Donald Trump Claims Apple Has the “Keys to Many Criminal Minds”

United States President Donald Trump once again calls for Apple to help the FBI unlock password-protected iPhones involved in criminal investigations.

In an interview with CNBC Squawk Box co-host Joe Kernen, Trump suggested Apple owes this to the United States after being helped in the trade war against China.

“I’ve given them waivers, because it’s a great company, but it made a big difference,” the United States President explained.

Furthermore, Trump says, Apple must help the law enforcement break into iPhones because the Cupertino-based tech giant essentially holds what the President described as “the keys to criminal minds.”

“Apple has to help us. And I’m very strong on it. They have the keys to so many criminals and criminal minds, and we can do things,” Trump continued.

The push for backdoors

The FBI reached out to Apple to help unlock two iPhones used in the Pensacola naval base shooting. Apple, however, provided the investigators with data stored in the cloud, explaining that unlocking the iPhone and extracting information stored on the actual device wasn’t possible.

“They could have given us that information. It would have been very helpful,” Trump added. “You’re dealing with drug lords and you’re dealing with terrorists, and if you’re dealing with murderers, I don’t care,” he continued when being asked about his relationship with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump took to Twitter in a public request for the company to unlock the iPhones.

“We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers  and other violent criminal elements. They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” he tweeted.

On the other hand, it looks like the FBI already has the necessary means to unlock iPhones on its own, as the investigators have recently hacked an iPhone 11 Pro Max to extract the data stored on it. Many believe this public campaign against Apple is part an anti-encryption push that would eventually force tech giants to install backdoors in their products.