Rhode Island man spent $640 on a pink Trump-branded watch for his wife. Then it allegedly showed up reading ‘Rump’ with the T missing

A man from Providence, Rhode Island, spent $640 on a pink branded watch for his wife, only to find that the timepiece was missing a key letter. Instead of reading “Trump,” the watch he received said “Rump.” Tim Pettit had bought the watch to show his support for the president and as a gift for his wife.

According to Mediaite, his wife was the first to notice the mistake after opening the gift. “The ‘T’ is missing. It just says ‘R-U-M-P.’ It says Rump,” she said. Pettit was frustrated with what he received, saying, “We expected that it would have the integrity of the president of the United States.”

Pettit made the purchase through GetTrumpWatches.com, a website that markets its products as the official watches of President Donald J. Trump. However, the site’s fine print states that it only licenses the name and likeness of the president, and that the watches are not designed, manufactured, distributed, or sold by Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization, or any of their affiliates or principals. The site also clarifies that it has no connection to any political campaign.

How the watches have been marketed and other Trump-branded products facing customer complaints

Advertisements for the watches began airing on Newsmax as far back as October, with clips featuring the president promoting them directly. “Hello, everyone, it’s President Donald J. Trump, and it’s Trump time,” he said in one clip.

“Check out this ‘Red Beauty,’ it’s one of my new watches. Wear it proudly on your wrist and everyone will know exactly what it’s for, who it’s for, who it represents. It’s really going to be something special, it’s for your favorite president. Get your watch today at GetTrumpWatches.com. These make a great gift. It’s Trump time.”

The watch is not the only Trump-branded product to face customer complaints recently. The $500 gold Trump mobile smartphone also drew significant dissatisfaction from buyers after a troubled rollout. 

The company missed its original launch date by nine months, and many customers who had already paid a $100 deposit for their pre-orders were unhappy that the phone’s design was changed multiple times after they had committed to the purchase. The smartphone also came under scrutiny over a shift in how it was marketed. The company had originally claimed the phone would be manufactured in the United States, but later walked back that claim. The packaging now states that the device is “proudly assembled in the USA,” which is a different standard from being fully manufactured domestically.