Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Suckers paid $59 million for nonexistent Trump phones

 

Suckers paid $59 million for nonexistent Trump phones

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/12/800037645/news/trump-phone-t1-59-million/ 

Suckers paid $59 million for nonexistent Trump phones

by Lisa Needham
Staff
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Eric Trump, Don Hendrickson, Eric Thomas, Patrick O'Brien and Donald Trump Jr., left to right, participate in the announcement of Trump Mobile, in New York's Trump Tower, Monday, June 16, 2025.
Attribution: APEric Trump, Don Hendrickson, Eric Thomas, Patrick O’Brien and Donald Trump Jr., left to right, participate in the announcement of Trump Mobile, in New York’s Trump Tower, in June 2025.

The T1 Phone—a gold cell phone bearing President Donald Trump’s name—feels about as real as Bigfoot these days. It’s been close to a year since the flashy announcement that the Trump family was going to manufacture the very best, most American, most gold-plated phone ever. But there’s no phone in sight, and it’s increasingly looking like there never will be.

But if it never arrives, what happens to the $59 million that Trump Mobile raked in thanks to 590,000 suckers plopping down $100 each as a deposit?

By now, you should know how this works. Those folks are likely out of luck. Why would you ever give money to the Trump family on spec? They are just going to run away with it. 

After kicking the can down the road for months, Trump Mobile appears to have stealth-added some terms and conditions in April, intended to address the whole preorder deposit problem. And if the Wayback Machine is accurate, these seem not to be updated terms but rather terms that may have never existed before April 6.

If you’re one of the people who gave away your $100, these terms will not engender confidence that you will ever get your gilded monstrosity of a phone. First, a preorder deposit “does not guarantee that a Device will be produced or made available for purchase.”

Trump Mobile does not guarantee that: the Device will be commercially released; regulatory approvals (including FCC authorization) will be obtained; carrier certification will be secured; production will commence or continue; or delivery will occur within any specific timeframe.

— Trump Mobile’s website

You should also know that the “deposit does not lock in pricing, promotions, service plans, taxes, fees, shipping costs, or other commercial terms.” However, that statement is just a few lines down from a banner urging people to “LOCK IN YOUR T1 PHONE PROMOTIONAL PRICING NOW,” with a link to the order page. 

The deposit also isn’t for a specific phone but for whatever phone Trump Mobile finally releases, if any: “Device specifications, features, software, hardware components, storage capacities, bundled accessories, colors, and configurations are subject to change prior to final sale. Images, prototypes, beta demonstrations, and marketing renderings are illustrative only and may not reflect final production units.”

They had to get that in there, given that the illustrations of the nonexistent phone keep changing. At first, the phone was going to be “All-American,” all the time. However, the mock-up image appeared to be Samsung’s Galaxy 25 Ultra in a case. Notably, Samsung’s phones are not made in America. But the company has walked back that whole part anyway. 

Both NBC News and 404 Media placed preorders and duly turned over $100, but both have been met with delay after delay. Clearly, no one is ever getting this phone. 

According to the terms of service, you can ask for your deposit back before finishing the purchase, but that puts the onus on the customer to get their money back for a phone that may never arrive. 

Also, if Trump Mobile cancels the phone, they say they will issue a full refund. Of course, if Trump Mobile never cancels the phone and instead pretends that it is a going concern, that route to a refund is seemingly closed off.

Oh, and here’s another fun little thing. Other terms of service on Trump Mobile explain that disputes are subject to arbitration and courts in Palm Beach County, Florida, have exclusive jurisdiction over enforcing arbitration decisions, but the deposit terms have no arbitration provision any longer, and your only relief would be to file a lawsuit in Palm Beach County, Florida. 

An entire lawsuit to get your $100 back, and it can be filed only in the county where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate lives. 

Look, we have no sympathy for anyone foolish enough to give the Trump family one thin dime, but it is pretty staggering that it looks like the president’s family may make off with tens of millions of dollars from their gullible fans. That may be par for the course for Trump-branded enterprises, but some folks never learn.

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  1. Comment by bigwhoop.

    As anyone who lived in New York City during Trumps heyday in the 80's & 90's, watching him drive every business he touched into the ground (including 2 *casinos* and an airline), we can confidently state that Trump is one thing and one thing only, not a businessman, not an executive, not a president, only a lying shyster con-man. Always was, always will be. He belongs behind bars. As Liz Smith said, "I knew him in the eighties, he was a jackass then, and is still a jackass now."

  2. Comment by brat city blue.

    And if you do file the lawsuit the case will be overseen by Trump's favorite judge Aileen Cannon. Good luck with getting your money back, SUCKERS!

  3. Comment by healejd.

    Isn't this unethical? LMAO. I for one hope that the T's keep all of the idiots they ripped off from ever seeing a dime. The worst part is that the majority of these suckers will defend the T's to the death. They will buy the next thing rom these con artists that is shoved in their email inbox ten times a day and 7 days a week. I need to ask some of my in-laws if they ordered. Then laugh my arse off when they tell me they did. They will lie probably and say they didn't at this point. What ever. It's the little things that get me to being less likely to want to go back to bed until this is over. I am too pissed off to do that but the idea can be found floating around some days.... WE MUST NOT SURRENDER. I am going to have fun and encourage all the MAGAs i still talk to to buy a phone. It will be my happy place.

    • Reply by Astronut.

      In the "Peanuts" comic strip, Lucy held a football for Charlie Brown to kick but pulled it away just as he kicked, landing on his ass. This happened year after year after year, each time Charlie hoping that this time she wouldn't do it again.

      MAGAs are like Charlie Brown -- except he was called a "lovable loser". There's nothing lovable about MAGAs. Charlie was losing his dignity, but the MAGAs are why we're losing our democracy.

  4. Comment by FloridianForProgress.

    Those sheep aren't going to shear themselves.

  5. Comment by BrunswickBeaches.

    The felon, yet again, grifts off of his own supporters. Nothing new to see here.

  6. Comment by Glaisne.

    And if Hunter did this while Biden was president? Can you imagine the firestorm the Republicans would whip up? But this scam and all the other Trump family grifts barely get any mention. Unreal.

    • Reply by PissedGrunty.

      As I will keep pointing out, we dont' have to pretend. They already raised that firestorm based on NOTHING AT ALL.

  7. Comment by North Central.

    Trump: [reaches into pocket of local Maga, lifts wallet, empties it of cash, walks away]

    Maga: "Well, freedom isn't free."

  8. Comment by Shotmaker.

    The fools that bought into this con are the same fools that voted for the orange turd. Screw them all! As a man said, "You can't fix stupid."

  9. Comment by ILikeBeingLiberal.

    "A sucker is bor every minute" PT Barnum. Boy, was he ever right! The trumps are soaking the sheeple.

    • Reply by alally.

      That was also said by the inventor of the pacifier. :)

  10. Comment by zootscoot.

    Never Give A Sucker An Even Break -W. C. Fields from the film of the same name.

  11. Comment by Jim McHenry.

    With an well known and established racket of grifting, fraud and swindling going back to the 1970s I have zero fucks to give over money lost by the suckers who bought into this latest scam.

  12. Comment by Jimm523.

    This is absolutely alarming, even for them. This appears to go well beyond just their usual grifty loopholes for suckers. I'd be very interested to know what the Code of Florida would say about it. When you pay a deposit, you have technically entered into a legal agreement with the party you paid. Basically, the deposit is your what you've agreed to provide & what they agree to are spelled out by the terms. Both parties agree to be bound by said terms at the time of your obligation being satisfied, when you pay the deposit. You typically can't go changing or adding things after the fact because a reasonable assumption exists you may have found them prohibitive if they had been included originally.

    • Reply by Jim McHenry.

      More than likely all in the fine print that people never read, and always should down to the letter when the name "Trump" is involved. They have infamously been doing this for decades.

  13. Comment by LLL3555.

    "par for the course" In gold letters. Loving it.

  14. Comment by Angel Of Fear.

    But remember, he cares about the little guy! He cares about you financially! /s

    Imagine falling for this shit over and over again. And the cult are the ones saying their intellectually superior to everyone and should control everything. Sorry but if rump can keep fucking over without even trying, you shouldnt be in charge of anything.

    • Reply by Jim McHenry.

      Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice (and far beyond) shame on me. To the marks that bought into this latest grift, the latter applies and is on you. See "Trump University" as one of the numerous and easily accessible examples.

  15. Comment by Steamdude.

    There's one born every minute, or in the case of maga, 590,000. They suffer least who suffer what they choose.

  16. Comment by 1954gg.

    Not sure it would feel to any of his rubes but I should write a book "trump for dummies".

    • Reply by Jim McHenry.

      That is assuming they can read and or comprehend. It is easier to claim "fake news" and get in line for more.

    • Reply by Jamesgang1950.

      do you think this will hurt sales of my Trump Statue.....we are going to offer it in 18" and 48" outdoor sizes....one for the mantle place and of course one in the garden or in a small reflecting pond.......the larger unit is "forged" in high grade polymers (plastic) to be able to ship and filled with sand before installation...( video of sand being via the hole location in the head of the statue) check out the accessories! Indian shawl, Obi One Robe, Afhgan shoulder blanket.......add a couple of "audio Stones" blue tooth connected to play Trump Dance Music CD (SAVE 20% buy the bundle package!)

      Feel the pride of being 'Merican' playing Lee Greenwood on 'loop replay' for the whole neighborhood while enjoying your very own Trump Statue.......(OH! 10% discount on all reservations to Dorall Golf Resort with receipt !)

  17. Comment by Chazz Reinhold.

    I cannot for the life of me understand why every Dem State AG has not brought criminal fraud charges against these guys. The Trumps are going to need the hundreds of millions of dollars they unjustly enriched themselves with to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and damages.

    • Reply by EriktheRed565.

      One can only hope…with a small footnote. Every damn one of them should rot in prison.

    • Reply by brat city blue.

      Maybe the prison in El Salvador.

  18. Comment by Lee Shaffer.

    Just more proof that Trump is a grifter. This is just bullshit. He keeps making money from the presidency, which is clearly illegal. He needs to be impeached and removed from office. He is dangerously stupid and corrupt.

  19. Comment by longtail.

    The boys can rip you off with impunity since they will obviously get pardons even if dad's justice dept did prosecute them

    • Reply by EriktheRed565.

      Same thing I’ve been telling my Democrat friends. Also told when we all saw he was elected…even years before, that all the whole lot of them were going to deceive the sheeple with one illegal grift after another. My neighbors also thought when 47 got convicted in Georgia that he was gonna go to prison. I told them all he’s not gonna do a day and he would be the biggest criminal in the country and get away with all of it, just as if he were on 47th St. blowing somebody’s brains out..

    • Reply by Jim McHenry.

      That is keeping it 100., Trump's underlings have the possibility of seeing the inside of a cell, in fact he may shift blame and throw a couple of them under an oncoming judicial bus to save himself., But what people forget is that he is the slipperiest eel in the ocean with prepared escape pods already in place and a cult that believes implicitly everything he says, so Trump will never be jailed even though he richly deserves it. To believe otherwise is not realistic.

  20. Comment by EarTo44.

    All democrats should run a free commercial pitching the Trump phones. My kind of comedy.

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