{"id":598,"date":"2025-06-16T13:37:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T13:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/?p=598"},"modified":"2025-06-19T14:25:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T14:25:10","slug":"the-trump-familys-next-venture-a-mobile-phone-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.agencywebdesigners.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/16\/the-trump-familys-next-venture-a-mobile-phone-company\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trump family\u2019s next venture, a mobile phone company"},"content":{"rendered":"

By BERNARD CONDON, AP Business Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 The Trump family said it is licensing its name to a new mobile phone service, the latest in a string of 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\u00a0for personal gain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Eric Trump, President Trump\u2019s son who is 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.<\/p>\n

The announcement of the new mobile phone and service, called T1 Mobile, follows\u00a0several real estate deals<\/a>\u00a0for 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\u00a0was approved last month<\/a>, though the deal was in the works before Trump was elected.<\/p>\n

Even oversight of such a company, with the Trump name attached, raises ethical concerns.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0suing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Eric Trump said Monday that consumers deserve a phone that aligns with their values.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that\u2019s affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The company would also enter a highly competitive market that includes companies that have been directly attacked by Donald Trump<\/p>\n

President Trump criticized Apple last month because it planned to\u00a0make most of its U.S. iPhones in India<\/a>, and threatened to slap a 25% tariff on the devices unless the tech giant starts building the phones domestically.<\/p>\n

The Trump phone deal comes as mandatory financial disclosure reports just filed with the government show the president has moved fast in the last year to profit off his celebrity, taking in $3 million in revenue from selling \u201cSave America\u201d coffee table books, $2.8 million from Trump watches and $2.5 million from Trump branded sneakers and fragrances.<\/p>\n

The Trump Organization on Monday said the new, gold-colored phone available for $499 in August, called the T1 Phone, won\u2019t be designed or made by Trump Mobile, but by another company.<\/p>\n

The Trump Organization did not respond immediately to a request for more details.<\/p>\n

In the first term, Trump was blasted by conservative and liberal government ethics experts alike for opening his Washington hotel to lobbyist and diplomats and violating his company\u2019s pledge to avoid even the appearance of a conflict between his private profit and the public interest.<\/p>\n

The company is feeling more emboldened now in the second term.<\/p>\n

The mobile service is partnering with existing cellular carriers with access to a 5G network, raising questions of how they will be treated by federal regulators now they have partnered with his company in a venture. The Trump Organization said those companies are America\u2019s three biggest mobile network providers, an apparent reference Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, the latter with a trademarked name that is very similar to Trump\u2019s T1 Mobile.<\/p>\n

The name given to the monthly service offer, The 47 Plan, and the monthly fee of $47.45 a month makes reference to Trump\u2019s two terms, the 45th president and the 47th. The service will include unlimited calls, texts and data and free roadside assistance and telehealth services.<\/p>\n

A mock-up of the planned phone on the company\u2019s website showed Trump\u2019s slogan, \u201cMake America Great\u201d on the front and an etched American flag on the back.<\/p>\n

By sticking to licensing, the Trump family is limiting its risk. Still, the new service faces big challenges if it hopes sell beyond the president\u2019s loyal MAGA fans.<\/p>\n

The Trump company tried to tap into support among the middle class in the first term with a mid-priced hotel chain. Called American Idea, and unveiled like the phone service Monday under a giant U.S. flag in the Trump Tower atrium, it flopped.<\/p>\n

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 brand over the years.<\/p>\n