Donald Trump seemed to be ready to trade headlines for the fairway over the weekend.
The president traveled to his Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C., after weeks of a bunch of unfavorable headlines.
His supporters have remained loyal through each controversy. Whether it was the algae-filled Reflecting Pool or the messy South Lawn after his UFC birthday celebration, his followers trusted him through it all.
But now new photos might change that for many.
The president was captured entering the dining room of the resort with a posse of handlers. As they walked across the room, those seated exploded with applause.
Amongst them was his aide Natalie Harp, whom many believed to be obsessed with him.
Guests applaud Trump entering the dining room of his golf club today.
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) June 28, 2026
Natalie Harp, the devoted aide who leaves him personal messages, was also there. pic.twitter.com/XqL4mupnOw
Normally, the hovering blonde would capture attention. However, eagle-eyed fans zoomed in on something else.
Taken through a door window panel at the club, the former reality star was photographed holding a phone in his hand.
Trump at his golf club today holding an iPhone 17 Pro Max. Why isn’t he using the Trump Mobile T1 phone? pic.twitter.com/7L3btzxdNk
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) June 28, 2026
Once shared on social media, the internet went wild. The reason the mobile device was an issue is that his family company has been pushing their phone to MAGA consumers.
In 2025, Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, launched Trump Mobile. It is a wireless service and smartphone brand built around themes of “wireless independence” and American pride. The flagship product is the T1 Phone. It is gold. It costs $499.
The man whose name is on it was photographed holding an Apple iPhone, a competitor brand.
Many on X did not hold back.
“It’s simple… He only wants the best for himself and doesn’t give a s—t about anyone else…… everyone needs to know this… And if they haven’t it figured it out by now they never will… That’s why Trump loves the stupid people,” one X user wrote.
Another said, “Even he understands how horrible his own phone is.” Someone else wrote, “It’s funny how Republican’s got scammed in broad daylight and are too embarrassed to admit it.”
lol
— I’m Not That Short (@SheBleedsHipHop) June 29, 2026
One person tweeted, “Trump knows that his phones suck, like the rest of his merch.”
“A dealer never uses his product,” someone explained.
“MAGAs, are you still a MAGA? an X user asked, before stating, “Trump don’t use his own cellphone but ask you to buy! he doesn’t wear his $400 a pair of shoes but ask you to buy.”
Well before the photo was snapped, the T1 had major marketing problems. Industry watchdogs said the phones is not what it claims.
According to CNET, the phone is a rebranded mid-range HTC U24 Pro, and not an original product.
Also, the phone runs older series Snapdragon 7-series chip hardware, making it not competitive with Apple’s more advanced Pro Max system-on-a-chip.
Defense One stated that the T1 does not meet the security standards required for executive communications.
The phone runs on Taiwanese design with Chinese components. The “Made in America” language quietly disappeared from the Trump Mobile website after launch.
The promotional rollout was its own disaster.
In August 2025, Trump Mobile posted what it claimed was an image of the T1 Phone.
Android users knew immediately. It was a digitally altered Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. A Spigen phone case was still partially visible beneath the edits. In fact, the Community Notes on the X post confirming the tech brand prompted Spigen to respond directly.
“Lawsuit incoming,” the company posted.Shortly after that, the Trump organization deleted the original image, replacing it with only text.
The phone is one piece of a much larger pattern.
Trump-branded products include gold sneakers, watches priced up to $100,000, $199 fragrances, a co-branded Bible, guitars, NFT trading cards, and the $TRUMP memecoin.
The House Oversight Democrats’ Trump Family Digital Grift Wealth Tracker has been watching just how much money the president and the family brand have made since he returned to office. It contends that the family’s realized profits are around $2.25 billion.
The number climbs to $9.7 billion when digital assets are included. As much as $600 million has been traced to foreign interests. The tracker does not share details about the quality of their products, nor whether the family uses their own products or not.
It simply shows how much money they are making off of their followers.
By mid-April, Trump Mobile had unveiled its third redesigned T1 phone and announced shipments were finally underway.
Tech reviewers quickly received devices, but it’s still unclear how many of the roughly 600,000 customers who paid a $100 deposit have received theirs.
What we do know it that the man whose name is on it walked into his golf club Sunday afternoon with an iPhone in his hand.
