Trump Mobile Isn’t Giving Up Just Yet

It’s been 9 months since Trump Mobile announced itself, 7 months since nan institution updated immoderate of its societal media profiles, and 2 months since anyone replied to my emails. Based connected that, you mightiness deliberation that everyone progressive had fixed up connected nan full idea, but this week we saw funny signs of life: a caller trademark application.

What’s strangest astir the application is that it was revenge not for thing new, but for “The 47 Plan”: Trump Mobile’s sole compartment plan, which launched alongside nan institution itself in June past year. Like erstwhile Trump Mobile trademarks, this was revenge for by lawyer Michael Santucci connected behalf of DTTM Operations LLC, and nan listing says it was revenge this Monday, April 6th. Why this trademark wasn’t applied for on pinch others astatine nan launch, for “Trump” and “T1,” is anyone’s conjecture — I’ve asked, but nan institution is still ignoring me.

The telephone itself is still obscurity to beryllium seen. Since nan motorboat 9 months ago, location person only been 2 signs that nan T1 Phone mightiness beryllium real: a handset that institution executives Don Hendrickson and Eric Thomas showed maine complete a video call; and an FCC support from January. I’d been told that nan telephone was connected way for a motorboat successful March, but that intelligibly didn’t happen.

There’s a lively statement successful our comments each week astir whether Trump Mobile is still making a meaningful effort to run a bearer aliases vessel a smartphone. Filing for a trademark doesn’t beryllium it’s doing either. But a caller trademark application, almost 10 months aft nan first two, does astatine slightest propose that someone, somewhere, still sees worth successful nan project.

Trademark lawyer Josh Gerben, who first spotted nan filing, points retired that it’s different successful astatine slightest 1 different way: it’s a beautiful overt reference to Trump’s tenure arsenic 47th president. “There has been nary different sitting President successful nan history of nan United States who has made a trademark filing that references nan Office of nan Presidency successful relationship pinch a for-profit enterprise,” Gerben writes.

I conjecture that’s 1 much first for Trump Mobile. But you cognize what would impressment maine more? Releasing a damn phone.

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