On Monday, the Trump Organization introduced a mobile phone service along with a $499 smartphone scheduled for release in September.
The new offering, named Trump Mobile, will provide a monthly plan priced at $47.45, which includes unlimited talk, text, and data, in addition to roadside assistance and a “Telehealth and Pharmacy Benefit,” as stated on its website.
Owned by President Donald Trump, the company also revealed plans to sell a smartphone called the “T1,” which seems to feature a gold-colored metal casing adorned with an American flag.
This new initiative exemplifies how Trump’s business empire is leveraging its connection to the current president.
Both the name of the wireless service — “The 47 Plan” — and its monthly fee are nods to Trump, who was the 45th U.S. president during his initial term and is currently serving as the 47th.
A screenshot on the website for the forthcoming phone showcases Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
Similar to a range of other products that Trump and his businesses have launched throughout his political journey — such as watches, sneakers, and Bibles — this new venture into telecommunications primarily involves a licensing agreement.
“The bottom of the website states, ‘Trump Mobile, its products and services are not designed, developed, manufactured, distributed or sold by The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.'”
Critics have expressed ethical concerns regarding the surge of licensing deals and branded merchandise agreements linked to Trump. Nevertheless, the president and his family persist in seeking profitable opportunities to grow their portfolio with minimal financial or political risk.
On Friday, the president disclosed that he earned over $8 million in 2024 from various licensing agreements.
The 47 Plan seems to be pricier than comparable plans from established carriers. For example, Visible, Verizon’s budget option, offers an unlimited talk, text, data, and hotspot plan for $25 a month, while Mint Mobile’s 12-month unlimited plan is priced at $30 monthly.
The Trump Mobile site claims that its plan provides ‘the same coverage as the 3 nationwide phone service carriers’ and that it features a U.S.-based customer service call center.
A representative who answered the Trump Mobile customer service line on Monday morning refused to disclose the location of the call center to CNBC, citing security concerns.
Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, the three leading U.S. wireless carriers, did not promptly respond to NBC News’ inquiries regarding the Trump Organization’s new phone plan.
According to the Trump Mobile website, its T1 phone operates on Android 15 and includes a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 16-megapixel selfie camera. Additional specifications feature 12 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of internal storage, along with a 50-megapixel main camera.
