Donald Trump and the rest of the Trump family have been accused of grifting too many times to count, but they don’t seem to have any shame. Their most recent cash grab, though, might actually catch up to them. In an investigation conducted by NBC News, the publication noted that the Trump family collected over $59M in deposits for a gold Trump-branded phone, yet no such device has been produced, despite promises they’d be delivered by the end of summer 2025. Keep reading for more information.
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Trump Phone Never Delivered
The Trump Mobile phone launched in June 2025: a gold smartphone called the T1. 590,000 individuals paid the $100 deposit to reserve the phone, resulting in a $59M collection for the Trump family. The ship date was initially promised to be summer 2025. Then it got pushed to late 2025, and then to early 2026.
To add insult to injury, the phone was advertised as "proudly American" and "Made in the USA," marketing that was quietly removed from the website within a few days of launch. In 2026, it was confirmed that the bulk of the manufacturing would be happening overseas—definitively not in the USA.
Then, the terms of service were updated, informing those that paid a deposit that their $100 "does not constitute a completed purchase," rather it is "a conditional opportunity to buy the device if Trump Mobile eventually chooses to sell it." The release date was subsequently removed from the website entirely, and a new date has yet to be announced.
Social Media Reactions
Across social media platforms, many critics of the Trump family were far from surprised. "Lifelong con man pulls latest con," joked one user on Instagram.
"The fact that they collected 59 million dollars really makes my stomach hurt," another person commented.
"Everything he does is a grift," posted a third person. "Including the presidency."
"I really hate he can do this all the time and get away with it," the next person wrote.
"Brought to you by the Trump Crime Family!" added another.
"It will take decades to figure out how much the Trump's grifted this country out of," one person commented.
"Oh no, not Trump scamming people," one person wrote sarcastically. "Never saw that coming."
"The art of the con artist..." a final user posted.
