Anderson Cooper Mocks Trump's Gold Smartphone and Merchandise Ventures on CNN
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper criticized President Trump's expanding merchandise line, including a $500 gold smartphone and commemorative coins priced up to $11,999.99, expressing skepticism about the products' quality and timing. The smartphone, originally promised as 'Made in the USA,' is now marketed as 'designed with American values in mind' and has been compared by tech reviewers to existing Chinese and Taiwanese phone models. Cooper's commentary highlights the contrast between Trump's merchandise sales and public concerns about the cost of living.
Anderson Cooper devoted a CNN segment to critiquing President Trump's recent product launches and merchandise offerings, which include a gold smartphone (the 'T1'), commemorative coins for a planned UFC event at the White House, a 'God Bless the U.S.A.' Bible, and gold high-top sneakers. The smartphone, which launched in May after a nine-month delay, was originally promised to be manufactured in the USA but is now described as 'designed with American values in mind'—language Cooper found absurd. Tech reviewers from NBC News and The Verge noted the phone closely resembles an HTC U-24 Pro made in Taiwan and features a U.S. flag with only 11 stripes instead of the correct 13. Cooper's segment employed sarcasm and humor to question the timing and authenticity of these ventures, particularly given widespread public anxiety about inflation and the cost of living.
What's missing
The article does not include Trump's or his team's response to Cooper's criticism or the rationale behind the merchandise offerings. Sales figures or consumer demand for these products are not provided. The broader context of presidential merchandise sales by other administrations is absent.
What different sources said
- The IndependentLeft
CNN star loses it on air over Trump gold phone and other branded merch: ‘Where does he find the time?’
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