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Donald Trump Calls For Boycott Of Apple Until Company Unlocks Terrorist's iPhone

  • by: Alan Duke
  • (Fri, 19 Feb 2016 22:47:26 Z)

Donald Trump may have a tough time with this idea, even among those who agree with him. The GOP presidential frontrunner wants Americans to stop buying Apple products, including iPhones and iPads, because of the company's refusal to help the FBI unlock the iPhone used by the husband and wife who killed 14 people at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California.

"Boycott all Apple products until such time as Apple gives cellphone info to authorities regarding radical Islamic terrorist couple from Cal," Trump tweeted Friday, hours after the federal government filed a court motion seeking to have a judge order the company to help.

Trump said he was putting his Apple products away immediately.

"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," Trump tweeted. "Hopefully others will follow suit. Our country needs & should demand security. It is time to get tough & be smart!"

Federal prosecutors argue that the iPhone used by Syed Farook, which was owned by San Bernadino County's health department that employed Farook, could be have "crucial evidence" about his planning for the December 2015 terror attack.

Investigators need Apple to unlock the iPhone in the search for clues as to who Farook "may have communicated with to plan and carry out the IRC shootings, where Farook and Malik may have traveled to and from before and after the incident, and other pertinent information that would provide more information about their and others' involvement in the deadly shooting," their filing said.

Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in letter Tuesday that complying with the government's demand "threatens the security of our customers" and "has implications far beyond the legal case at hand."

Read Also: Justice Department Files Motion to Force Apple to Crack Terrorist's iPhone

About the author:

Editor-in-Chief Alan Duke co-founded Lead Stories after ending a 26-year career with CNN, where he mainly covered entertainment, current affairs and politics. Duke closely covered domestic terrorism cases for CNN, including the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, the UNABOMBER and search for Southeast bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. CNN moved Duke to Los Angeles in 2009 to cover the entertainment beat. Duke also co-hosted a daily podcast with former HLN host Nancy Grace, "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace" and hosted the podcast series "Stan Lee's World: His Real Life Battle with Heroes & Villains." You'll also see Duke in many news documentaries, including on the Reelz channel, CNN and HLN.

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