XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.fraud   
   From: super70s@super70s.invalid   
      
   NO SIGNAL   
   Reps Beg FTC to Investigate Golden 'Trump Phones'   
   Democratic lawmakers accuse Trump Mobile of engaging in "deceptive practices."   
   By Vic Verbalaitis   
   The Daily Beast   
   Published Jan. 15 2026 4:47PM EST   
      
   A group of Democratic congressmembers is calling on the Federal Trade   
   Commission to look into the legitimacy of the Trump family's new   
   smartphone venture, Trump Mobile.   
      
   Co-led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Robert Garcia, the group of 11   
   lawmakers across the House and Senate called on the FTC to investigate   
   the company, created by the president's sons, Eric and Donald Jr., for   
   "deceptive practices."   
      
   "We write today regarding questions about false advertising and   
   deceptive practices by Trump Mobile, and to seek information on how the   
   Federal Trade Commission (FTC) intends to address any potential   
   violations of consumer protection law given the inherent conflicts of   
   interest presented by the company's relationship to President Donald   
   Trump," the letter, shared in a press release, begins.   
      
   The letter alleges that Trump Mobile's flagship product, the golden   
   "T13 smartphone," misled consumers with its initial marketing claims of   
   being "Made in the USA" -- claims that were quietly removed from the   
   company's website within days of its announcement in June 2025.   
      
   The website proudly said the T1 model phone was "MADE IN THE USA" on an   
   archived site view from June 16, 2025.   
      
   "To claim that a product is 'Made in USA,'  the letter reads,   
   "marketers must meet a very specific set of FTC standards, violations   
   of which come with civil penalties."   
      
   The website instead replaced its explicit "Made in USA" branding with   
   much vaguer phrasing, switching to taglines like "American-Proud   
   Design" and "brought to life right here in the USA."   
      
   In the meantime, the company has been selling refurbished iPhones and   
   Samsung devices on its website, which are manufactured in China and by   
   a Korean company, respectively.   
      
   "These are potentially misleading characterizations for devices that   
   are manufactured overseas," the letter says.   
      
   The Trump Organization's gold smartphone is available for pre-order. It   
   will cost $499 and operate on the Android network.   
      
   The Trump Mobile T1 smartphone has yet to be delivered to consumers   
   since its announcement last June. Trump Mobile   
   In August, tech publication The Verge identified the T1 model phone   
   displayed in promotional social media images as a Samsung Galaxy S25,   
   which differed from the phone model shown in promotional materials from   
   June that looked more similar to iPhone Pro models.   
      
   The letter also asks the FTC to investigate Trump Mobile's failure to   
   deliver its product to consumers by its promised deadline, despite   
   collecting $100 deposits from customers for the $499 phone since August.   
      
   The smartphone's release has been delayed twice. It was pushed back to   
   the end of 2025 after failing to meet its August deadline, then delayed   
   again to late January -- citing complications from last year's   
   government shutdown, which a majority of Americans blame Trump and   
   Republicans for.   
      
   The letter concludes by calling on the FTC to answer nine questions by   
   February 15, including whether the company may have deceived consumers   
   and whether the agency acts independently of potential political   
   influence from the White House.   
   The FTC and Trump Mobile did not immediately return requests for comment.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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