Trump wants to put his name on your phone now
TL;DR
- US President Donald Trump might be planning to start a mobile carrier to compete with Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T.
- The company that handles Trump’s trademarks has filed to use the terms “Trump” and “T1” for telecom-related services.
- The trademark request also covers mobile phones, cases, chargers, and retail stores.
After launching a social media platform, a sneaker line, and NFTs, US President Donald Trump might be coming for your cellphone next.
According to trademark applications spotted by Bloomberg, DTTM Operations LLC, the company that handles Trump’s trademarks, has filed to use the terms “Trump” and “T1” for telecom-related services. In addition to wireless telephone services, the trademark request also covers mobile phones, cases, chargers, and retail stores.
While the Trump Organization has not officially commented on the development (they didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment), trademark lawyer Josh Gerben says the filings are unusually specific and suggest this may not be just someone dreaming up brand ideas on a napkin.
“While a trademark filing doesn’t guarantee a product launch, the specificity of the applications points to serious consideration,” Gerben noted in a blog post last week.
So what would a Trump wireless carrier even look like? We’re picturing MAGA-branded phones with Truth Social pre-loaded. On a more serious note, if this does happen, it would mark a major shift for Trump’s business interests, which are mainly focused on real estate and hotels.
Again, to be clear, a trademark filing doesn’t guarantee a launch. Many companies reserve names for things that never see the light of day. But given Trump’s widening interests, a self-branded wireless network doesn’t feel entirely out of the question.
