Donald Trump’s family business is launching a new Trump-branded phone service, in its latest plan to cash in on the US president’s name.
The Trump Organization, which is run by his sons, said it planned to sell a gold-coloured, made-in-America smart phone for $499, along with mobile phone service for a monthly fee of $47.45 – a reference to their father serving as the country’s 47th and 45th president.
“It’s unbelievable that the Trump family has created yet another way for President Trump to personally profit while in office,” said Meghan Faulkner, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
Trump has said he has put his business interests in a trust, which is managed by his children.
The Trump Organization did not respond to questions about its business partner and criticisms about potential ethics issues.
In its most recent attempt to capitalize on the US president’s name, Donald Trump’s family business is introducing a new Trump-branded phone service.
The Trump Organization, which is led by his sons, announced that it would sell a gold-colored, American-made smartphone for $499 and mobile phone service for $47.45 per month, a reference to their fathers’ roles as the nation’s 45th and 47th presidents.
Information about the business partner who will operate the service and is licensing the name was scarce in the announcement.
The most recent endeavor, according to ethics watchdogs, was another way to potentially engage in conflicts of interest and corruption.
Meghan Faulkner, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said, “It’s unbelievable that the Trump family has created yet another way for President Trump to personally profit while in office.”.
According to Trump, he has placed his business holdings in a trust that his kids run. According to the White House, he acts in the best interests of all Americans.
However, according to Ms. Faulkner, the most recent endeavor brought up well-known questions, such as whether the new company will attract clients from those looking to influence Trump and how the president will formulate regulations and policies for a sector in which his family now owns stock.
Critiques regarding possible ethical problems and inquiries concerning its business partner were not answered by the Trump Organization.
It claimed that “hard-working Americans deserve a wireless service that’s affordable, reflects their values, and delivers reliable quality they can count on” when announcing its plans.
It promoted a policy of “discounted” international calls to families whose members are in the armed forces outside of the US.
Both the gold-colored phone, which is now up for pre-order, and customer service representatives based in the US would be available to answer inquiries, according to the announcement.
Tech analysts, however, pointed out that the phone’s design defied current wireless headphone trends and that it was unclear which company would manufacture the device in the US.
The transaction is a continuation of a business strategy that Trump adopted long before he became president: negotiating agreements to sell his name to golf course operators and hoteliers in return for fees and royalties.
However, since he entered politics ten years ago, there are now more opportunities to make money off of his brand.
According to his latest financial disclosure, Trump made over $600 million last year, which included millions from sales of products like Bibles, watches, sneakers, and fragrances bearing his name.
His net worth was more than double that of the previous year, with Forbes estimating it at $5.01 billion in March.
The president’s “diehard following” is credited with supporting the value of Trump’s social media company, which operates the Truth Social platform and accounted for about half of his wealth last year, according to the report.
