The Trump family said it is licensing its name to a new mobile phone service, the latest in a string of questionable financial ventures that have been announced while Donald Trump is in the White House, despite ethical concerns that the U.S. president could mold public policy for personal gain.
Eric Trump, one of Donald Trump’s sons running The Trump Organization, said the new venture called, Trump Mobile, will sell phones that will be built in the U.S., and the phone service will maintain a call center in the country as well.
However, despite claims that its T1 phone will be built in the U.S., industry analysts say it is impossible for the device to rely exclusively on American-made parts. Even small-scale smartphone producers like Purism still import components, including displays, processors, camera modules, and biometric sensors.
According to technology reports, there are no domestic manufacturers of some advanced mobile phone components. The assembly of smartphones in the U.S. also remains extremely limited and costly. Experts note that no modern smartphone can be fully built in the U.S. using American-made parts.
The announcement of the new mobile phone and service follows several real estate deals for towers and resorts in the Middle East, including a golf development in Qatar announced in April. A $1.5 billion partnership to build golf courses, hotels, and real estate projects in Vietnam was approved last month, but the deal was in the works before Trump was elected.
Even oversight of such a company, with the Trump name attached, raises ethical concerns. Trump has already used the federal government to reward his allies and punish his enemies. The Federal Communications Commission, the primary regulatory body overseeing mobile phone companies, has already launched investigations of media outlets Trump dislikes and, in some cases, is personally suing.
Regardless of the tech industry’s limitations or the legal realities surrounding his father’s position, Eric Trump made his public pitch for the politically themed product on June 16.
“Hard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that’s affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on,” he said in a statement.
The mobile phone service, called Trump Mobile, promises an all-American alternative to mainstream carriers. But experts note that Trump Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator, meaning it does not own or operate its wireless infrastructure.
Instead, it resells access to the networks of major providers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Despite branding itself as a next-generation service, the Trump Mobile website offers little transparency about this reseller arrangement. Analysts argue that its pitch functions more as a political loyalty product than a serious competitor in the telecom industry.
Trump Mobile said the new, gold-colored phone would be available for $499 in August. It also noted that it will not be designed or made by Trump Mobile, but by another company.
Tech analysts note that claiming that the T1 is “Made in America” is misleading and deceptive. Trump Mobile is applying the label in reference to final assembly, not to the phone’s internal components, nearly all of which are manufactured overseas.
Despite marketing language emphasizing American design and production, there are no domestic manufacturers of AMOLED displays, camera modules, or facial recognition systems like VCSEL. Experts say this framing exploits regulatory ambiguity to imply domestic craftsmanship where none exists.
Trump criticized Apple last month because it planned to make most of its U.S. iPhones in India, and threatened to slap a 25% tariff on the devices unless the tech giant starts building the product in its home country.
Technical specifications show that the T1 is a mid-tier Android device, running Android 15 with a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen, 50MP main camera, and USB-C charging. However, critical information about the processor is missing from public listings, and experts note that most performance-critical parts will be imported and subject to existing tariffs unless exceptions are granted.
A mock-up of the phone on the company’s website showed Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great,” on the front and an etched American flag on the back.
The phone service, which will cost $47.45 a month, is partnering with existing cellular carriers with access to a 5G network. The re-packaged Trump coverage will offer free texts and calls, and unlimited data. It will also offer telehealth and roadside services from third-party providers, but critics note the company provides no disclosure of potential additional fees tied to those services.
The name given to the monthly service offer, The 47 Plan, also makes reference to the presidency. Trump was the 45th president and is currently the 47th.
By sticking to licensing, the Trump family is limiting its risk. Still, the new service faces big challenges if it hopes to sell beyond the president’s loyal MAGA fans.
The Trump company tried to tap into Trump support among the middle class in his first term with a mid-priced hotel chain. Called American Idea, and unveiled like the phone service on June 16 under a giant U.S. flag in the Trump Tower atrium, it flopped.
Despite taking in millions of dollars each year in various licensing deals and a string of new ventures, the Trump brand has taken a series of hits to its worth over the years.
During his first term, the Trump name was stripped off residential buildings and hotels in Toronto, Panama, and Manhattan. After the January 6 Capitol attack, banks refused to lend to the family business.
The Trump International Hotel in Washington, since sold, lost money even though the family opened its doors to business executives, lobbyists, and diplomats trying to shape U.S. policy. He has had more success with some ventures launched during his second term.
Trump’s media company also announced on June 16 that it had filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to launch a new exchange-traded fund tied to the prices of the two most popular forms of cryptocurrency.
Trump Media & Technology Group, the Florida company operating the Truth Social media platform that the president uses to communicate with his followers, said the planned ETF will have 75% of its assets in bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, and 25% in ether, the second-most popular.
The planned ETF is another branch in the Trump family’s rapidly growing crypto empire, which includes a new stablecoin and memecoins. The president’s most recent financial disclosure report shows that he made more than $57 million last year from World Liberty Financial, a crypto company he and his sons helped launch in September.
