A grift? From Trump? How could we possibly have gotten here?

Nearly 600,000 Trump supporters paid £74 ($100) each towards a gold smartphone that, nearly a year on, does not exist.

The Trump Mobile T1 phone was announced in June 2025 by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as a patriotic alternative to Apple and Samsung, retailing at £370 ($499) and promising a ‘Made in the USA’ build.

An estimated 590,000 buyers paid a £74 ($100) deposit to secure one, collectively handing the venture roughly £43.7 million ($59 million). As of May 2026, not a single confirmed customer has received the device. Now, a fresh wave of anger is spreading across MAGA forums after buyers received communication making clear that their money is, for all practical purposes, gone.

    • slemptastrophe@piefed.social
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      15 days ago

      They might file a suit. They’ll never see that money again though. Not until we have a functioning government again, but by then we’ll have much bigger problems to solve than a bunch of idiots getting their money back.

    • Steve
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      15 days ago

      eh… 60-70% chance I’d guess.
      So maybe probably?