The Trump phone shipped this week, and I found that it was the perfect artifact of the man whose name is stamped on it. The gold-toned slab – which was promised as American-made and best-in-class – arrived late, reportedly with foreign-made parts, overpriced and to withering reviews. Like many Trump products, it was hyped and monetised, but in time, Trump Mobile may see its products thrown in the trash as the number of pissed-off customers outnumbers new buyers.
This is a prophecy of what’s to come.
I saw it play out inside the Oval Office during the “hype phase” of Donald Trump’s first presidency. Now, in the second term, we’re beginning to see the “fail phase” of the largest product Trump has ever tried to brand: the United States of America.
To be clear, not every Trump venture has ended in failure – after all, he has made money, otherwise he wouldn’t still be at it – but a remarkable number have followed a recognisable arc, and it is that arc that has now migrated into the Oval Office.
Shorts
