Another Rip-Off From the Trumps
It's almost like Trump University, Trump Steaks, Trump Water, Trump Ties, Trump Meme Coins, Trump Cologne...weren't one-offs, and The Trumps are Corrupt AF?
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by David Shuster
The eldest Trump sons are back in the spotlight, not in a courtroom or political rally but possibly in your pocket. Eric and Don junior, the tireless defenders of the MAGA brand, have announced the launch of a new business venture – “Trump mobile.” It’s a new cell phone service wrapped in stars, stripes, and controversy.
Recently Eric Trump appeared on his favorite grift promotion transmission belt, aka Fox Business. He told right-wing conspiracy theorist/host, Maria Bartiromo, “Trump mobile is going to revolutionize cell phones and mobile calling.”
Don junior then noted in a gaudy press conference that users of Trump mobile, for $47.45 a month, will have “unlimited data and texting to 100 countries around the globe.” Of course—as it always does with anything “Trump,” the small print includes a catch.
You get up to 20 gigabytes of data at high speed. Everything above will not be at high speed. Translation: Do you enjoy watching paint drying? That’s what it will be like waiting for your data/texts to go through after you go past the relatively low threshold of 20 giga bytes. It’s like Trump is trying to create even more anger and division among his own supporters.
Oh, and according to industry analysts including Nilay Patel, editor in chief of the Verge, the top three carriers already in business provide you with more unlimited high-speed data at a less expensive monthly cost. Because, of course they do, and of course if a Trump is breathing a Trump is grifting. He doesn’t just get a cheap thrill from committing physical violence against people, but economic violence too.
So, more high-speed data is available for less money from non Trump mobile carriers. But what about America first? Surely Trump mobile will fulfill President Trump’s promise to bring more manufacturing and more jobs to these United States? Not really.
Eric Trump on the Benny Johnson podcast said the call/help centers for Trump mobile will be based in St. Louis Missouri. But he admitted the Trump mobile phones will be made in the USA “eventually.” Eventually?
That is the give away that this is another Trump grift. Because currently, and perhaps for years, all the Trump mobile phones will be built in China.
If you want to reach a call center to help with your new Chinese manufactured mobile phone or you want to transfer your existing phone to the Trump mobile phone service, you will get somebody in Missouri as opposed to Bangladesh or India. But the price point for a new Trump mobile phone, $499 bucks, guarantees that the company will not add new manufacturing in the United States.
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Nilay Patel says the Trump mobile phone can not be manufactured in the U.S. for that price and will almost certainly be a rebranded Chinese Android phone but with a Trump sticker slapped over it.
So, the Trump organization is once again going to put the Trump name on an existing product and service and make a bunch of promises that will not come true in the long term. Sound familiar?
Remember Trump water? Trump University? Trump casinos? The Trump shuttle? Trump watches? Trump playing cards? Trump steaks?
In some cases, the Trump family made some money from their low-grade, grifty product and got out before the entire Trump business effort collapsed. In other cases, various Trump ventures ended up having to declare bankruptcy.
How does anybody lose money owning a casino? Where people literally hand you money for nothing of value in the outside world, to sit for hours in an oxygen-soaked, drink-filled, loud space lacking sunlight and clocks to disorient and convince you to continue giving away your money hand over fist?
Well, the Trump organization—always the innovators—found a way.
What’s different now of is that Donald Trump and his family have tens of millions of die-hard supporters. They have proven they will buy Trump merch, coins, and tacky products just as quickly as they buy and embrace Trump lies.
To be fair, there may be some Americans who are willing to pay more for a mobile phone and monthly service just so they can keep that close and special connection with the Trumps (who’d never lower themselves to to hang out with any of the consumers of their grift) in every notification and news alert.
But those people are, how shall we put it? Pathetic.
The Trump family, once again, is involved in exploitation. Trump mobile is not an actual tech venture. It’s another grift and echo in a Trump media chamber already filled with endless noise.
David Shuster is an Emmy award winning broadcast journalist who is best known for his work at NBC News and as an anchor MSNBC. He is a contributor to Blue Amp Substack and our weekly show (every Thursday, 2pm et, only on Substack), “Amped Up w/ Cliff Schecter.”
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Someone should make a plan to market Trump laxatives, Trump adult diapers, Trump athlete’s foot medicine, Trump emetics, etc.
C’mon, folks, help me grow this list.
I honestly don't know how anyone with half a brain could look at those two creepy spittle-shooting goobers and think: yeah, those are the guys I'd like to waste my money buying useless products from!