President Donald Trump's family business is entering the telecom market with a Trump-branded smartphone and wireless service. The Trump Organization, run by his sons, announced plans to sell a gold-colored, “built in the United States” phone for $499 and offer mobile service at $47.45 per month—a reference to Trump serving as the 45th and 47th U.S. president.
Ethics watchdogs have raised alarms. “It’s unbelievable that the Trump family has created yet another way for President Trump to personally profit while in office,” said Meghan Faulkner of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
Trump says his business is held in a trust, managed by his children. The White House insists he governs in the interest of all Americans, but critics warn of conflicts, including customer influence and policy decisions affecting the telecom sector.
Built in the US?
Experts question the company’s claim that the phone is “built in the United States.” “They don’t even have a working prototype. It’s extremely unlikely,” said Prof. Tinglong Dai of Johns Hopkins, noting the lack of a U.S.-based smartphone supply chain. Analyst Leo Gebbie added the phone may be assembled domestically using foreign parts.
The phone is now available for pre-order. The service will offer U.S.-based customer support and discounted international calls for military families.
Expanding the brand
This venture is part of Trump’s long-standing strategy of monetizing his name. Trump earned over $600 million last year from branded merchandise. Forbes recently estimated his net worth at $5.1 billion, more than double from the year before, driven largely by his loyal political base and the value of his Truth Social platform.
Smaller firms like this one aim to compete with dominant U.S. carriers AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. In 2023, T-Mobile bought Mint Mobile—then with around 2–3 million subscribers—for $1.35 billion.
Courtesy: BBC
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