Trump Mobile’s much-hyped gold-colored T1 smartphone has been delayed once again, with the company quietly pushing back shipping and offering little explanation to customers.
The wireless venture, run by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, has repeatedly missed its own rollout timelines, raising questions as preorders remain open for a phone that still hasn’t been shown as a finished product.
According to the Financial Times, Trump Mobile’s customer service team blamed the delay on this year’s U.S. government shutdown. However, they offered no additional information about how the shutdown affected production or logistics.
Earlier delays had already raised eyebrows. Originally, the phone was set to ship in August. Then the date moved to October. After that, it effectively vanished in November.
Now, there is no information about a shipment date anywhere to be found on the Trump Mobile website. The company is still taking preorders for the $499 smartphone.
Trump Mobile offers a $47.45 monthly plan dubbed “The 47 Plan.” The name is a nod to Trump’s status as both the 45th and 47th president. The service, according to the website, includes unlimited talk, text, and data, as well as other services like telehealth.
That being said, the only photos of the T1 phone on the website are the original mockups used to advertise the device, with no photos of a completed prototype anywhere. The company was also called out for claiming the phones would be USA-made when they weren’t.
Customers paid $100 deposits, with no clear delivery timeline
As news of further delays spread online, people reacted without a hint of surprise. Many people pointed to the sheer number of people who had already preordered and paid the required $100 deposit on the phone, calling it a “grift.”
“There’s a reason NYC residents refer to Trump as ‘Don da Con,’” @arcfontis pointed out. “Trump is a professional grifter & his MAGA cult proves why he cons them out of money again & again & again.”
@Suzierizzo1 wrote, “Wow those Gold Trump phones that 590,000 people paid a $100 deposit on still haven’t been delivered after told they would be by September so NBC who bought one tried to call the Company & there’s no phone number only a email. They asked if they could get a refund & were told NO!😂”
Others were surprised that no one had taken legal action against Trump yet.
@rjsauter tweeted, “Don’t understand why they don’t file a class action suit vs Trump Mobile.”
Still other people said it was to be expected at this point that Trump’s followers would buy anything he put in front of them, even if it would never exist.
“Mind boggling how after 11 months of breaking many laws, murdering people in boats, illegally sending troops into our own cities, using violence in his speech against we the American people, the base is still in love with the most corrupt, ignorant thing that they voted for,” @75flamingo wrote.
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