the economic benefits of those deals - now and for many years to come.
Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas.