Trump Mobile faces mounting criticism from customers and political supporters as the company has yet to ship its flagship gold T1 Phone nearly one year after its initial announcement. Despite amassing an estimated $59 million from $100 deposits, the venture led by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump has repeatedly pushed back release dates without delivering a single device as of May 12, 2026.
The company, T1 Mobile LLC, recently updated its preorder terms and conditions to clarify that deposits do not guarantee a device will be produced. Financial records cited by TIME indicate that approximately 600,000 individuals paid for the $499 device, which was originally scheduled for an August 2025 launch before the company removed all release dates from its website.
Ari Melber, host of “The Beat” on MS NOW, reported that the delay has left loyal supporters feeling misled by the president’s family business. Melber noted that the project follows a pattern of business ventures that have previously drawn accusations of exploiting fans.
“A bunch of customers and MAGA fans are very angry to find that Donald Trump is breaking his word again,” stated Ari Melber, Host of MS NOW.
Melber highlighted the shift in marketing regarding the device’s origin, which moved from a “made in America” promise to more vague descriptions about American values. He likened the business tactics to the shifting political goalposts used to maintain a disillusioned base.
“The Trumps’ family business has duped whatever fans it has left,” added Melber.
The host also questioned the validity of the company’s rebranding of the phone’s manufacturing status.
“The company’s selling point was that this somewhat gilded device would be made in America. … Now they say it will be ‘proudly American,’” Melber remarked.
Melber continued to critique the specific phrasing used in the updated marketing materials.
“I guess that’s kind of how the phone identifies. It will be designed with ‘American values in mind’ — sure, whatever. But that’s not how country-of-origin labeling works,” Melber said.
Melber characterized the situation as part of a recurring strategy for the former president.
“If it’s all familiar, this is not the first time Trump has done this kind of thing,” noted Melber.
The host concluded by comparing the business model to political movements.
“You could analogize some of what he does in business to how he’s moved through voters. … Because he keeps moving around, moving the goalposts, finding new people to believe the thing the old people are disillusioned [with],” Melber concluded.
Eric Trump previously emphasized the importance of domestic manufacturing during the company’s launch event at Trump Tower on June 16, 2025. He argued that the customer service and production should remain within the United States to support the administration’s broader manufacturing goals.
“We don’t want to do that overseas. We don’t want to do that in India,” said Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had echoed these sentiments in April 2025, predicting a return of mass-market electronics assembly to American soil.
“Remember the army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones? That kind of thing is going to come to America,” stated Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary.
Individual customers have expressed their frustration through social media as the mid-March 2026 deadline passed without updates. One supporter posted a viral video demanding accountability for the multiple devices they had preordered nearly a year ago.
“Hey, Trump supporter here. This one goes out to Don Jr. and Eric. Where the f–k’s my phone? I ordered three—no, four—gold Trump phones in the summer,” said an unidentified Trump Mobile customer.