US4 min(s) read
Published 13:49 01 Jun 2026 GMT
A MAGA supporter from Rhode Island who spent more than $600 on a Trump-branded watch was left in tears when the product arrived with a glaring error.
Tim Petit purchased the luxury timepiece as a present for his wife, Melanie, after hearing a radio advertisement that appeared to feature President Donald Trump's voice promoting the collection.
"With the president’s voice… I was curious, so I went on the website," Petit explained.
The man browsed the online catalog and ended up selecting a silver-and-pink watch featuring the 79-year-old's signature and fireworks artwork and paid $640 for the gift.
But when the watch arrived, his wife Melanie immediately noticed something was wrong.
Instead of reading "Trump," the watch face appeared to be missing the first letter of the name, simply saying "Rump".
"I noticed it right away. How could they process this and go through something without checking their work?" Melanie said, per The Mirror.
The error left the couple disappointed, particularly because the watch had been bought as a special gift.
"I wanted to do a special thing for her. And we expected that it would have the integrity of the President of the United States and good follow-through," Tim said.
Melanie revealed that she was so upset by the mistake that she was left in tears.
Fortunately for the pair, the company has since stepped in to resolve the issue.
After being contacted by NBC10, the watchmaker apologized and said it would immediately replace the defective watch.
The company also provided the couple with an $800 coupon as a goodwill gesture.
Despite featuring Trump's image, signature, and voice in promotional material, the watches are not operated by the Trump administration.
The website, gettrumpwatches.com, states that the products are produced under a paid licensing agreement with CIC Digital LLC.
The disclaimer notes that the watches are "not designed, owned, managed, or controlled by Donald J Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Digital LLC, or any of their respective principals or affiliates".
The company also maintains a strict sales policy, with its website stating that "all sales [are] final."
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The watch controversy comes as another Trump-branded product has recently found itself under fire.
Trump Mobile's $499 gold-plated T1 smartphone has only just begun shipping after months of delays, but buyers quickly spotted what critics claim is another major design mistake.
Photos of the device show an American flag printed on the back of the handset, appearing to feature only 11 stripes rather than the traditional 13 that represent the original colonies.
"The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies that broke away from British rule to fight for independence, so you probably shouldn’t just lop two of them off," The Verge's Dominic Preston wrote.
The issue quickly gained traction online. "[A]ctually kind of hilarious (& sad!) that the Trump phone has 11 stripes on it (actual flag has 13)," fintech entrepreneur Sheel Mohnot posted on X.
"An overpriced, outdated phone, preloaded with propaganda that is no longer 'made in the USA,' is the perfect metaphor for Trump's Republican Party," Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of a New York health advocacy group, said.
The T1 smartphone was first unveiled as part of the tenth anniversary celebrations of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and was expected to launch in August 2025. However, repeated delays pushed back the rollout by several months.
At one point, Trump Mobile even removed release date information from its website entirely before later clarifying that customer deposits did not "guarantee" the device would ever be produced or delivered.
Trump Mobile CEO Pat O'Brien defended the delays. "The delays were worth it in our minds as we are delivering an amazing product," O’Brien said.
The company has also faced ongoing questions over where the phone is actually manufactured.
While promoted as "Made in the USA," Trump Mobile's website now describes the device as being "designed with American values in mind."
O’Brien has said the phones are "assembled" in the United States using components "primarily manufactured in America."
However, several analysts have disputed those claims, with some suggesting the device closely resembles existing smartphones manufactured overseas.
"It looks physically very similar, and that matches with what we've been told so far," Shahram Mokhtari, an engineer at tech repair company iFixit, told NBC News.
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