Trump Mobile, the phone company launched by the Trump Organization, quietly removed the “Made in USA” promise for its $499 T1 smartphone from its website in late June 2025, CNN reported on June 26, 2025. A company spokesperson still told CNN the phones are “proudly being made in America.”
What changed
According to CNN’s review of Internet Archive captures, the website said the T1 phone was “Made in the USA” as late as June 18. On or around June 22, that wording was replaced with softer phrases such as “designed with American values in mind” and “brought to life right here in the USA.” CNN noted that The Verge first reported the change.
The edit followed skepticism from industry analysts. Purism CEO Todd Weaver and Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach independently told CNN they believed the originally announced T1 resembled the Revvl 7 Pro 5G, a phone made by China-based Wingtech. The website also changed the phone’s listed screen size from 6.78 inches to 6.25 inches.
“There (are) no phones that are really being built in the US from start to finish.”
Ryan Reith, IDC, as quoted by CNN
Why it matters for Made in USA
An unqualified “Made in USA” claim is not a slogan. Under the FTC’s standard, a product sold that way must be “all or virtually all” made in the USA, with all significant parts and processing of USA origin. Phones are among the hardest products to meet that bar, because chipsets, displays and many small components are produced overseas.
That is why phrases like “designed,” “brought to life” or “built” matter. They can describe real work done in the USA, but they do not tell shoppers where the phone was actually manufactured. Honest makers qualify their claims. Purism, for example, sells its phone with the qualified claim “Made in USA Electronics” and lists component origins on its product page.
The lesson for any brand: if the product is assembled in the USA from imported parts, say so plainly. A clear, qualified claim builds more trust than a bold one that has to be walked back.
FAQ
Did Trump Mobile say the T1 is no longer made in the USA?
No. CNN reported that the website wording changed, but a Trump Mobile spokesperson said the phones are “proudly being made in America” and called speculation to the contrary inaccurate.
What does “Made in USA” require?
For an unqualified claim, the FTC requires that a product be “all or virtually all” made in the USA, with no more than negligible foreign content.
Is “designed in the USA” the same as “Made in USA”?
No. “Designed in the USA” describes where the design work happened, not where the product was manufactured.
Source & credit
Originally reported by CNN Business (Lisa Eadicicco and Hadas Gold) on June 26, 2025: Trump Mobile still claims its phone is ‘Made in the USA.’ But it pulled that language from its site
Additional context from TechNode on June 30, 2025: Trump’s “Made in USA” phone actually made in China, Purism CEO alleges