Republicans Warn iPhone Update Could Hit Midterms Fundraising, Vow ‘MAGA Will Find a Way

Last Updated:August 27, 2025, 19:12 IST

The digital firm that Donald Trump used for campaigning in 2024 claims that Big Tech “wants to stop Donald Trump” from communicating with people.

A Republican strategist warned that Big Tech wants to stop Donald Trump from texting supporters citing a new Apple update to its Messaging feature. (IMAGE: REUTERS/REPRESENTATIVE)

An upcoming iPhone software update has sparked concern among Republican fundraisers in the United States, who fear it could block key voter outreach and fundraising messages. The new filtration system, due for rollout in September, may disproportionately impact Republican campaigns that rely heavily on text-based outreach, Fox News Digital reported.

Sean Dollman, founding partner of American Made Media Company, which was the parent firm of Launchpad Strategies and was the exclusive digital agency for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, said that the move was no surprise.

“It’s no surprise that Big Tech wants to stop Donald Trump and other Republicans from communicating with people, because they’ve tried every other method to interfere already," Dollman was quoted as saying by the broadcaster’s digital news arm.

He added: “Big Tech has suppressed him, suspended him, and banned him outright. And now they’re trying to make it so he can’t text anybody either. But MAGA won’t be stopped, and MAGA will always find a way."

According to Fox News Digital, Launchpad Strategies served as the Trump 2024 campaign’s exclusive digital firm, raising $509 million for Trump and a further $18 million from 40 other clients during the election year.

According to data from the 2024 election cycle, Republicans relied on text messaging far more than Democrats — by a margin of two-to-one — making them especially vulnerable if Apple’s new filter kicks in this September. The timing is critical, with midterms approaching and Democrats eyeing a chance to wrest back control of both the House and Senate.

Screenshots of recent fundraising texts reviewed by US-based news outlet show how central Donald Trump’s name remains to the strategy. Supporters are urged to save numbers in their contacts or reply directly to build a message history. The texts are written to feel personal and interactive: “From Trump: Did you save my number yet?" reads one. Another urges, “Download the Trump Contact Card to add me to your address book." Some even go further, with prompts like, “Trump: If you had 5 minutes with me, what would you say? No links. I just want your reply below."

What Is the Update?

Apple’s new iOS 26 update will introduce an upgraded text filtration feature called “Screen Unknown Senders," which moves texts from numbers not saved in a recipient’s phone, or with no prior chat history, into a separate folder without notifications. While the system is already present in iOS 18, it currently requires manual activation by users.

Republicans argue the change, timed months before midterm campaigning heats up, could cost them more than $25 million in fundraising revenue, according to a July memo from the National Republican Senate Committee, cited by Punchbowl News.

History Repeats Itself?

Republican strategists also drew parallels with a past episode involving Gmail. Research by North Carolina State University’s Department of Computer Science in 2022 found that Gmail allowed most emails from left-leaning politicians into inboxes while marking more than two-thirds of Republican messages as spam.

That system, Republicans say, cost them billions. Citing data from the Republican National Committee and its allied congressional wings, Fox News Digital reported that Gmail’s filtering led to losses of nearly $2 billion between 2019 and 2022. In the 2020 cycle alone, GOP candidates raised $737 million via the fundraising platform WinRed, but only 32% of their emails reached supporters — with Republicans estimating they lost $1.5 billion in contributions.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...

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First Published:

August 27, 2025, 19:12 IST

News world Republicans Warn iPhone Update Could Hit Midterms Fundraising, Vow ‘MAGA Will Find a Way

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