Trump Mobile, the phone company launched by Donald Trump’s family business, has pushed back plans to deliver a $499 (£371) gold-coloured smartphone by the end of the year.
The Trump Organization licensed its name to launch a mobile service and the device in June, in the latest monetisation of his presidency by a family business empire now run by Trump’s sons.
In the latest setback for the project, Trump Mobile said there was a “strong possibility” the handset would not be delivered this month, the Financial Times reported. The company’s customer service team told the FT that the recent government shutdown had disrupted shipments.
The T1 smartphone, described by the company as “proudly American”, was initially promoted as a US-made rival to devices from Apple and Samsung. Almost all smartphones sold in the US are made overseas, primarily in China and South Korea but also increasingly in India and Vietnam.
Etched with an American flag, the T1 was initially promised in August and the website still states it will be released “later this year”. Customers are required to pay a $100 payment to pre-order the device.
The T1 launch came shortly after Trump criticised Apple over its plans to move the production of iPhones destined for the US market from China to India.
It remains unclear who could manufacture the T1 handset, given the low levels of domestic smartphone production in the US.
Trump Mobile also offers a phone contract costing $47.45 monthly, with the name of the service plan and the price referencing Trump’s status as the 47th US president.
The company has also recently started selling secondhand smartphones from Apple and Samsung on its website, which it states come “without the inflated price tag”.
However, a refurbished iPhone 15, which was launched in September 2023, costs $629 (£467) through Trump Mobile, whereas customers can buy a newer model, an iPhone 16 from 2024, directly from Apple for $699. A Samsung Galaxy S24 is being sold for $459, slightly lower than the $489 listed on Samsung’s US website.
The phone venture is headed by Trump’s sons Donald Jr and Eric, who took over the family company after their father transitioned to his second presidency.
The mobile service joins Trump-branded watches, footwear and Bibles as products capitalising on his political brand, while Trump’s sons have indicated there will be more to come.
The Trump Organization has expanded from real estate into digital media and telecommunications. The venture will operate through licensing deals that generated more than $8m for the president in 2024, according to financial disclosures.
The move into phones also raises questions about conflicts of interest, as the president’s family business operates in a sector that is heavily regulated by federal agencies over which Trump wields executive power.
