Democrats push for federal probe into Trump Mobile tied to misleading marketing

Several Democratic lawmakers, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, have requested that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigate a Trump-branded mobile network provider, Trump Mobile, over “potentially deceptive” marketing claims.

Warren, along with 10 other members of Congress, signed a letter on Thursday, asking the FTC to clarify no later than February 15th whether the agency has opened an investigation into Trump Mobile’s advertising practices.

The letter concerns Trump Mobile collecting a $100 deposit for its “T1” smartphone, which was marketed as “made in the USA” and promised for delivery by August 2025. The delivery date, however, has been continuously pushed back, and “there are no signs that the phone has become a reality”. As of January 2026, no phones have been delivered.

Additionally, senators address the original marketing claims advertising the phone as “made in the USA” on the Trump Mobile website. The claim soon gathered criticism and was quietly removed shortly after the announcement. Instead, the related information section now uses wording like “American-proud design” and “proudly American”.

According to the letter, to claim that a product is “Made in USA,” marketers must meet a very specific set of FTC standards, and companies risk civil penalties for violations.

“While customers wait for the promised T1 phone, Trump Mobile has been selling refurbished iPhones, which are largely manufactured in China, and Samsung devices, which are manufactured by a Korean company, while claiming these products are ‘brought to life right here in the USA’,” senators add.

Pre-orders for the T1 phone remain open, and the company continues to sell its wireless service, priced at $47.45 per month, offering unlimited talk and text.

Senators also point out that they already wrote to the FTC in August regarding the "enormous conflicts of interest" posed by Trump’s control over the business and received no response. The Trump Organization does not sell the phone directly, although Trump Mobile heavily uses Trump’s branding for its products.

They stress that the agency’s response “will serve as a critical test of the FTC’s independence”.