The fact that Apple and Amazon are willing to go on the record adamantly denying it is more than just a gag order. That’s a serious breach of both SEC rules and public trust if it turns out they’re lying.
That's not to mention the lack of evidence of an operation of this scale. Keeping that amount of people quiet for this long is something more newsworthy to me than spy chips.
I mean, what would happen if this was seen as an act of war by the President's office? Surely there would be some above-and-beyond damage control measures.
(It absolutely shouldn't in a democracy, but there are plenty of things that shouldn't happen in democracies that have been happening lately)