(The Hill) – The Trump Organization on Monday announced it was launching a new mobile phone business: Trump Mobile.
It’s the latest new business the Trump Organization is getting into during President Trump’s second term in the White House, a dynamic that has raised various ethical concerns from his critics.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s oldest son, announced the new initiative along with his brother Eric Trump, on the anniversary of their father’s first announcing he was running for president 10 years ago, from Trump Tower in New York City.
He said the business group felt there was “lackluster performance” in today’s mobile phone industry, and believed there could be an opportunity to provide tech to an audience that was “underserved.”
Along with Trump mobile, Trump Jr. said the Trump Organization was “going to be introducing an entire package of products.”
He said at a press event that it would allow people to “get telemedicine on their phones for one flat monthly fee, roadside assistance for their cars,” and “unlimited texting for 100 countries around the world.”
“We think we’re going to be giving something unique to the American people,” Trump Jr. said.
Trump’s children have taken control of Trump’s business entities through the Trump Organization while he is president.
While the traditional Trump family business has been focused on real estate and hotels, it has more recently become involved in several tech-related businesses, from the Truth Social platform, which is where Trump’s social media posts are initiated, to cryptocurrency.
This latest entry into the mobile business, too, is likely to come under criticism from those who see Trump’s family as excessively monetizing his time in office.
A release on Trump Mobile said it would offer 5G service through all three major cellular carriers. Its flagship offering is also linked to the president: The 47 Plan. It gives consumers the offerings of Trump Mobile for $47.45 per month, a price point referencing Trump’s time as the nation’s 45th and 47th president.
The release also said the Trump Organization would be introducing a new “TI Phone” in August, which was described as a “sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance and proudly designed and built in the United States for customers who expect the best from their mobile carrier.”
