Nearly 600,000 Trump supporters paid deposits for a gold smartphone that remains undelivered, sparking outrage and calls for investigation into Trump Mobile's practices.

A grift? From Trump? How could we possibly have gotten here?

Nearly 600,000 Trump supporters paid £74 ($100) each towards a gold smartphone that, nearly a year on, does not exist.

The Trump Mobile T1 phone was announced in June 2025 by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as a patriotic alternative to Apple and Samsung, retailing at £370 ($499) and promising a ‘Made in the USA’ build.

An estimated 590,000 buyers paid a £74 ($100) deposit to secure one, collectively handing the venture roughly £43.7 million ($59 million). As of May 2026, not a single confirmed customer has received the device. Now, a fresh wave of anger is spreading across MAGA forums after buyers received communication making clear that their money is, for all practical purposes, gone.

    • Steve@communick.newsEnglish
      12·
      5 hours ago

      What’ll be hilarious, is when they file a class action suit to get their money back. That’ll be gloriously delicious

      • Powderhorn@beehaw.orgOPEnglish
        2·
        2 hours ago

        So, $5 per litigant after legal fees, assuming the DOJ doesn’t step in and claim to be the defendant.

        • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
          4·
          1 hour ago

          My impression is that Trump mostly just licenses his name to these ventures for a payment and isn’t affiliated with them otherwise. I don’t think that he likely cares much what happens to the phone buyers or sellers. He’s made his money either way.

        • slemptastrophe@piefed.socialEnglish
          5·
          2 hours ago

          They might file a suit. They’ll never see that money again though. Not until we have a functioning government again, but by then we’ll have much bigger problems to solve than a bunch of idiots getting their money back.