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Trump Mobile Pulls Coverage Map After ‘Gulf of Mexico’ Label Draws Attention

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Just hours after its launch on Monday, Trump Mobile removed its website’s coverage map following online criticism over the inclusion of the label “Gulf of Mexico” — a term President Donald Trump had controversially renamed by executive order to the “Gulf of America” during his second term.

The map, which had been featured prominently on the Trump Mobile website to showcase network coverage, used T-Mobile’s data, according to a review of the site’s source code by Reuters. T-Mobile’s map retains the internationally recognized term “Gulf of Mexico,” which sparked backlash from some Trump supporters and ridicule across social media platforms.

This incident underscores ongoing tensions around Trump’s executive order, which sought to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico — a change that has been rejected by the international community and ignored by many U.S. media outlets, including the Associated Press, which Trump subsequently barred from certain White House events, prompting a legal challenge.

Trump Mobile: Political Branding Meets Mobile Telecom

Trump Mobile, part of a licensing deal with the Trump Organization, is the latest venture aiming to monetize the political and cultural reach of Donald Trump. The service is powered by Liberty Mobile Wireless, a Florida-based MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that leases bandwidth from major providers — in this case, T-Mobile.

Despite its launch fanfare, the coverage map issue has exposed a contradiction between the “America First” branding and reliance on external telecom infrastructure that does not reflect the Trump administration’s naming conventions. As of Tuesday morning, the coverage map page returned a “not found” error, and the Trump Organization has not commented on the removal.

Additional Controversies

  • The venture had previously faced skepticism over its “Made in America” smartphone claims, as details about the phone’s manufacturing origin remain vague.

  • The smartphone, priced at $499, has not identified a U.S. manufacturer, a challenge given the country’s limited domestic production capacity in mobile hardware.

SoftBank Targets $4.9 Billion via T-Mobile Share Sale, Bloomberg Reports

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SoftBank Group Corp is planning to raise nearly $4.9 billion through an overnight block sale of shares in T-Mobile US, according to a report by Bloomberg News on Monday. The Japanese tech conglomerate is offering to sell 21.5 million T-Mobile shares at a price range of $224 to $228 per share.

The proposed sale price reflects a discount of over 3% from T-Mobile’s closing price of $230.99 on Monday. The stake represents approximately 1.9% of T-Mobile’s outstanding shares, based on Reuters calculations. Bank of America is reportedly handling the deal.

Neither SoftBank nor T-Mobile has issued public comments in response to the report.

SoftBank’s decision to divest part of its T-Mobile holdings comes shortly after it reported a 1.15 trillion yen ($7.94 billion) profit for the fiscal year ending March 2025, rebounding from a 227.6 billion yen loss the previous year. The move also signals SoftBank’s continued strategy of realizing gains from past tech investments to support its broader portfolio, which has included both major successes like Alibaba and high-profile failures like WeWork.

The sale is being conducted as an unregistered offering, typically structured to appeal to institutional investors without going through full regulatory disclosures.

Verizon’s Warning on Slow Subscriber Growth Triggers Telecom Selloff

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Verizon Communications issued a warning about “soft” wireless subscriber growth in the first quarter, citing off-season promotions by competitors that have continued despite the typically slow post-holiday period. The announcement caused Verizon’s shares to plunge more than 7% on Tuesday, sparking a broader selloff in the U.S. telecom sector.

Chief Revenue Officer Frank Boulben, speaking at Deutsche Bank’s Media, Internet & Telecom Conference, noted that Verizon pulled back on customer incentives after an aggressive December quarter, while rivals maintained their promotional strategies, intensifying competition.

AT&T shares fell 5.3% as the company also reported elevated subscriber churn in January, while T-Mobile US saw a 4% decline. Analysts point to a shrinking pool of potential new mobile subscribers in an increasingly saturated market, with broadband giants like Comcast stepping up competition by targeting wireless customers.

Verizon also flagged a “slow start” for phone upgrades in the first quarter, attributing it to economic uncertainty and a lack of major new smartphone features. However, the company reaffirmed its annual target for single-digit growth in phone upgrades and expects a stronger rebound later in the year. Verizon anticipates adding more monthly-bill paying wireless subscribers in 2025 than the 900,000 it gained in 2024, supported by its customizable myPlan offerings.

Minimal Impact from Immigration Crackdown

Verizon and AT&T downplayed concerns about potential customer losses due to tighter U.S. immigration policies. President Donald Trump’s administration has intensified immigration enforcement, raising concerns about a reduced pool of new telecom customers. However, Boulben stated that any impact would be minimal, primarily affecting the low-end prepaid market rather than postpaid contracts that require formal identification.

Limited Threat from Satellite Internet

Both Verizon and AT&T dismissed concerns over competition from satellite internet providers like SpaceX’s Starlink, emphasizing that traditional wireless services remain more reliable and cost-effective. AT&T CFO Pascal Desroches acknowledged the potential of satellite-to-cell connectivity but described it as a limited business opportunity at present.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile has announced plans to launch its satellite-to-cell service with Starlink in July, priced at $15 per month.