Trump Mobile is facing fresh scrutiny after promotional footage appeared to show an inaccurate version of the US flag on its branded phone.
The company has leaned heavily on patriotic imagery while marketing the $499 Trump-branded T1 device.
On Wednesday, Trump Mobile released a video saying customers who paid deposits would begin receiving their phones soon, with shipping set to start “this week”.
The announcement appeared aimed at customers questioning whether the devices would ever arrive.
The phone venture from Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. has already pushed back shipments several times, first from August last year to October and then to May.
The controversy follows criticism of Trump over a “creepy” comment about Chinese children who greeted him.
After Trump Mobile posted the latest video on X, formerly Twitter, comments were turned off.
The new look at the anticipated phone has increased doubts about whether the launch is proceeding smoothly.
The American flag logo shown on the device appears to have been changed incorrectly.
The US flag has 13 stripes to represent the original colonies.
In one clip, the phone’s flag design appears to show 11 stripes.
In another clip, it appears to show only nine.
The Verge reported that the inconsistent stripe count may be the result of AI-generated video.
The outlet also noted that one shot appears to show a scratch on the phone’s camera, which could mean at least one image showed an actual device.
Trump Mobile has said phones will begin shipping this week.
The Verge reported, however, that two phones it ordered have shown no movement.
The outlet said it had received no shipping notifications.
It also said its online Trump Mobile account showed no clear indication that the order had been logged.
The phone has drawn heavy criticism since its announcement.
When it was unveiled in June 2025, it was marketed as “MADE IN AMERICA”.
The company’s language has since shifted to saying the device is “designed with American values in mind, shaped by American innovation and supported by American teams helping guide design and quality”.
CNN reported that the phone looks similar to a Chinese-made handset sold at Walmart for $127.99.
That price is only slightly higher than the $100 deposit customers were asked to pay when the Trump phone was announced.
Many social media users have expressed skepticism about the project.
Some have described it as another Trump-backed “scam”.
One person wrote: “The Trump Phone made the Trumps over $600million and they haven’t even delivered a prototype. The website now just sells old gen prepaid iphones. This is one of his mny grifts, he has no plans on refunding or fulfilling all of these pre-orders.”
A thread asking whether anyone had received a Trump phone drew thousands of replies.
One person said: “No because they won’t send them. China won’t send them because of the tariffs.”
Another asked: “The gold ones that were made in the USA that aren’t gold anyore or made in the USA?”
A third joked: “No, but they did get a war with Iran and gas prices at $4.50 per gallon, if that’s any consolation.”
Another person wrote: “It’s on the same time line as Iran’s nukes, just two months away.”
The comment referred to the administration’s claims that Iran is close to developing nuclear weapons.
