PR firm stops work for Trump Mobile amid T1 Phone questions
Poplar Group’s Chris Walker told The Verge his team is no longer assisting Trump Mobile, leaving unclear who now handles media for the T1 Phone.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Trump Mobile has lost the media relations firm that had been representing it during the delayed and disputed rollout of its T1 Phone. The change matters because the company is still facing questions about where the phone is made, how many customers have received it and who will answer press inquiries.
Chris Walker, a founding partner at Poplar Group, told The Verge that his team “is not assisting Trump Mobile any further.” Walker also told The Verge he did not know whether Trump Mobile had hired another public relations firm to replace Poplar Group.
The Verge reported that Poplar Group had represented Trump Mobile since at least last June. At that time, USA Today quoted Walker as saying that “T1 phones are proudly being made in America.”
The Verge said that statement was inaccurate and reported separately that Trump Mobile has since acknowledged the device is not fully made in the United States. The company’s changing manufacturing claims have been part of broader scrutiny around the phone since it was announced.
Orders and deliveries remain in question
The Verge said Walker had previously offered to speed up delivery of two T1 Phone orders placed by the publication. According to The Verge, those phones still had not arrived when Walker said Poplar Group was no longer working with Trump Mobile.
The status of the phone’s rollout remains limited and difficult to measure, according to The Verge. The publication reported that a small number of media outlets have received the device, while a few posts on Truth Social and X appear to come from real buyers.
The Verge did not report broader shipment figures, customer totals or a new public relations contact for Trump Mobile. The account leaves open whether the company is handling media inquiries directly or has moved that work to another firm.
A communications shift after launch
The timing comes after the T1 Phone became available to at least some reviewers and buyers, according to The Verge. The publication said the extent of the launch remains unclear because public evidence of delivered units is still sparse.
Trump Mobile’s communications have drawn attention partly because early marketing emphasized American manufacturing. USA Today’s 2025 report included Walker’s statement on domestic production, while The Verge later reported that Trump Mobile’s own position no longer matched that claim.
Poplar Group’s exit removes the outside representative The Verge had contacted during its reporting on the device. Trump Mobile has not been reported by The Verge to have named a successor firm or provided an updated media contact.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.