By Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump family said they’ll be licensed to the latest mobile phone service in a series of ventures announced while Donald Trump was in the White House despite ethical concerns that the US president could shape public policies for his personal interests.
Eric Trump, the son of President Trump, who runs the Trump organization, said a new venture called Trump Mobile will be selling phones to be built in the US, and telephone services will also maintain call centers in the country.
The announcement of a new mobile phone and service, called T1 Mobile, follows several real estate transactions in the Middle East towers and resorts, including the Qatar golf development announced in April. Although the contract was made before Trump was elected, a $1.5 billion partnership was approved last month to build golf courses, hotels and real estate projects in Vietnam.
Even surveillance of such companies with Trump’s name raises ethical concerns.
Trump is already using the federal government to reward his allies and punish his enemies. The Federal Communications Commission, the leading regulator overseeing mobile phone companies, has already started investigating Trump’s disliked media, and in some cases he has personally sued.
Eric Trump said Monday that consumers deserve a call that matches their worth.
“Difficult Americans deserve wireless services that are affordable, reflect their values and provide reliable quality,” he said in a statement.
The company will also enter highly competitive markets, including companies that have been directly attacked by Donald Trump.
Last month, President Trump criticized Apple last month as he planned to make Apple a large portion of its US iPhones in India and threatened to slap 25% tariffs on devices unless the tech giant starts building mobile phones domestically.
Trump’s phone contract shows that he won $2.8 million from his “Save America” coffee table book, Trump watch and $2.5 million from Trump branded sneakers and fragrances as he just submitted to the government that the president moved quickly to earn celebrities last year.
The Trump organization said Monday that the new golden phone, which will be available for $499 in August, called the T1 Phone, will not be designed or created by another company, not Trump Mobile.
Trump’s organization did not immediately respond to requests for details.
In his first term, Trump was equally denounced by conservative and liberal government ethics experts for opening a Washington hotel to lobbyists and diplomats, violating his company’s pledge to avoid even the emergence of a conflict between his personal and public interest.
The company feels more encouraging now in its second phase.
The mobile service partners with existing mobile carriers with access to 5G networks, raising questions about how it will be handled by federal regulators. The Trump organization said these companies are the three largest mobile network providers in America, the apparent references Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, the latter having a very similar trademark name to Trump’s T1 Mobile.
The names given to monthly service offers, 47 plans and monthly fees of $47.45 a month refer to Trump’s two terms, the 45th president and the 47th term. The service includes unlimited calls, text, data, and free roadside assistance and telehealth services.
A mobile phone mockup planned on the company’s website showed Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great” and an etched American flag behind it.
By sticking to the license, the Trump family is limiting that risk. Still, if you want to sell beyond the president’s loyal MAGA fans, the new service faces a major challenge.
Trump’s company tried to leverage support among the middle class in its first semester with a mid-price hotel chain. Called the American Idea, it was announced on Monday as a phone service under the huge US flag at the Trump Tower Atrium.
Despite incorporating millions of dollars each year with a range of licensing deals and a series of new ventures, the Trump brand has been gaining a string of hits for the brand over the years.
During his first term, Trump’s name was stripped of home buildings and hotels in Toronto, Panama and Manhattan.
The Trump International Hotel in Washington has lost money since its sale, despite the family opening doors to business executives, lobbyists and diplomats trying to shape US policies.
The average condo in Trump-branded residential towers is below the broad market shortly after Trump’s first term. In New York City, the value of Trump’s condos has declined over the past two years as similar property increases in value.
The Trump organization has achieved more success with several ventures being launched in the first months of his second term.
Trump Media & Technology Group, a Florida company that runs the Truth Social Media Platform, filed plans with security regulators on Monday, launching an exchange trade fund related to the prices of two popular cryptocurrencies.
The ETF is part of the Trump family’s rapidly growing crypto empire, including launching and promoting the new Stablecoin and Memecoin.
The president’s latest financial disclosure report reveals that he and his sons made more than $57 million last year from World Liberty Financial, which he and his sons helped launch in September.
AP Business Writer Alan Suderman contributed to this story.
Original issue: June 16, 2025 9:37am EDT
