Trump Mobile Quietly Removed 'Made in USA' Promise From Webpage After Being Accused of Sourcing From China
Trump Mobile quietly removed its "Made in the USA" claim from its website after facing accusations of sourcing parts from China.
The Trump Organization, owned by Donald Trump and run by his sons, Don Jr. and Eric, launched Trump Mobile's T1 smartphones earlier this month, initially marketing them as "proudly designed and built in the United States."
After criticism, including CNN tech analyst Max Weinbach noting that only a handful of smartphone manufacturers could produce the devices and they are all based in China, the company quietly removed all "Made in the USA" claims from its website, including a prominent banner, according to The Verge.
The T1's new tagline is "Premium Performance. Proudly American." Its website claims the device is "designed with American values in mind" and "crafted by American hands." Under Key Features, the first item listed is "American-Proud Design," marking a significant shift from its earlier, more direct messaging.
The Verge also noted that the company appears to have switched suppliers, as the screen size shrank from 6.78 to 6.25 inches. The website previously listed 12GB of RAM, but that detail has since been removed. Additionally, the shipping date for the T1 Phone 8002 was changed from "September" to "later this year."
The Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment, according to The Verge.
Originally published on Latin Times
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
13 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Metal Tariffs Wreak Havoc On US Factory
In the sweltering US summer, metal containers decorated with snowmen and sleighs are taking shape -- but tempers are also rising as their manufacturer grapples with President Donald Trump's steep steel tariffs. At Independent Can's factory in Belcamp, Maryland northeast of Baltimore, CEO Rick Huether recounts how he started working at his family's business at age 14. Huether, now 73, says he is determined to keep his manufacturing company afloat for generations to come. But Trump's tariffs are complicating this task. "We're living in chaos right now," he told AFP. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and aluminum -- and then doubled the rate to 50 percent. This has weighed on operations at Independent Can, and Huether expects he eventually will have to raise prices. With the steady beat of presses, steel plates that have been coated with tin -- to prevent corrosion -- are turned into containers for cookies, dried fruit, coffee and milk powder at Huether's factory. But there is not enough of such American-made tinplate for companies like his. "In the United States, we can only make about 25 percent of the tinplate that's required to do what we do," in addition to what other manufacturers need, Huether said. "Those all require us to buy in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our steel outside of the United States," he added. While Huether is a proponent of growing the US manufacturing base, saying globalization has "gone almost a little bit too far," he expressed concern about Trump's methods. Trump has announced a stream of major tariffs only to later back off parts of them or postpone them, and also imposed duties on items the country does not produce. For now, Independent Can -- which employs nearly 400 people at four sites -- is ruling out any layoffs despite the current upheaval. But Huether said one of the company's plants in Iowa closed last year in part because of a previous increase in steel tariffs, during Trump's first presidential term. With steel tariffs at 50 percent now, Huether expects he will ultimately have to raise his prices by more than 20 percent, given that tinplate represents a part of his production costs. Some buyers have already reduced their orders this year by 20 to 25 percent, over worries about the economy and about not having enough business themselves. Others now seem more inclined to buy American, but Huether expressed reservations over how long this trend might last, citing his experiences from the Covid-19 crisis. "During the pandemic, we took everybody in. As China shut down and the ports were locked up, our business went up 50 percent," he explained. But when the pandemic was over, customers turned back to purchasing from China, he said. "Today if people want to come to us, we'll take them in," he said, but added: "We need to have a two-year contract." Huether wants to believe that his company, which is almost a century old after being founded during the Great Depression, will weather the latest disruptions. "I think that our business will survive," he said, but added: "It's trying to figure out what you're going to sell in the next six months." With the steady beat of presses, steel plates that have been coated with tin -- to prevent corrosion -- are turned into containers for cookies, dried fruit, coffee and milk powder at the Independent Can factory AFP Independent Can Company CEO Rick Huether is a proponent of growing the US manufacturing base but expressed concern about President Donald Trump's methods AFP Steel sheets used to manufacture cans sit in the warehouse of the Independent Can Company -- with steel tariffs at 50 percent now, CEO Rick Huether expects he will have to raise his prices by more than 20 percent eventually AFP
Int'l Business Times
15 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Morocco's Atlantic Gambit: Linking Restive Sahel To Ocean
A planned trade corridor linking the landlocked Sahel to the Atlantic is at the heart of an ambitious Moroccan project to tackle regional instability and consolidate its grip on disputed Western Sahara. The "Atlantic Initiative" promises ocean access to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger through a new $1.3-billion port in the former Spanish colony claimed by the pro-independence Polisario Front but largely controlled by Morocco. But the project remains fraught with challenges at a time when military coups in the Sahel states have brought new leaderships to power intent on overturning longstanding political alignments following years of jihadist violence. The Moroccan initiative aims to "substantially transform the economy of these countries" and "the region", said King Mohammed VI when announcing it in late 2023. The "Dakhla Atlantic" port, scheduled for completion at El Argoub by 2028, also serves Rabat's goal of cementing its grip on Western Sahara after US President Donald Trump recognised its sovereignty over the territory in 2020. Morocco's regional rival Algeria backs the Polisario but has seen its relations with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger fray in recent months after the downing a Malian drone. Military coups over the past five years have seen the three Sahel states pivot towards Russia in a bid to restore their sovereignty and control over natural resources after decades within the sphere of influence of their former colonial ruler France. French troops were forced to abandon their bases in the three countries, ending their role in the fight against jihadists who have found sanctuary in the vast semi-arid region on the southern edge of the Sahara. After both the African Union and West African bloc ECOWAS imposed economic sanctions on the new juntas, Morocco emerged as an early ally, with Niger calling the megaproject "a godsend". "Morocco was one of the first countries where we found understanding at a time when ECOWAS and other countries were on the verge of waging war against us," Niger's Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare said in April during a visit to Rabat alongside his Malian and Burkinabe counterparts. The Sahel countries established a bloc of their own -- the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) -- in September 2023 but have remained dependent on the ports of ECOWAS countries like Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo. Rising tensions with the West African bloc could restrict their access to those ports, boosting the appeal of the alternative trade outlet being offered by Rabat. Morocco has been seeking to position itself as a middleman between Europe and the Sahel states, said Beatriz Mesa, a professor at the International University of Rabat. With jihadist networks like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group striking ever deeper into sub-Saharan Africa, the security threat has intensified since the departure of French-led troops. Morocco was now "profiting from these failures by placing itself as a reliable Global South partner", Mesa said. Its initiative has won the backing of key actors including the United States, France and the Gulf Arab states, who could provide financial support, according to specialist journal Afrique(s) en mouvement. But for now the proposed trade corridor is little more than an aspiration, with thousands of kilometres (many hundreds of miles) of desert road-building needed to turn it into a reality. "There are still many steps to take," since a road and rail network "doesn't exist", said Seidik Abba, head of the Sahel-focused think tank CIRES. Rida Lyammouri of the Policy Center for the New South said the road route from Morocco through Western Sahara to Mauritania is "almost complete", even though it has been targeted by Polisario fighters. Abdelmalek Alaoui, head of the Moroccan Institute for Strategic Intelligence, said it could cost as much as $1 billion to build a land corridor through Mauritania, Mali and Niger all the way to Chad, 3,100 kilometres (1,900 miles) to the east. And even if the construction work is completed, insecurity is likely to pose a persistent threat to the corridor's viability, he said. Morocco is building economic ties with several countries in the Sahel, including those that experienced military coups in recent years AFP Thousands of miles of road still need to be built as part of the project AFP
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Int'l Business Times
Chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Claims the 'Deep State' Is Hurting the Housing Market
Sales of existing homes in the US fell to a 13-year low pace in September, said the National Association of Realtors Bill Pulte, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who also serves as the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, stated that "deep state" influence is actively impacting the housing ecosystem in an interview with former congressman Matt Gaetz. Pulte spoke about the issues that exist within the U.S. housing ecosystem during an appearance on the Matt Gaetz show, which airs on One America News Network. He told Gaetz that housing companies are run unethically due to "deep state" influences, and that the system needed to be changed. CHAIRMAN OF FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC EXPLAINS THE DEEP STATE INFLUENCE WITHIN THE HOUSING ECOSYSTEM Chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and Director of The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) @pulte explains the Deep State influence within the housing ecosystem to… — One America News (@OANN) June 28, 2025 "These companies are diamonds in the rough, but we've got to take out the unnecessary costs, and in some ways, I hate to say it, but the deep state that has existed within not just these companies but the whole ecosystem around them, and make sure that they're being run lean, mean, honestly, ethically for the benefit of the American people. Ultimately I think that will result in lower mortgage rates and more ability for people to finally get the American dream again like they got in the first Trump administration," said Pulte. "How does the deep state in Fannie and Freddie and HUD impair people's ability to get the best price housing?" Gaetz asked. "Well, it's been very disappointing Matt, because you go in and you hear about the deep state. I know that it exists in the agency that I took over, but it's been very disappointing to see it happen at Fannie and Freddie as well," he began. "You see it with just the deceit. You see employees telling you 60% but not telling you the rest of the 40%. If you withhold 40%, you're lying by omission," he continued. Social media users took to online platforms to cast doubt on Pulte's assertions, arguing that other factors were also making housing inaccessible within the U.S. "Meh. Lots of generalized statements. We need specific examples and details to form our own opinions," said one. Meh. Lots of generalized statements. We need specific examples and details to form our own opinions. — sean egginton (@crwdog) June 28, 2025 "Deep State? How about BlackRock buying up homes everywhere??" added another. Deep State? How about BlackRock buying up homes everywhere?? — Maryjo (@Maryjo105821) June 28, 2025 "I've been told the deep state doesn't exist....." said a third. I've been told the deep state doesn't exist….. — Genitor (@Asturcus) June 28, 2025 "Name names or it didn't happen. Transparency is what I voted for," wrote a fourth. Name names or it didn't happen. Transparency is what I voted for. — rkelly9102 (@rkelly91021) June 28, 2025 Originally published on Latin Times © Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
