By Patience Haggin
The Trump Organization said it will launch a mobile-phone service called Trump Mobile and also plans to offer a U.S.-built smartphone later this summer, looking to take on the likes of Apple and Samsung.
President Trump has targeted phone makers in his tariff push, threatening extra levies on Apple if it didn't shift to domestic production. No major smartphone manufacturer currently makes its products in the U.S., as the displays, processors and cameras they use are mainly sourced from Asia. America doesn't have advanced manufacturing facilities akin to those in China or even India and Vietnam, where electronics assembly has expanded in recent years, nor does it have a mass of skilled laborers trained to do the required work.
The Trump Organization said the mobile service would work with all three major wireless carriers. It would rely on resale deals, known as mobile virtual network operator agreements, in which the carriers sell excess capacity on its networks and gain customers without having to bear the costs of marketing to them or signing them up.
A handful of other celebrity mobile-phone brands have similar deals, including Ryan Reynolds. T-Mobile agreed to acquire his Mint Mobile brand in 2023. Hosts of the popular SmartLess podcast announced their own brand, SmartLess Mobile, last week.
The Trump Organization said customers would be able to use the new service using their existing phones, or purchase its T1 Phone beginning in August. They described it as a "sleek, gold smartphone" designed and built in the U.S.
The company said that the new Android phone would cost $499 and that it has a website available for preorders. The site details specifications for the device but doesn't disclose the manufacturer. The company said the wireless service's core "47 Plan" would be available for $47.45 a month.
The mobile venture would be overseen by Trump's sons, who announced the launch at Trump Tower on Monday. Eric and Donald Jr. run the family business, which has expanded beyond real estate and golf courses into new areas, such as cryptocurrencies.
The president has said he isn't involved in the family business's day-to-day operations. The administration has strong influence over the heavily regulated telecom industry. Trump's head of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, has told operators including T-Mobile and Verizon to curb their diversity, equity and inclusion policies if they want their pending mergers to pass agency review.
DTTM Operations, the entity that manages Donald Trump's trademarks, made filings last week indicating that he intends to use the trademarks "TRUMP" and "T1" for a mobile phone and wireless service. Intellectual-property lawyer Josh Gerben previously reported the trademark filings.
AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Write to Patience Haggin at patience.haggin@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 16, 2025 10:59 ET (14:59 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
