Poplar Group, the long-running media relations firm for Trump Mobile, says it is no longer assisting the company after representing it since at least last June. The shift lands as the T1 Phone’s launch remains oddly limited—only a handful of outlets have the d
For months, the story around the T1 Phone has carried a familiar frustration: the company’s communication with the press hasn’t exactly been a two-way street. This week, that dynamic tightened again.
Poplar Group, which has represented Trump Mobile since at least last June, is no longer working with the company. The change came after long-term media relations coverage that had helped shape the public line about how the phones are made and where.
Back in at least June. Poplar Group’s founding partner Chris Walker gave a statement to USA Today. insisting that “T1 phones are proudly being made in America.” That claim didn’t hold up. and Trump Mobile now admits it’s not true. Walker later spoke with me a few times. including when he offered to expedite deliveries of The Verge’s two T1 Phone orders—though those orders are still waiting.
This week, Walker told me his team “is not assisting Trump Mobile any further.” He also said he didn’t know whether the company had retained a new PR firm to replace Poplar Group.
The timing matters. because the phone is now out in the wild—just not in the way a full launch usually looks. A handful of media outlets have the T1 Phone. and there are at least a couple of people on Truth Social and X who appear to be genuine buyers. Beyond that, the scale of the rollout remains unclear.
The sequence is stark: while the company has a public-facing story about the T1 Phone’s origins. its press approach has narrowed again—this time through a PR firm stepping away and Walker saying he’s done assisting. Where that leaves deliveries. follow-up reporting. and next steps for anyone trying to verify the details of the launch is hard to pin down.
As of now. the extent of the T1 Phone launch is still ambiguous. even as the presence of early devices and user claims suggests it’s moved beyond announcement-only. The question is no longer whether Trump Mobile will speak to the press—it’s whether anyone will be able to get a straight line in at all.
T1 Phone Trump Mobile Poplar Group Chris Walker media relations PR firm Truth Social X The Verge USA Today
So basically they can’t keep up appearances anymore. Weird how they drop the PR firm right when it’s supposed to roll out.
I don’t get it. If they’re made in America then why would it not be? Sounds like a whole bunch of spin and then PR gets blamed like always.
My cousin saw one on X so I’m not sure what “limited launch” means. Like people already have them, right? But also this article says they admitted the America thing wasn’t true?? so what are they even doing
PR firms dropping people is usually cause they got caught in lies or something. But I’m confused bc the company “isn’t assisting” yet phones are in the wild… doesn’t that mean the deliveries are fine? Seems like they’re just stalling on purpose.