NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 When the Trump family unveiled a new phone before a giant American flag at its headquarters earlier this month, the pitch was simple and succinct, packed with pure patriotism: 鈥淢ade in the U.S.A.鈥
The Trumps are apparently having second thoughts.
How about 鈥減roudly American鈥?
Those are the two words that have replaced the 鈥淢ade in the USA鈥 pitch that just a few days ago appeared on the website where customers can pre-order the so-called T-1 gold-toned phones with an American flag etched on the back. Elsewhere on the site, other vague terms are now being used, describing the $499 phone as boasting an 鈥淎merican-Proud Design鈥 and 鈥渂rought to life right here in the U.S.A.鈥
The Federal Trade Commission requires that items labeled 鈥淢ade in USA鈥 be 鈥渁ll or virtually all鈥 produced in the U.S. and several firms have been sued over misusing the term.
The Trump Organization has not explained the change and has not responded to a request for comment. Neither did an outside public relations firm handling the Trumps' mobile phone business, including a request to confirm a statement made to another media outlet.
鈥淭1 phones are proudly being made in America,鈥 said Trump Mobile spokesman Chris Walker, according to USA Today. 鈥淪peculation to the contrary is simply inaccurate.鈥
The language change on the website was first reported by the news site The Verge.
An expert on cell phone technology, IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo, said he鈥檚 not surprised the Trump family has dropped the 鈥淢ade in the USA鈥 label because it鈥檚 nearly impossible to build one here given the higher cost and lack of infrastructure to do so.
But, of course, you can claim to do it.
鈥淲hether it is possible or not to build this phone in the US depends on what you consider 鈥榖uild,鈥" Jeronimo said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a question of assembling components and targeting small volumes, I suppose it鈥檚 somehow possible. You can always get the components from China and assemble them by hand somewhere.鈥
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have phones that are made right here in the United States of America,鈥 said Trump's son Eric to Fox News recently, adding, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about time we bring products back to our great country.鈥
The Trump family has flown the American flag before with Trump-branded products of suspicious origin, including its 鈥淕od Bless the USA鈥 Bibles, which an last year showed were printed in China.
The Trump phone is part of a bigger family mobile business plan designed to tap into MAGA enthusiasm for the president. The two sons running the business, Eric and Don Jr., announced earlier this month that they would offer mobile phone plans for $47.45 a month, a reference to their father's status as the 45th and 47th president. The call center, they said, will be in the U.S., too.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not calling up call centers in Bangladesh,鈥 Eric Trump said on Fox News. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing it out of St. Louis, Missouri.鈥
The new service has been blasted by government ethics experts for a conflict of interest, given that President Donald Trump oversees the Federal Communications Commission that regulates the business and is investigating phone service companies that are now Trump Mobile rivals.
Trump has also threatened to punish cell phone maker Apple, now a direct competitor, threatening to slap 25% tariffs on devices because of its plans to .
___
