Reporter delivers brutal review of gold Trump phone: 'Kind of looks like a urine sample'
President Donald Trump's latest business venture — Trump Mobile — got a scathing review from a journalist during a live CNN broadcast on Monday.
Patrick Holland, Managing Editor at CNET, described the phone's design in conversation with CNN Anchor Brianna Keilar, saying it looks like "an altered iPhone 16 Pro."
"The gold color, in real life it kind of varies depending on what lighting you're in. Sometimes it looks like those gold coins that Scrooge McDuck would jump into for 'DuckTales.' Other times it's got a mustard vibe to it and yet other times it kind of looks like a urine sample," Holland said.
But Holland said it wasn't the color that would make him hesitate to recommend it.
"I would not recommend it, not because of that, but largely because we just don't know certain things about it," Holland said.
"We don't know what the processor is in the phone, we don't know what the software and security updates will be," he explained. "For example, companies like Samsung or Google will commit to seven years, so if you buy a phone you know that you have until 2033 to use that phone and that makes me wonder if the last big worry is if this phone will actually ship. While a couple of us in the media do have it, I can't find many cases of actual customers who put their money down to order the phone, with the phone."
The product website describes the phone as "premium performance" and "proudly American," with an Android operating system and fingerprint sensor and AI face unlock.
"The T1 isn't just another smartphone; it's a bold step toward wireless independence. Designed with American values in mind, the T1 delivers top-tier performance, sleek design, and powerful features, all without the inflated price tag," according to the Trump Mobile website.
Patrick Holland who reviewed the new Trump phone describes the color as: Sometimes it looks like those gold coins that Scrooge McDuck would jump in… and yet other times it kind of looks like a urine sample. pic.twitter.com/haI73ydajy
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 26, 2026