The Republican frontrunner encouraged viewers of a South Carolina town hall event to punish the tech giant for refusing to unlock an iPhone for the FBI.
Donald Trump has given his two cents regarding the ongoing debate over whether Apple should unlock a phone once used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.
The Republican frontrunner told a group of South Carolinians at a town hall style campaign event on Friday they should boycott the tech giant for refusing to unlock Syed Farook's iPhone despite a federal judge's order to do so.
"Apple ought to give the security for that phone, OK. What I think you ought to do is boycott Apple until such a time as they give that security number. How do you like that? I just thought of it. Boycott Apple," Trump said.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook described in a letter to the public his company's fears that unlocking the phone sets a dangerous precedent that would pave the way toward handing the government a virtual back door that would allow them to break into all iPhones.
Boycott all Apple products until such time as Apple gives cellphone info to authorities regarding radical Islamic terrorist couple from Cal
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016
Hopefully others will follow suit. Our country needs & should demand security. It is time to get tough & be smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016
I use both iPhone & Samsung. If Apple doesn't give info to authorities on the terrorists I'll only be using Samsung until they give info.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2016
But Trump said the move was just for Cook "to show how liberal he is."
"The phone's not even owned by this young thug that killed all these people. The phone's owned by the government, OK, it's not even his phone," Trump said.
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Meanwhile, Trump's purported off-the-cuff suggestion may effect him more than he immediately realized.
As CNN notes, the billionaire's very active Twitter acount posted results from a Fox News poll while he spoke Friday--from an iPhone.
Trump later took to the social media platform to clarify: "I use both iPhone & Samsung. If Apple doesn't give info to authorities on the terrorists I'll only be using Samsung until they give info."
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