Tim Cook gifts Donald Trump a 24K gold-and-glass statue after pressuring Apple to boost ‘Make in US’

Apple CEO Tim Cook

In a White House event unveiling Apple’s latest US manufacturing push, CEO Tim Cook presented President Donald Trump with a striking, custom-made gift: a disc of iPhone glass mounted on a 24-karat gold base.

The glass, manufactured by Apple’s long-time supplier Corning, features the Apple logo cut into the centre. Trump’s name is etched on the top, while the bottom bears a signature that appears to be Cook’s, alongside the words “Made in USA” and the year 2025. According to Cook, the design was crafted by a former US Marine Corps corporal currently employed at Apple. The gold base was sourced from Utah.

Cook’s ties with Trump are no secret. His ability to maintain a working relationship with the President has been closely watched by other CEOs, especially after Trump secured a second term. Trump had earlier warned tech companies of tariffs unless they shifted manufacturing back to American soil.

Apple pledges $100 billion more to expand US manufacturing under Trump pressure

Apple has announced an additional $100 billion investment to boost manufacturing in the United States, responding to ongoing pressure from President Donald Trump to shift more production back home. This expands on Apple’s earlier commitment to invest $500 billion over four years and introduces a new American Manufacturing Program focused on strengthening the company’s domestic supply chain and advanced manufacturing capabilities.

As part of this expansion, Apple will deepen its partnership with Corning to produce 100 percent of the iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass in Kentucky. The company is also teaming up with Samsung at its chip facility in Austin, Texas, to introduce a breakthrough chip-making technology that, according to Apple, has never been used anywhere else in the world.

Meanwhile, Apple’s server production facility in Houston is set to begin mass production in 2026. The company is also expanding its data centre in Maiden, North Carolina. Separately, Apple has announced the launch of a manufacturing academy in Michigan, designed to train American businesses in advanced production techniques.

It remains uncertain whether these announcements will satisfy Trump, who has repeatedly called on Apple to manufacture iPhones entirely in the US. While Apple has moved some production out of China to Vietnam and India in recent years to avoid tariffs and supply chain disruptions, Trump has criticised the company for not relocating that work to America instead. He has even threatened a 25 percent tariff on Apple products not made in the US.