Trump Calls for Apple Boycott Until It Unlocks San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone

ByKATHERINE FAULDERS ABCNews logo
Saturday, February 20, 2016

Donald Trump called for a boycott of Apple today until the company unlocks the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone and turns it over to the FBI.

"First of all, Apple ought to give the security for that phone, OK? What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until such time as they give the security number. How do you like? I just thought it. Boycott Apple," Trump said at an event here in Pawley's Island, South Carolina.

Trump calls his newly proposed boycott a "great idea," which he seemed to think of right on the spot.

"So, I like the idea, boycott Apple until such time as they give that information," he said. "I think that's a great idea."

Despite his call, Trump was evidently still using his own iPhone, as noted in this tweet.

Trump said not unlocking the phone for the FBI shows how liberal Apple CEO Tim Cook is.

"First of all, the phone's not even owned by this young thug that killed all these people. The phone is owned by the government. It's not even his phone. We don't even have to go that far. But Tim Cook is looking to do a big number, probably to show how liberal he is. But Apple should give up. They should get the security. You'll find other people," Trump said.

Trump bashed Apple on Wednesday for refusing to help investigators access the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter.

"To think that Apple won't allow us to get into her cell phone: Who do they think they are?" Trump said Wednesday on "Fox and Friends." "No, we have to open it up."

After a court ordered Apple on Tuesday to assist federal agents, Apple quickly vowed to challenge the decision.

"The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers," Cook said in a statement Tuesday night to customers. "[T]his order ... has implications far beyond the legal case at hand."

Related Topics