Democratic lawmakers urge FTC to investigate Trump phone

A group of Democratic lawmakers asked the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday to investigate a mobile phone venture started by President Donald Trump’s two older sons for “potential violations of consumer protection law,” alleging that the advertising and sale of a supposedly “Made in the USA” phone may be deceptive. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and 10 other Democratic members of the House and the Senate asked regulators to investigate Trump Mobile’s “T1” phone, which was announced in June and promised to be released in August but which has yet to be delivered. The lawmakers specifically asked the agency to investigate whether consumers were cheated by paying $100 deposits for phones that have yet to materialize for customers. The letter, exclusively seen by NBC News, also asks the FTC to determine whether Trump Mobile used “false advertising” in claiming that its T1 phone will be made in the USA as originally marketed. Trump Mobile quietly backed off its assertion that the phone would be made in the USA. Less than a month after the launch announcement, the website appeared to scrub any mention of “Made in the USA,” and it now describes the phone as having an “American-proud design.” In a phone call this week, however, a Trump Mobile call operator maintained that the phone would be made in the U.S. In the letter, lawmakers asked the FTC whether it had opened any investigation into Trump Mobile’s advertising practices and whether it held any discussions with the president or any of the businesses involved about Trump Mobile. The lawmakers wrote, “The FTC’s response to any violations of consumer protection law by Trump Mobile will serve as a critical test of the FTC’s independence and commitment to its mission of ‘protecting the public from deceptive or unfair business practices.’” The letter was co-led by Warren and Rep. Robert Garcia of California and joined by Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Adam Schiff of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Reps. Doris Matsui of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Greg Cesar of Texas, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump announced the venture at a Trump Tower announcement in June. Trump Mobile promised a suite of mobile carrier plans, as well as a gold T1 phone bearing an American flag on its back. NBC News placed a $100 deposit on the T1 phone in August to track its development. At one point in October, a call operator with Trump Mobile’s customer support line promised a specific ship date of Nov. 13, which passed without an update. When NBC News followed up with the call center, an operator said delivery had been pushed back to December, citing the government shutdown as a reason for the delay, without further explanation. In a phone call this week to the Trump Mobile customer support line, an operator said the phone was “in the...

Preview: ~500 words