New Trump Mobile brand offers 5G plan and MAGA-themed gold phone
For years, President Trump has had a famous affinity for his personal cell phone. He's been known to rely on the device to contact world leaders, arrange business deals, and answer calls from a flurry of daily unknown numbers —often in spite of potential security threats. Early this month, The Atlantic called him 'the ultimate Phone Guy' in an article detailing his aides' concerns around his phone use. Now, The Trump Organization appears to be spinning Trump's 'Phone Guy' reputation into yet another business venture: a mobile service and smartphone brand called Trump Mobile.
According to a press release published Monday, Trump Mobile—also known as 'T1 Mobile'—is a 'new cellular service designed to deliver top-tier connectivity, unbeatable value and all-American service.' The release notes that the brand will provide 5G service through all three major cellular carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon). Its flagship offering, 'The 47 Plan,' costs $47.75 per month and includes features like roadside assistance, unlimited data, and telehealth services.
Alongside the cellular plan, Trump Mobile is debuting a $499 gold smartphone called the 'T1 Phone,' slated for release this fall.
Gold all the way down
The site itself features an ultra-simple, almost bare-bones design—including a blocky, all-caps sans-serif font, gold accents, and several stock images of smiling customers. Along a similar vein, available renderings of the T1 Phone include a mocked-up home screen with the slogan ' Make America Great Again ' rendered beneath a 'Trump Mobile' logo, as well as the back of the phone, which is embossed with an image of the American flag and the 'T1' symbol. The phone's operating system is an Android 15.
While it's unclear exactly how the phone's gold hue has been achieved, the look echoes an emerging design theme from Trump's second term. In 2004, Trump told reporters that the reign of Louis XIV represented his 'favorite style,' and since taking office this January, echoes of that gilded inspiration have appeared in several places around the President. In the Oval Office itself, Trump has implemented a slew of gold decor. Last month, he accepted a luxury jet from Qatar that's decked out in gold furniture. And last week, Trump debuted a physical 'gold card' visa scheme as a dubious way to allow wealthy immigrants into the U.S.
Now, the T1 Phone, like the countless other pieces of Trump merch before it, will serve as a piece of walking advertising for the President's personal brand.
Blurred lines between office and profit
The Trump Organization's new phone business is the most recent in a large existing catalog of licensing deals and branded-merch agreements that rely on the President's likeness—from guitars and Bibles, to watches, sneakers, and fragrances. According to a financial disclosure form filed last Friday, these income streams represented more than $8 million in profits for the President in 2024.
In order to avoid potential conflicts of interest, The Trump Organization (which manages the majority of Trump's business ventures) reported ahead of Trump's inauguration that control of the company would be given to his children for the duration of his term. Based on the press release, Trump Mobile will be spearheaded by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. And, because the brand uses the Trump name through a trademark license, its website notes that 'its products and services are not designed, developed, manufactured, distributed or sold by The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.'
Still, experts say there are still plenty of ethical concerns around Trump's business ventures. This term, Trump stands to profit from holdings in cryptocurrency, real estate, social media, and consumer products, all of which are bolstered by his status as President. In an interview with Reuters, Paolo Pescatore, TMT analyst at PP Foresight, explained that this new cellular business presents new questions, given that Trump Mobile's actual commercial relationship with telecom players is 'unclear.'
In a series of interviews this morning, Trump's sons indicated that Trump Mobile phones would be 'American-made,' with a call center located in St. Louis, Missouri. This emphasis on American manufacturing, echoed on the website, comes in the wake of Trump's sweeping tariffs, which has put phone manufacturing in its crosshairs, given that most phones (and phone components) purchased in the U.S. are made in China, Vietnam, South Korea, and India. Trump Mobile did not immediately respond to Fast Company 's request for clarification on the phones' manufacturers, designers, and distributors.
'No one who has been paying attention could miss that President Trump considers the presidency a vehicle to grow his family's wealth,' Lawrence Lessig, a law professor at Harvard Law School, told Reuters of Trump Mobile. 'Maybe this example will help more come to see this undeniable truth.'
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