GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted Apple for opposing a court order demanding the company help the government in trying to access the encrypted cell phone of one of the San Bernardino shooters.
“In that case, we should open it up,” Mr. Trump said on “Fox and Friends.” “I think security overall, we have to open it up, and we have to use our heads.”
“We have to use common sense,” he said. “Somebody the other day called me a ’common sense conservative.’ We have to use common sense.”
“But to think that Apple won’t allow us to get into her cell phone — who do they think they are?” he said. “No, we have to open it up.”
A federal judge in California on Tuesday had ordered Apple to help the government access data on the encrypted iPhone of Syed Farook, who along with his wife shot and killed 14 people in San Bernardino in November.
In a message to customers posted to the company’s website, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the U.S. government has effectively asked them to build a backdoor to the iPhone, which he said could end up exposing its customers’ cybersecurity.
SEE ALSO: Apple ordered to help FBI access Syed Farook’s cellphone
“Apple, this is one case, and this is a case that certainly we should be able to get into the phone, and we should find out what happened, why it happened, and maybe there’s other people involved,” Mr. Trump said. “And we have to do that.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.