Where, one must ask, is the long-promised Trump Phone? The question, which has evolved into a recurring theme of both intrigue and speculation, remains as relevant as ever. Our team intends to continue examining and discussing this elusive device on a weekly basis — with the single exception of next week, when we plan a brief editorial pause before resuming coverage in the new year. Following our established routine, we have once again reached out to the relevant representatives for clarity regarding the Trump Phone’s current status and physical whereabouts. Predictably, just as in previous attempts, no formal response has yet been provided. During this extended silence, curiosity naturally turns toward a broader mystery: who exactly is the true force behind the mobile company responsible for this venture?
Adding an unexpected twist to the ongoing saga, a recent corporate announcement revealed that one of the Trump-linked enterprises intends to merge with TAE Technologies, a firm heavily invested in nuclear fusion research. This surprising development prompted speculation about whether the same business entity that appeared to have abandoned its ambitions of manufacturing smartphones in the United States might now be shifting its technological focus toward the construction of a fusion-based power facility. The straightforward answer is a definitive no. However, the longer, more nuanced explanation exposes a deeper uncertainty: the actual ownership and operational control of Trump Mobile remain obscure. It appears evident that the mobile venture does not originate from Trump Media & Technology Group, which is the branch of the larger Trump corporate network currently emphasizing its involvement in the fusion energy sector.
The genesis of the Trump Phone can be traced back to a June announcement made directly by The Trump Organization. The unveiling was accompanied by an orchestrated media campaign featuring Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., both serving as executive vice presidents and prominent public faces of their father’s private company. The Trump Organization, which is officially controlled by the Trump family yet held in trust by the former U.S. President, encompasses an extensive network of privately managed subsidiaries. Notably, Trump Media is not part of this group. It functions as a publicly traded corporation that came into existence after the president’s departure from office, designed primarily as the parent entity for the Truth Social platform. While Trump initially maintained a majority stake in Trump Media, that share has since been placed into a trust also managed by Donald Trump Jr., who continues to serve on the company’s board of directors.
At first glance, this structure might suggest that Trump Media now oversees both its social network operations and its exploratory fusion project, while The Trump Organization leads the mobile phone endeavor. Yet the truth is considerably less clear-cut. Although The Trump Organization did indeed publicize the Trump Phone, the accompanying press materials specifically stated that the announcement was made “alongside the team from Trump Mobile.” This careful phrasing implies some degree of operational separation between the established Trump business empire and the newly formed mobile enterprise. Supporting this interpretation, the fine print within the press release explicitly clarifies that Trump Mobile’s products and services are not designed, developed, manufactured, distributed, or sold by The Trump Organization or any of its affiliates. Instead, T1 Mobile LLC — a separately registered business entity — merely utilizes the “Trump” name under a tightly controlled and potentially revocable licensing agreement.
To further complicate matters, Trump Mobile’s official website includes nearly identical legal language. It reiterates that all designs and trademarks associated with the Trump branding, including the stylized TRUMP™ mark, belong not to Trump Mobile itself but to DTTM Operations LLC. This entity is confirmed to be an internal component of The Trump Organization, primarily tasked with registering and managing trademarks across the Trump business portfolio. DTTM Operations has filed trademark applications specifically for the names “T1” and “Trump” in connection with telecommunications and likewise holds rights for other Trump-branded products, including footwear, fragrances, and a line of bottled waters. Thus, while The Trump Organization retains legal ownership of the branding, it essentially licenses that intellectual property to T1 Mobile LLC — the company genuinely operating Trump Mobile’s affairs.
Despite this partial transparency, vast gaps remain in public understanding. T1 Mobile was officially incorporated in the state of Florida in April, yet state registration records disclose little more than an address in Palm Beach. That location corresponds to a modest office building shared by multiple unrelated tenants — among them, a regional bank, a cleaning service specializing in air ducts, and a urology clinic. The same address also lists the office of attorney Stuart Kaplan, the designated registered agent for T1 Mobile LLC. Kaplan has not gone out of his way to disguise his association with the enterprise. In fact, when Trump Mobile was launched in June, he publicly declared via social media that he had “partnered with Eric and Don Jr. Trump,” further asserting at the time that the devices would be manufactured domestically, a statement later withdrawn.
Kaplan’s primary professional background lies in risk assessment and security consulting. As a managing partner of Kaplan & Sconzo, a firm offering investigative and private protection services, he also claims prior experience as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation between 1995 and 2006. He frequently references this tenure in media appearances, having served as a commentator for numerous national outlets — including CNN, CBS, and Fox News — on subjects ranging from public safety to ongoing criminal investigations. His recent commentary has included discussions of the Brown University shooting case, National Guard deployments, and various high-profile political matters. Historically, Kaplan has shown a willingness to comment on issues directly involving the former president as well. Between 2022 and 2023, he appeared on CNN and CBS to discuss legal proceedings related to Donald Trump, consistently introduced as both a former FBI agent and a practicing defense attorney. Interestingly, since filing paperwork for T1 Mobile LLC in late April 2025, he appears to have distanced himself from public commentary on Trump personally, though as recently as last December he appeared on a Florida news affiliate to condemn what he characterized as the political weaponization of federal law enforcement.
Ultimately, the uncertainty surrounding Trump Mobile’s true ownership and internal operations persists. We remain unaware of Kaplan’s precise position within the company beyond his legal role as its registered agent, and no documentation has surfaced that clarifies when his collaboration with members of the Trump family officially began. Equally opaque is the matter of who holds direct ownership over T1 Mobile LLC, who finances its operations, and who manages its day-to-day business. The available disclosures and disclaimers imply that the Trump family’s involvement is limited primarily to authorizing the use of their brand name — a practice not uncommon in licensing structures that trade on the value of recognizable trademarks while insulating the licensors from direct commercial accountability.
Still, one definite conclusion can be drawn: the individuals or entities currently struggling to bring the long-delayed Trump Phone to market appear entirely separate from those within the Trump network pursuing more ambitious goals such as developing a commercial nuclear fusion reactor. In short, though both enterprises exist under the sprawling umbrella of the Trump brand, they operate along divergent tracks, with minimal — if any — direct intersection.
To date, representatives for Trump Mobile, The Trump Organization, and Stuart Kaplan have not responded to our most recent requests for comment. Should readers possess verifiable inside information concerning Trump Mobile or the elusive Trump Phone, we encourage secure contact using personal devices through tips@theverge.com or via the guidelines outlined on our official How to Tip Us page. To stay informed about this developing story and similar investigations, follow related topics and authors within your personalized home feed and subscribe for regular email updates.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/tech/848029/trump-mobile-ownership-structure-licensing
