Recent claims suggesting that Trump Mobile has secured nearly 600,000 preorders for its new smartphone have gained traction online. This figure, if accurate, would imply a substantial influx of $60 million for the company, considering a $100 deposit required per device. However, there is currently no verified evidence to support this assertion, raising questions about its legitimacy.
The timing of these claims coincides with a growing scrutiny of Trump Mobile, as Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic lawmakers have urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the company for its purported “false advertising and deceptive practices.” Some critics argue that the number of individuals who would place a deposit for the device is likely exaggerated, with one commenter suggesting that “not many people were dumb enough to fall for this.”
The origin of the 600,000 figure appears to be linked to a viral post on social media, specifically a tweet that was subsequently shared by the press office of California Governor Gavin Newsom. The post referenced information from the platform Grok, which claimed to cite credible outlets like Fortune, NPR, and The Guardian. However, a review of those publications reveals no mention of the preorder numbers.
Investigating further, I found that the figure is often cited in online discussions but lacks any concrete foundation. Reports from India’s Economic Times and Hindustan Times mentioned a slightly lower figure of 590,000 preorders, attributed to an unspecified Associated Press report. Upon contacting the AP, corporate communications VP Lauren Easton confirmed that “AP’s original stories never contained such a number.”
This revelation led to further inquiries with the authors of the articles citing the AP. One writer from the Hindustan Times, Shamik Banerjee, acknowledged that their citation of the AP was a “typo” and indicated the number originated from The Times of India. That outlet’s article did not reference any solid source for the figure, instead tracing it back to a viral post by a meme account.
The original post was made by an account known as Bricktop_NAFO, which has gained over 2.8 million views on X for its claim that “590,000 idiots purchased Trump’s mobile phone.” It is noteworthy that this account frequently posts anti-Trump content alongside unrelated memes and jokes. Attempts to reach out to this account for clarification on the source of their information have gone unanswered.
As the false preorder figures circulated, they were picked up by various media outlets, including MSN.com and tech site Phone Arena, further solidifying the misinformation’s appearance as fact. This phenomenon illustrates how quickly unverified claims can permeate the digital landscape, especially when amplified by popular social media platforms and chatbot technologies.
For the time being, the actual number of preorders for the Trump Mobile remains undisclosed. The company has not responded to inquiries regarding this figure, leaving both supporters and skeptics in the dark. As the situation unfolds, it serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying information before accepting it as truth.
