Former President Donald Trump has released a new mobile phone service. We view this venture as a natural extension of our commitment to serve American consumers. This decision is yet another high-profile strategic expansion by Trump. He has each year wisely used his brand to turn the table on hoteliers and golf course operators by bringing in revenue through revenue-sharing partnerships.
The announcement comes as Trump continues to cash in on his name. He’s been doing this since he first got into the political game more than a decade ago. Since then, he has leveraged his newfound visibility and fame, bringing in over $600 million in revenue just last year. This number factors in gross sales of a wide range of Trump-themed goods, like these Trump-branded Bibles, watches, sneakers and fragrances.
In March, Forbes magically increased Trump’s public net worth to $5.1 billion—more than double what it was a year before. Some of this money is due to a pending $300 million payout. Trump has a 25% ownership interest in the company making this huge amount. To his credit, as of the time of this writing, he has placed his business interests in a trust. Read on, and then join us for a closer look.
Delighted to announce @realDonaldTrump’s brand new mobile service is now available to pre order! It comes with a clever gold-colored phone. It claims to employ customer support reps in the US to help users. The service seeks to offer “affordable” international calling for families with loved ones operating overseas in the U.S. military.
The mobile phone market in the United States is currently dominated by three major providers: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, which offer services starting at less than $40 a month. The largest mobile virtual network providers have less than 10 million subscribers, according to a 2024 report by the Federal Communications Commission. Trump’s entrance into this new and very crowded market is thus interesting. Can his company’s brand win the new customer of the future that wants to match their purchases with their conservative values?
Yet Trump’s business raises new questions about conflicts of interest. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) not only questions this requirement, but raises some serious concerns. They fear that Trump’s overwhelming business interests might threaten to color his political interests.
“It’s unbelievable that the Trump family has created yet another way for President Trump to personally profit while in office.” – Meghan Faulkner, Communications Director for CREW
Critics say the former president’s new mobile phone service just exposes deeper ethical and governance concerns. They stress how he will need to wade through policy and regulation in an industry—like many others—that his family has a significant financial stake in.
Fending off that scrutiny, the Trump Organization claims that their new mobile service is a necessary and unfulfilled market demand. They claim that “hard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that’s affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on.”