It doesn't seem like Apple's Mac Pro needs any additional PR.
But it's about to get a presidential dose of it on Wednesday when President Donald Trump plans to come to Austin to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook. The two, presumably accompanied by an absurdly large gaggle of security, assistants and reporters, plan to visit a Flex Ltd. facility in North Austin where Apple's most powerful consumer computer product, the Mac Pro, is manufactured.
The construction of our new Austin campus is underway and the assembly line for Mac Pro is up and running! Building Apple’s most powerful Mac ever in Austin is a testament to the enduring power of American ingenuity, and we’re proud it’s made here. https://t.co/je6IIVnPg8
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 20, 2019
For locals, it's not exactly news that Mac Pros are built in Austin.
Flex, which has its global headquarters in Singapore and its U.S. HQ in San Jose, was previously known as Flextronics America and has been building Mac Pros since 2013 at its facility near U.S. 183 and McNeil Drive. It also does work for HP at the facility, the Wall Street Journal reported.
But, what is new is that A.) There's a new Mac Pro coming out that Apple just got FCC approval for, and, B.) Tump's interest in showing how his policies keep jobs in America and Apple's interest in showing its big investments in facilities in Austin and across the U.S. have aligned, at least for this junket.
.@Apple, one of the early signers of our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers, supports 2.4 Million jobs across ALL 50 states. Tomorrow @POTUS & CEO Tim Cook will be visiting one of Apple’s major expansions at a new manufacturing site in Austin, TX. Looking forward! https://t.co/Ihf8FcqrC2
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 19, 2019
Not quite as new, but also still newsy: In June, Apple reportedly said it would discontinue Mac Pro production in Austin and move those operations to a facility in China near Shanghai. Then, in September, Apple said it would keep building them in Austin.
It was a big deal, in part because the Mac Pro is Apple's most powerful and expensive consumer computer, and it is the only Apple device that's both designed and engineered in the U.S. and is assembled here. Politically, it was also huge because of Trump's pledge to keep jobs in the U.S. and an evolving trade war with China -- both of which are important dynamics headed into a yearlong presidential campaign.
For the Austin tech scene, however, the importance of this visit isn't quite as clear. Trump has been to Austin before (a 2017 visit after Hurricane Harvey), so his presence isn't a first.
Thus far, it appears the Flextronics facility tour is the only thing on Trump's agenda in Austin. But it is common for such visits to include private meetings with local officials, as well as private political fundraising events.
Update: It also appears Trump might highlight economic growth in Texas during his tenure.
The Texas Success Story… Since the election of President Trump: ? Employment ⬆️ by 6.8% = 815,700 NEW jobs ? Manufacturing employment ⬆️ by 8.2% = 69,200 NEW jobs ? Monthly initial claims for unemployment insurance ⬇️ by 21.7% Let’s keep winning in the Lone Star State! ??
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 20, 2019
Meanwhile, Trump could have the opportunity to see a lot more while he's here.
Apple's presence in Austin is much larger than Mac Pro assembly. Austin is Apple's biggest hub outside of its headquarters in California. It has 6,000-plus employees in Austin -- mostly at its campus in northwest Austin. And Apple is poised to continue growing significantly in the next few years as it builds out a new campus that could handle about 15,000 employees.
While having the "Assembled in USA" on the Mac Pro may be a politically powerful anecdote, the reality is that Apple's massive financial teams in Austin probably play a bigger role in the local and national economy.
So, while not as camera-friendly as computer manufacturing, a visit to Apple's primary operations in Austin could further highlight messages about American jobs.
Meanwhile, Army Futures Command in Austin would be an obvious place for Trump to visit -- along with the Department of Defense's DIUx and the Air Force's AFWERX. Futures Command represents the cutting edge of what the U.S. military is doing to attract tech talent to its ranks, foster startups with products that the military could use and acquire intellectual property or buy products from those startups.
The Army's new facilities, spread across partnerships with The University of Texas and local accelerator and venture capital organization Capital Factory. Obama visited Capital Factory in 2013, and he is among a diverse group of politicians to tour Capital Factory's downtown Austin space -- others have included Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.
Cook has also visited Capital Factory.
During his 2017 visit, Cook announced that Austin Community College would be among 30 schools nationwide to offer a new app development program. He also met with several founders of local startups, including Aceable, Bumble, Localeur, RetailMeNot, Your Trainer and others, to chat and get a quick demo of their products.
While we don't know what else might be on Trump's agenda during his Austin visit, it's also worth nothing that his entourage in Austin will reportedly include U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow, as well as his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, both of whom are advisers to the president.
The visit could also involve some impeachment-related fireworks. While Trump is in Austin, the House Intelligence Committee will be continuing its public hearings related to its impeachment inquiry.
Tuesday's hearings, which could still be newsy on Wednesday when Trump arrives, are scheduled to include testimony from former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker; Tim Morrison, the National Security Council's former Russia and Europe director.
While Trump is here, testimony is expected from Gordon Sonland, U.S. ambassador to the E.U.; Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of defense; and David Hale, undersecretary of state for political affairs.
And, of course, Trump's visit will almost certainly require significant temporary road closures, potentially snarling traffic on U.S. 183 between the Austin airport (presuming he lands there in Air Force One) and Flex's facilities in Northwest Austin.
Follow us on Twitter for updates, and we'll have more news as it develops in our daily newsletter, the Beat.
