Michael Hiltzik: Apple's bogus claim that the tax cut is making it spend more in the U.S. is just a PR sop to Trump

To hear the White House tell it, Apple's big announcement last week that it would increase jobs and make billions in new investments in the United States is proof positive that the big tax cut President Trump signed in December is working.

"I promised that my policies would allow companies like Apple to bring massive amounts of money back to the United States," President Trump tweeted. "Great to see Apple follow through as a result of TAX CUTS. Huge win for American workers and the USA!"

Well, no.

If anything, Apple's announcement proves just the opposite. It underscores Apple's success at having gamed the U.S. tax system for more than a decade before finally browbeating Republicans in Congress to do its bidding. The announcement bristles with exaggerations and misrepresentations about what the company really is promising. It glosses over the