As the much-awaited MAGA mobile phone starts getting delivered, Donald Trump supporters claim that the phone is actually made in China.
The T1’s website information has quietly shifted from the “Made in America” claim to “made with American values in mind,” sparking speculations that the phone positioned on “patriotism” is actually a “cheap overseas knockoff”.
Donald Trump is under fire after delayed “MAGA” phone might be linked to Chinese manufacturing companies
The $499 MAGA smartphone has been controversial ever since it was seriously delayed, which affected an estimated 590,000 buyers who had each placed $100 deposits toward the device.
The smartphone, reportedly “dipped in gold paint,” was initially marketed as a symbol of American patriotism and a fierce nationalist ethos, which had a huge appeal for the Trump camp. However, a recent change in wording on the website description page has caused intense speculation on the phone’s real origins.
The MAGA smartphone is now being described as “designed with American values in mind,” rewording the earlier “Made in America” claim. Additionally, the page now says that the $100 deposits “do not guarantee” that the phone will be made available but offer customers a “conditional opportunity” to buy the device if the company eventually releases it.
Supporters are also wondering whether the phone with said specifications and the price can indeed be made in America, as the phone’s specifications mimic generic mass-made phones circulating in the global market. A source has said, “People backed this product because they believed it represented American manufacturing and Trump-style patriotism. Instead, many now think they are getting a glorified Chinese import dipped in gold paint.”
The backlash has intensified, given Trump’s recent failure to make any political breakthroughs regarding America’s conflicts with Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, in his recent visit to China and meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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