A group of Democratic lawmakers on Thursday asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate a cellphone company launched by President Donald Trump’s two eldest sons for “potential violations of consumer protection law,” alleging that advertising and sales of a phone supposedly “made in the USA” could be misleading.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and 10 other Democratic members of the House and Senate have asked regulators to investigate Trump Mobile’s “T1” phone, which was announced in June and promised to be released in August but which has not yet been delivered.
Lawmakers specifically asked the agency to investigate whether consumers were deceived into paying a $100 deposit for phones that have not yet been released to customers.
The letter, seen exclusively by NBC News, also asks the FTC to determine whether Trump Mobile used “false advertising” by claiming its T1 phone would be made in the United States as it was originally marketed.
Trump Mobile quietly walked back its claim that the phone would be made in the United States. Less than a month after the launch announcement, the website appeared to erase any mention of “Made in the USA” and now describes the phone as having a “proud USA design.” However, in a phone call this week, a Trump Mobile call operator claimed the phone would be made in the United States.
In the letter, the lawmakers asked the FTC whether it had opened an investigation into Trump Mobile’s advertising practices and whether it had any discussions with the president or any of the companies involved in Trump Mobile.
The lawmakers wrote: “The FTC’s response to any violation of consumer protection law by Trump Mobile will serve as a critical test of the FTC’s independence and commitment to its mission to ‘protect the public from deceptive or unfair business practices.’
The letter was co-led by Warren and Rep. Robert Garcia of California and joined by Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Adam Schiff of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Reps. Doris Matsui of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Greg Cesar of Texas, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump announced their plan during an announcement at Trump Tower in June. Trump Mobile promised a suite of mobile carrier plans, as well as a gold T1 phone with an American flag on the back.
NBC News placed a $100 deposit on the T1 phone in August to monitor its progress. At one point in October, a Trump Mobile customer service call operator promised a specific shipping date of November 13, which passed without an update. When NBC News contacted the call center, an operator said delivery had been pushed back to December, citing the government shutdown as the reason for the delay, with no further explanation.
In a phone call this week to Trump Mobile’s customer support line, a carrier said the phone was “in the final stages of certification and field testing” and was now targeting a shipping date “sometime in the first quarter of 2026.”
The lawmakers asked the FTC to examine “bait-and-switch tactics involving deposits for products never delivered.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office also suggested it was looking into the phone project, posting on social media that the T1 phone project looked like “a FRAUD!” »
Trump Mobile and the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment on the status of the phone, whether it would still be made in the United States, or ongoing inquiries from congressional Democrats.
Brian Cheung is a business and data correspondent for NBC News.