TL;DR
- Democratic lawmakers have asked the FTC to investigate Trump Mobile over alleged false advertising.
- The request centers on the still-unshipped T1 Phone and Trump Mobile’s handling of preorders and marketing.
- Lawmakers say the case should be treated like any other consumer protection issue, regardless of politics.
My colleague C. Scott Brown ordered the T1 Phone back in June. Seven months later, he still doesn’t have the Trump phone, a shipping date, or much clarity on what he actually paid a $100 deposit for. Now, that long-running mess may be about to draw federal scrutiny, after Democratic lawmakers asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Trump Mobile over alleged false advertising and deceptive practices.
Do you think the Trump phone is a scam?
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The request comes in a letter (h/t The Verge) from 11 Democratic lawmakers, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Robert Garcia. It focuses on Trump Mobile’s still-unreleased T1 Phone, announced more than six months ago and still accepting deposits despite not yet shipping anything to customers.
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The letter also presses the FTC on process, asking whether any inquiry into Trump Mobile is already underway. If not, the lawmakers ask why the agency has yet to act, and request assurance that Trump Mobile will be treated no differently from any other company facing similar allegations.
In their words, the outcome matters beyond this one product. “The American people deserve to know that consumer protection laws apply equally to all businesses,” the letter states, framing the FTC’s response as a test of whether those rules are enforced consistently, regardless of political associations.
The lawmakers also note this isn’t their first attempt to get answers. They say a separate letter sent last summer that asked how regulators would avoid political pressure when dealing with Trump Mobile went unanswered. With customers like my colleague still waiting for phones promised months ago, this saga looks set to rumble on.
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