All the places I used my Trump Mobile wireless service this week | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessCreatorsMobilePolicySecurityTransportationReviewsExpandLaptopsPhonesHeadphonesTabletsSmart HomeSmartwatchesSpeakersDronesScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthEntertainmentExpandGamesTV ShowsMoviesAudioAIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee All ShoppingCarsExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersOther TransportationFeaturesVideosExpandYouTubeTikTokInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.All the places I used my Trump Mobile wireless service this weekComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportMobileCloseMobilePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MobileAll the places I used my Trump Mobile wireless service this week5G with a side of authoritarianism.5G with a side of authoritarianism.by Allison JohnsonCloseAllison JohnsonPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Allison JohnsonNov 29, 2025, 11:00 AM UTCLinkShareHey, I got my SIM card.Allison JohnsonCloseAllison JohnsonPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Allison Johnson is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview.Where’s the Trump Phone? We’re going to keep talking about it every week. We’ve reached out, as usual, to ask about the Trump Phone’s whereabouts. As usual, we’re still waiting for a response. In the meantime, we’re testing the service on Trump Mobile’s MVNO. Here’s how that went.As I sat down at the bookstore cafe with a cortado and an oat bar, I panicked just a little bit when I turned on my phone’s hotspot. What if my hotspot network gave me away? Would it say ALLISON’S TRUMP PHONE? Would someone smart sitting next to me, sipping matcha, catch sight of it? What would they think of me?That’s not what happened, of course. The default network name was “Allison’s S25,” reflecting the Samsung Galaxy phone I was using, not the network. But the experience sums up a weird feeling I can only describe as “icky” as I texted, talked, and scrolled through my day using my Trump Wireless plan.Honestly, I was surprised the service even identified itself as Trump and not Liberty Mobile, the MVNO that the Trump Organization’s MVNO service rides on. But there they were, those five letters staring back at me under my SIM settings once I installed the card. They were at the top of the status bar every time I swiped down to check a notification, too.I have to look at this every time I swipe down on the quick settings or notification shade.I didn’t really go out of my way to do a bunch of things while testing Trump Mobile that seem antithetical to the whole Trump ethos — that’s just kinda how it worked out. I used the service to check on a hold at my public library. I used it on public transportation. I used it while shopping at a local grocery oo-op. I used it to find my way to an indie bookstore. It worked just fine. It still felt icky doing this all with that Trump network indicator in the corner of the screen.I have a number of complaints about the values that the Trump Organization and the Trump name represent. But the wireless service? Fine, I guess. My Galaxy S25 proudly displays a 5G badge most of the time. Trump Mobile runs on T-Mobile, and T-Mobile coverage is quite good here in Seattle, where it happens to be headquartered. In fact, I got better download speeds on the S25 using Trump Mobile than I did using my own Verizon plan on an S25 Plus. I pay way more for my Verizon service than the $51.99 that the Trump service costs. Side note: the plan’s official price is $47.45, which is a cute nod to Trump’s presidencies, albeit out of order presumably to charge a couple extra bucks. But when you add tax, you end up at $51.99.There are little red flags here and there suggesting that maybe Trump Mobile doesn’t have it all togetherAs it is wont to, the Trump Organization has slapped its name on a product that was already well established — in this case, T-Mobile wireless service. To be fair, that’s basically how an MVNO works, so it’s not surprising that the network part of the product works quite well. Everything else, though, has been a little hit-and-miss. There was the case of my missing SIM card, which was not great. But the problem was resolved by some kind customer service folks, and once I had the card in hand, I was able to get service started on my own, by putting the card in my phone, logging into my account, and typing in some numbers in the right place.But there are little red flags here and there suggesting that maybe Trump Mobile doesn’t have it all together. The hours given for the customer service line listed on the SIM kit I got differ from what’s on the website, which is different from the actual hours given when you call. The instructions on the SIM packaging tell you to go to TrumpMobile.com/activate, but that page throws a 404 error. The instructional video that tells you how to install a SIM card looks suspiciously AI-generated (and I swear to god that voice-over sounds like Dieter). It all feels slapped together and inconsistent. Icky, indeed.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Allison JohnsonCloseAllison JohnsonPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Allison Johnson5GClose5GPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All 5GMobileCloseMobilePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MobileReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularThe 182 best Black Friday deals you can still shop — a ton of tech is over half offYou can play classic Nintendo games on these custom SNES-inspired Nike sneakersThe Super Mario Galaxy bundle for the Switch is 20 percent off today onlyWyze’s new security camera watches your yard from inside your homeWe found 40 surprisingly good Black Friday deals you can still grab for $30 or lessThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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The experience of utilizing Trump Mobile’s wireless service, as detailed by Allison Johnson, presents a peculiar and somewhat unsettling narrative, primarily focused on the operational inconsistencies and the unsettling branding associated with the service. Johnson’s account centers around a week-long testing period, meticulously documented through the use of a Samsung Galaxy S25, and highlights a series of frustrating encounters that stem from the nascent stage of the service’s development. The core of Johnson’s assessment revolves around a persistent feeling of “icky-ness,” a sensation triggered by the consistent presence of the “Trump Mobile” network indicator displayed in the status bar, a stark reminder of the service’s unusual branding.

The initial setup process itself contributes significantly to this feeling. Johnson recounts difficulties with locating the SIM card, referencing a missing card and a customer service representative who patiently guided her through the resolution. The activation process, described as reliant on a website that consistently throws a 404 error and a suspiciously AI-generated instructional video, further reinforces this impression of a hastily assembled product. The inconsistencies in the customer service line hours – a discrepancy between the website listing and the actual operational times – adds a layer of mistrust and suggests a lack of organizational cohesion.

Beyond these immediate operational issues, Johnson’s report underscores the inherent strangeness of the Trump Mobile brand itself. The continued display of the “Trump Mobile” network indicator, a deliberate and somewhat provocative branding choice, creates a sensation of unease, emphasizing the association with the former President. The reliance on T-Mobile’s underlying network infrastructure, a well-established and generally reliable system, ironically highlights the problems stemming from the service’s presentation and support.

The entire experience is presented through Johnson’s observational lens, detailing the impact of the brand on her everyday usage. She utilizes the service for common tasks – checking out library books, commuting on public transportation, and purchasing groceries – actions that feel somewhat heightened by the association with the Trump brand. The documented frustrations – the 404 errors, the inconsistent customer service hours, and the noticeable brand display – collectively contribute to an overall sense of disconcertment.

Ultimately, Johnson’s account reveals a service still in its early development phase, struggling with fundamental operational issues and carrying a heavy brand weight. While the service utilizes a competent core network (T-Mobile), the inconsistencies and the deliberately provocative branding create a distinctly uneasy experience, suggesting a disconnect between the product’s function and the branding attempting to attach itself to that function. The narrative emphasizes not just the technical performance of the service—which, based on Johnson’s assessment, appears acceptable—but also the significant challenges around establishing a recognizable and trusted brand identity.