Anderson Cooper’s On-Air Reaction to Trump Merchandise Sparks Laughter

Anderson Cooper couldn’t contain his laughter while reporting on Donald Trump’s ever-growing collection of officially licensed merchandise on Wednesday night. The CNN anchor found himself amused while discussing a $499 gold-plated ‘Trump Phone,’ which Trump initially promoted as ‘made in the US.’ Cooper chuckled as he noted the phone is now marketed as “designed with American values in mind.” Unable to hold back his laughter, he added, “Sorry,” and encouraged viewers to “pause and reflect on that claim,” before breaking into laughter once more. “I don’t know what that means,” he reiterated, pointing out the phone’s uncanny resemblance to a Chinese model costing under $200. “But somehow American values were thought about when they were designed,” Cooper remarked. The Anderson Cooper 360 segment continued with a look at other Trump-branded items like Bibles, sneakers, and a $11,999.99 gold medallion featuring a portrait of Trump and UFC chief Dana White. These ‘Freedom 250’ medallions were released in anticipation of a UFC event outside the White House on Sunday.

The coins, adorned with Trump’s likeness, are marketed as a joint venture between the Trump Organization and UFC. Cooper criticized the Trump family for trying “to cash in on” what he described as a “cage match.” The Trump Organization, managed by Trump’s sons Donald Jr. and Eric, claims that these items are all designed by Trump himself. “The site says they are designed by President Trump, which is amazing,” Cooper remarked about the four coins, priced from $250 to the $11,999.99 medallion. “Where does he find the time?” he humorously questioned.

“This isn’t the first time the president or his family have promoted products,” Cooper remarked, followed by footage of Trump endorsing his ‘God Bless the USA Bible’ in 2024. Cooper highlighted that ‘presidential editions’ featuring Trump are priced at $99.99, similar to a ‘Melania Trump first lady edition.’ He continued with a mention of ‘Trump Sneakers,’ specifically the ‘Never Surrender’ high tops, which were released at a price of $399 in 2024.

‘And yes, they were released before he was reelected,’ Cooper said, before turning to a February 2026 Truth Social post from Trump that bragged about the same high tops being sold at a sneaker convention in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for $180,000. ‘That presidential post about sneaker prices during the war. Where does he find the time?’ Cooper asked again. Cooper eventually got to the Trump Phone, officially the Trump Mobile T1, which he said he’d ‘be remiss not to mention.’ ‘The $499 gold plated phones finally started shipping a few weeks ago, nearly a year after initially taking customers’ money,’ Cooper said.

The host then got to the Official Trump meme coin, which he noted was launched ‘three days before the inauguration’ and just ‘one of four Trump family crypto projects,’ according to Reuters. Cooper warned that the publication found the projects had generated at least $2.3 billion. ‘Which is great for them. Not so great for more than a million investors.’ The Reuters analysis, which looked at thousands of documents, disclosures and blockchain records, found the Trump family has used the cryptocurrency template to generate at least $2.3 billion in profit from investors since he retook office. The Daily Mail has approached the White House for comment.