Trumps Accused of Sourcing 'T1 Phone' From China Despite 'Built in the US' Claim: 'It's Simply Not Possible'
The Trump Organization unveiled its new T1 smartphone under the Trump Mobile brand, a device that claims to be "proudly designed and built in the United States."
However, analysts say the T1 bears a striking resemblance to Chinese-made phones already on the market, and could not have been domestically manufactured within the given timeframe.
"It's simply not possible," said Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism, one of the only companies to manufacture phones in the U.S. Speaking to CNN, Weaver added that the Trump family has not invested in the kind of fabrication infrastructure required to build a phone domestically.
"There are only realistically four or five smartphone [manufacturers] that could make this, and all of them are based out of China," tech analyst Max Weinbach told CNN.
Even Purism, which sells a $1,999 U.S.-assembled "Liberty Phone," admits it sources some components from abroad due to global supply chain limitations. "Just to manufacture a phone in the U.S. with the chipsets you're actually getting...is a massive undertaking," Weaver added, noting the stringent FTC guidelines required to claim "Made in the USA."
A TikTok video from tech creator Luke Miani was also dubious of the claims on Trump Mobile's website. He went through the website, highlighting basic errors in the spec sheet. "'Storage: 12GB of RAM.' That's not what storage is... '5,000mAh hour long life camera.' That? Okay. That's not how cameras work at all."
"I'm not going to suggest that they just went on to AliExpress and bought a phone," he said sarcastically, going to the website that listed the exact same specs. "They definitely did not just buy something almost exactly like this and mark it up ten times."
Weinbach identified the T1's specs—including its 6.8-inch display, triple camera setup, 5,000mAh battery, and even its headphone jack—as matching that of existing phones like the Revvl 7 Pro 5G, produced by China-based Wingtech. Another nearly identical device, the Vtex Smart Phone, is sold on Made-in-China.com.
President Donald Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on smartphones made overseas and pressured companies like Apple to shift production to the U.S. Although Don Jr. and Eric Trump have insisted their father is not involved in the Trump Organization, Trump Mobile's "Made in the USA" claim echoes the president's push to bring tech manufacturing back to the U.S. soil.
But industry experts say a September 2025 U.S. launch for a truly domestic smartphone remains infeasible. "The majority of any phone sold this fall will not be made in the U.S.," said Ryan Reith of IDC. "That's a given."
While no direct link to overseas manufacturers have been confirmed, skepticism of the phone's origins remain high. Eric Trump fueled existing doubt on Monday when he said, "Eventually all the Trump phones will be built in the USA" on a podcast, contradicting the website and formal announcement that explicitly stated "Made in the USA."
The admission didn't get past Miani. "According to the Trump Organization, these phones will ' eventually ' be made in America, even though no phone in the entire world currently is," Miani said on TikTok, his voice still laced in sarcasm. "So I believe them. I believe all of that."
Originally published on Latin Times
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