Trump Mobile Drops Made in USA Claim Amidst T1 Smartphone Launch

Trump Mobile has made a significant change to its marketing strategy just days after the launch of its $499 T1 smartphone. The company has quietly removed the "Made in the USA" claim from its website, replacing it with more ambiguous language such as "brought to life right here in the USA" and "designed with American values in mind." This shift occurred only a week after the launch event, and the shipping timeline for the device has also been altered. Initially, the website stated that the device would start shipping in August, but this information has since been deleted, with the new timeline indicating that the T1 will arrive "later this year."

The company had initially claimed that the phone would be built in Alabama, California, and Florida. However, these claims have also been removed from the website. Additionally, the phone's specifications have been adjusted. Originally listed as having a 6.78-inch screen, the specifications now state a 6.25-inch screen. The claim of 12GB of RAM has also been removed. These changes come after tech experts questioned the feasibility of building a competitive smartphone with US-made parts, given that over 80% of all smartphone components come from China. Even major players like Apple and Samsung rely heavily on Asian factories for production.

To qualify for a "Made in America" label from the Federal Trade Commission, a product must have "all or virtually all" of its components manufactured within the country. This standard is nearly impossible to meet for a smartphone, which typically includes components sourced from various countries. Trump Mobile's push to localize phone production is not new; Trump has previously criticized Apple for building iPhones in China and India, threatening 25% tariffs on imported devices. The T1 was intended to demonstrate that Trump Mobile could produce a phone differently. However, even Eric Trump, who is running the company with his brother Donald Trump Jr., has admitted that the phones will only be made in the US "eventually."

At the launch event in New York, the Trumps introduced Don Hendrickson, Eric Thomas, and Pat O’Brien as executives who would run the company. They claimed that these individuals had "hundreds of years in the mobile space," but provided no specific information about their backgrounds. Trump Mobile is also offering a monthly mobile plan priced at $47.45, a reference to Trump’s 45th presidency and his hopes for a second full term in office. The service is being handled by Liberty Mobile Wireless, a Florida-based company created in 2018 by Matt Lopatin. Liberty is a mobile virtual network operator, meaning it does not own its own infrastructure and instead buys capacity from major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, then resells it under its own brand.

The T1 phone was originally promised for a September delivery, but this timeline now seems unlikely. The website does not confirm a hard date for the phone's release. Trump Mobile staff attributed the site's crash on launch day to a high volume of pre-orders, but did not share specific numbers. The design of the T1 phone is nearly identical to models sold by Vivo and Umidigi, two low-cost Chinese Android phone makers. There is no unique hardware or design shown for the T1. Even companies that have attempted to build phones in the US have struggled to do so at scale. Todd Weaver, the CEO of Purism, an American electronics company based in California, noted that building a US phone is slow and expensive. Purism makes secure phones with a custom OS aimed at niche users like government agencies, but this comes with trade-offs such as fewer features, fewer apps, and a smaller audience.

The smartphone market itself is challenging for mid-tier devices. In 2024, phones priced between $400 and $600 made up less than 5% of the market, down from 9% in 2019. Even Apple’s iPhone 16e, launched in February 2025 for $599, had to work hard to attract budget users. There is limited space in this segment of the market. As of now, there is no proof that the T1 meets the requirements to be called American-made. The FTC’s standard requires that "all or virtually all" parts must be from the US, which means nearly zero imported components. This raises questions about the feasibility of Trump Mobile's claims and the future of the T1 smartphone.